THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Zachary didn't immediately leave Bergen after saying his goodbyes to Mr. Stein, the old scout. Instead, he headed to a nearby restaurant with Kristin and Lorenzo, where they enjoyed a sumptuous lunch together.

They discussed various topics while eating and only finished the food an hour later, at around 1:30 PM. They said their goodbyes outside the restaurant and parted ways soon after, with Kristin returning to the hospital to stay with his grandpa.

Zachary, on his part, immediately left the peaceful Bergen with his bodyguard. He headed to the private airstrip and boarded the private chartered jet back to Italy. Their flight was quick and without any issues, and they arrived in Turin three and a half hours later, at around six in the evening.

After exiting the aircraft, Zachary boarded his Audi RS7, driven by his bodyguard Lorenzo. They left the airport and set off for his mansion in Penarol, Piedmont. They cruised at a not-so-speedy pace and arrived about an hour later when evening had just cast its dusky gown over Turin.

Zachary thanked his bodyguard and immediately moved to enter his mansion. He walked through his grand and richly planted courtyards that were like a piece of art under the illumination of the fluorescent lights. He continued moving forward as he felt his mood lighten before entering the house from the side entrance.

He found Jaslene, one of the housemaids, doing some chores in the kitchen. He greeted her with a smile before continuing and entering the lavish-looking living room area.

There, he saw Coach Bjørn Peters, his fitness trainer, who lived with him. The buff guy was chatting with Inger, the wife, as they followed a cooking show on TV. On hearing Zachary's footsteps, they both turned and glanced his way.

"Zachary, you're already back from Norway!" Inger was the first to break the silence with an exclamation. "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Zachary replied and placed his bag on the side. He then greeted Coach Bjørn Peters as he walked into the living room area and settled into one of the rocking chairs.

"You must be exhausted and hungry," the ever-caring Inger said. "I'll prepare something delicious for you to eat. It won't take long." Then, without waiting for Zachary to respond, she rushed off to the kitchen to follow through with what she had just said.

Coach Bjørn Peters looked at her disappear behind the door and turned to face Zachary. "She's quite a good chef. Isn't she?"

"Yes, she is," Zachary replied with a sincere smile. "Thank you for bringing her along to become my chef. I've long graduated from eating substandard food ever since she arrived."

Coach Bjørn Peters smiled back and said, "At least you're honest. She's the best thing that has ever happened in my life." The coach then glanced at Zachary with a strange smile and inquired, "Have you thought of getting a wife of your own?"

Zachary's lips twitched at the corners. "Not at the moment. But I will do the needful when I meet the right person."

Coach Bjørn Peters nodded. "I used to see you with that beautiful lady. What was her name again? It was Camilla, I think. But it has been months since I last saw her. What happened?"

"Things didn't work out, and she left," Zachary said, sighing. "She even got a job far away in Australia."

"Oh, sorry to hear that. But I'm guessing a few months should have elapsed since you separated. Haven't you thought about getting yourself a new girlfriend? She doesn't have to be someone you'll really marry. But she can be someone beautiful and caring that can occasionally take your mind off the stressful day-to-day stuff. Don't you think so?"

Zachary's eyes flashed with a strange light. He leaned back in his seat, wondering why the coach was so talkative about relationship stuff today. He sighed again and said, "I don't wish to enter a relationship to only play around. I'll have to continue waiting until I meet the right person."

If there was one thing that his time with Camilla had taught him, it was that relationships could really get tedious and complicated if genuine feelings were not involved. As such, he had long promised himself that his next relationship would only be with a girl he really loved.

Coach Bjørn Peters sighed after hearing Zachary's response. "I think phrases like 'meeting the right person' and 'encountering a girl one really loves' are overrated in real relationship matters. Remember, love is a choice and a decision because your actions determine if it lives on or ends."

"Instead of waiting for a girl that will give you butterflies and make your heart race, why not go out there and pick yourself a beautiful one with a good character? Then, you can slowly learn and grow to love her as time passes. And I'm sure that if you do your utmost to care for her, she'll also eventually grow to love you back."

