Violante froze for a moment.
Then he and Triguera disappeared down the corridor.
After leaving the training base, Triguera sighed.
"Any title is just an illusion until the final ninety minutes are over. But you made him trade two trophies for one squad spot. Isn't that a bit harsh?"
Violante spread his hands.
"I didn't say he had to win a double. He said that himself. As long as he wins one trophy, that's already enough for me to justify putting him on the list."
"You know how much pressure I'm under. Every selected player has a club, family, teachers, and academy coaches behind him. I need concrete reasons to silence them."
Triguera gave a bitter smile.
"So Kai just made things harder for himself? You're too ruthless. He's still a kid. Do you really need to spar with him like this?"
A faint cunning smile appeared on Violante's face.
"Of course I take it seriously. I'm very serious."
He paused.
"But if he really wins two trophies… maybe he'll become more than just a squad player."
Triguera went numb.
More than just a squad player?
The core?
Was Violante considering building the midfield around Kai?
That would mean overturning the current structure.
But what about Hugo Viana?
His potential was world-class.
Violante seemed to read his thoughts.
"Viana is eligible for this year's European Junior Championship, but not next year's World Youth Championship. The same goes for Ricardo Quaresma."
"They'll soon move up to the reserves—or even the first team. Their focus will naturally shift from national youth duty to club football."
"Body, energy, time, attention—it all changes."
"I have to plan ahead."
"Cristiano Ronaldo has improved dramatically this year. His raw talent might not be the absolute best, but his growth rate has shocked everyone. Who knows what he'll become? He might reward those who believe in him."
"There's always a chemical reaction between Ronaldo and Kai."
"To be honest, I still have doubts about Kai's long-term professional ceiling."
"But in youth competitions? I have absolute confidence in him."
"His tactical maturity is already at a professional level. That's overwhelming for players his age."
Triguera nodded repeatedly, pleased.
Although Viana was also one of his academy successes, Viana had been shaped more by his family and other coaches than by Triguera's philosophy.
If forced to choose—
He would pick Kai without hesitation.
If there's a winner, choose Kai.
If there's no winner, choose Ronaldo.
Without Kai and Ronaldo?
You're just gambling blindly.
As the season approached its end, the major leagues entered their final stretch.
The Portuguese U15 League also entered its third phase: the Championship Round.
Four teams. Six matches. Points decide the champion.
April 26
Sporting CP vs FC Porto
Sporting hosted Porto in their first meeting of the year.
The match was fierce.
The scoreline was not.
1–1.
Both sides earned a point.
At championship level, there are no easy opponents.
Porto's midfield pairing—Flávio Igor and Sérgio Organista—matched Kai blow for blow in both attack and defense.
Through Triguera, Kai learned that Igor was also a strong candidate for Portugal U16 selection. His main rivals were Benfica's Vilela—and Kai himself.
Porto striker Hugo Almeida scored in this match.
His U16 selection was practically guaranteed.
But his biggest rival for the center-forward role was his senior—two years older—Hélder Postiga, Porto U17's gifted striker.
Meanwhile, Camares defeated Benfica and temporarily topped the table with three points.
May 2
Sporting traveled away to face Benfica.
They won 2–0, defeating their city rivals for the fourth time that season.
On the other side, Porto relied on a last-minute header from Almeida to beat Camares.
Standings:
Sporting: 4 points (1st, superior goal difference)
Porto: 4 points (2nd)
Camares: 3 points (3rd)
Benfica: 0 points (4th)
Benfica were clearly a level below the top three.
Morale was their biggest problem.
May 7
Sporting drew 2–2 away against Camares.
Porto beat Benfica comfortably and climbed to first place.
May 10
Sporting crushed Benfica 3–0 at home, completing a dominant season sweep.
They reached 8 points and reclaimed first place.
Porto and Camares clashed.
Camares narrowly won.
Both teams had 7 points.
They split their head-to-head record 1–1, but Camares edged ahead on goal difference, pushing Porto into third.
Benfica lost all four opening matches and were eliminated from title contention with two rounds to spare.
The collapse mirrored their senior team's disastrous season.
Benfica fans were furious.
They had failed in:
The league
The cup
European competition
Youth development
Everything.
Under mounting pressure, the Benfica first-team coach resigned, taking responsibility for the season's collapse.
Their star striker, Nuno Gomes, was furious.
Because of the team's poor results, he had lost ground in the race for the Primeira Liga Golden Boot against Mário Jardel.
Still not a locker-room veteran with full authority, he didn't dare challenge management.
Instead, he vented at the youth academy.
"It all started with that game."
"Our academy screwed up the entire season."
"That disastrous defeat destroyed morale."
"That's when everything began to fall apart."
"This isn't superstition. It's a feeling."
"Before that match, their goal felt like an ocean—I couldn't miss."
"After that, our goal became the ocean. Everyone else couldn't miss."
"To be honest, none of those Benfica U15 players will establish themselves in the Primeira Liga."
"They're too mediocre."
"At their age, I crushed opponents effortlessly."
"You have to dominate your peers. You need overwhelming performances. Only then can you reach the first team early and bring honor to the club."
His words were harsh.
The pressure on Benfica's U15 squad became enormous.
Some players were shaken.
Others burned with anger.
And somewhere, quietly—
Kai was watching all of it unfold.
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