Zachary chuckled and shook his head with helplessness. "Why do you sound like a relationship guru today? Why are you giving me so much 'Love Doctor' advice?"

Coach Bjørn Peters grinned. "I'm just trying to be there for my client and friend in a positive way. Aside from advancing your football career, I would also love to see your progress in personal matters. By the way, are you from visiting Mr. Stein in the hospital?"

"Yup." Zachary nodded.

"How's the old scout doing?"

"Not so good," Zachary responded. "He can still converse. But from what I heard from Kristin; his liver has severe problems."

Coach Bjørn Peters sighed and said, "That's too bad. The scout used to be one of the caring ones. He discovered many talents from around the world and brought them to clubs in Scandinavia. Rosenborg and the NF Academy you were previously in also benefited from him considerably. I hope he gets better soon."

"That's my wish, too," Zachary said. He then continued discussing with the fitness coach about inconsequential matters before eventually changing the subject to his personal training.

In particular, they discussed how he could avoid the usual end-of-season fatigue. They explored the prospect of altering the training plans already in place so as to allow him more time to rest during the last few weeks of the season. They also examined the notion of changing his diet to boost his energy levels with the appropriate food.

It was at that point that Inger brought the food. She gave it to Zachary and joined the conversation with her input as his professional chef. Everything progressed smoothly, and they devised a sketch of a training and dieting plan that could reduce his fatigue levels considerably by the time Zachary finished the food.

Zachary thanked the couple for everything after pushing his plate aside. He then exchanged some more small talk with them before picking up his hand luggage bag and heading to his bedroom upstairs.

He hoped to go to bed early and have a good rest. Then, he would have all the required energy to attend Juventus' training the following day.

-----

As planned, Juventus' training resumed the following Friday morning. The two units continued training apart, with one preparing specifically for the Champions League semis against Borussia Dortmund, while another had its eyes on the proceeding Serie A match against Sampdoria.

Zachary was in the first unit since he was one of the best players (if not the best player) in Juventus. He didn't feel fatigued since he had relied on a comfortable private jet to travel to Norway and back. He was energetic the whole day as he went through drills targeted towards refining the tactics for the UEFA Champions League semi-final during the entire course of the day.

-----

The hours on Friday flashed by quickly, and Saturday soon arrived. It was yet another match day for the Juventus team, and the players and technical staff arrived at the Vinovo at around nine.

They boarded their bus a few minutes later and set off for the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa to play against UC Sampdoria in their 34th Serie A battle of the season.

For that game, Coach Allegri maintained his intent of resting his crucial players for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals against Borussia Dortmund. He once again fielded a team with many second-stringers and opted to leave playmakers like Zachary, Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez, and many others on the bench.

But even then, even with all the missing first-team names, Juventus still showed why they were the giants of Italy when the match commenced at 6:00 PM. The Old Lady players put up a solid performance characterized by zealous defensive tenacity and a few brilliant moments of counterattacking football to topple the tricky Sampdoria side.

Arturo Vidal, one of the few first-team players on the field that day, was the person who eventually exploited one of the rare chances of the game. After making a penetrating run from deep within the midfield, the Chilean outwitted the Sampdoria defense and got to the end of a long cross from Stephan Lichtsteiner. He rose into the air a few yards from the near post and ingeniously headed the ball past the keeper to score Juventus' one and only goal on the night during the 31st minute of gameplay.

After that, the Juventus players maintained their defensive tenacity and whittled down all the remaining minutes, with brilliant defensive efforts matched with an equal measure of counterattacking brilliance. They defended while keeping the Sampdoria players on tenterhooks until the final moment.

With that, they had maintained their 1:0 lead and won yet another Serie A game. They had also extended their season-long unbeaten run and pushed their Serie A tally to a whopping 96 points with four matches remaining to the end of the season. Their next order of business was to welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Juventus Stadium on the coming Tuesday for their first-leg battle of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.