CBS Sports
Host: Kate AbdoAnalysts: Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards
Kate Abdo: "Alright, gentlemen, before we wrap up, let's talk about one of the biggest talking points ahead of the 2015-16 season—Nico Cruyff's loan to AS Roma. A lot of fans feel he should be in Barcelona's first team, but Luis Enrique has opted to send him on loan for another year. Thierry, what do you think?"
Thierry Henry:"Kate, let's be clear—this is not just any academy player we're talking about. Nico Cruyff scored over 850 goals at La Masia. 850! He was born for Barcelona's system. And let's not forget, he's not even a natural winger—he's an attacking midfielder. That's his best position. Yet, at Espanyol, he was forced to play out wide, and even then, look at the numbers—21 matches, 25 goals, 23 assists. In half a season! Those are video game numbers."
Jamie Carragher:"That's the part I don't understand. Luis Enrique says he can't start because of 'balance' issues, but Nico isn't just an attacker—he's the kind of player who creates balance. He can play as a No. 10, dictate play, and even drop deeper when needed. If Barcelona can't make room for him, then something is seriously wrong."
Micah Richards:"Spot on, Jamie. And let's be real—who wouldn't want to play with this kid? You've got MSN up front—Messi, Suárez, Neymar—imagine having Nico feeding them passes. It's scary! But instead, they're sending him on loan. To me, that's a risk. If he dominates Serie A, and Roma or another big club makes a serious offer, Barcelona might regret ever letting him go."
Kate Abdo: "So, do you think this move benefits him in the long run?"
Thierry Henry:"Only if he plays every game. Roma is a great club, they play attacking football, but Barcelona needs to be careful. Because if Nico has another monster season, clubs like Manchester City, PSG, even Bayern—they're going to come knocking. And trust me, they'll do whatever it takes to get him."
Jamie Carragher:"If Barcelona doesn't guarantee him a starting spot next season, they could lose him. Simple as that."
Micah Richards:"And if that happens, we're going to look back at this moment and say—Barcelona made a huge mistake."
Kate Abdo: "Strong words from the panel. We'll see how Nico fares in Italy. Coming up next, we'll dive into more transfer news, including the latest on Paul Pogba's future."
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After a week of training, the Roma squad had fully warmed up to Nico. At first, some players had expected arrogance—after all, 25 goals and 23 assists in just 21 matches for Espanyol at 14 years old? That kind of success could go to anyone's head. But instead of an ego, they found a kid who worked like a veteran and laughed like a friend.
One afternoon after training, the squad sat around cooling down. Miralem Pjanić stretched his legs and shook his head.
"I swear, I've never seen a kid like this," he muttered. "Are we sure he's 14?"
Radja Nainggolan smirked. "At this point, I think we should ask for his birth certificate."
"Right?" Alessandro Florenzi chimed in. "I've played against world-class midfielders, but I've never seen someone this young play like he's been doing it for twenty years."
Kostas Manolas, still recovering from being absolutely dismantled by Nico in training earlier, groaned. "I don't even want to talk about it."
De Rossi grinned. "You mean when he nutmegged you?"
Manolas glared. "Which time?"
The group burst out laughing.
Kevin Strootman, who had been silent up to that point, finally spoke. "You know what's crazy? His finishing. It doesn't make sense. Every shot is either top bins or a perfect placement. It's like he doesn't know how to miss."
Mohamed Salah nodded. "Yeah, I was watching him during the shooting drills today. It's not just power—he places the ball with surgical precision. Even when the angle's impossible."
Francesco Totti, sitting nearby, smirked. "That's the mark of a killer."
Nainggolan leaned back on his elbows. "I bet if you put him in a Champions League match right now, he'd score."
Florenzi grinned. "You want to put money on that?"
"Absolutely not," Nainggolan said quickly. "I like my money."
The group laughed again.
By the end of the week, one thing was clear—Nico Cryuff wasn't just a generational talent. He was someone they were genuinely happy to have as a teammate.
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A week had passed in training, and Nico had settled into life in Rome. The days were intense but fulfilling, the AS Roma squad slowly becoming familiar faces, and the city itself a constant adventure.
Now, it was the night of July 3rd. Lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, he had Aitana on the phone. She was in Barcelona, and he was in Rome, but hearing her voice made the distance feel smaller.
"So… you ready to be old?" Aitana teased.
Nico scoffed. "Fifteen isn't old."
"We're halfway to thirty," she sighed dramatically. "We should start planning for retirement."
Nico chuckled. "I'll get a beach house, and you can handle the finances."
"And what exactly will you do? Just stand there looking pretty?"
"Exactly. It's my most valuable skill."
Aitana giggled. "I can't even argue with that."
"You could try, but I'd win," he said smugly.
"Ugh, I hate that you're always right."
"It's tough being me," he sighed playfully.
Aitana hummed. "You do know I was born first, right?"
Nico rolled his eyes. "By a few hours."
"Still counts. I'm older."
"Alright, grandma, should I get you a walking stick for your birthday?"
Aitana gasped. "You are the worst!"
"You love it."
A pause. Then, her voice softened. "Yeah… I do."
Nico's smirk faded slightly, his heart doing a little flip. "Me too."
Silence stretched between them, comfortable and warm.
"I wish you were here," she admitted. "Birthdays aren't the same when we're apart."
Nico exhaled. "I know… but I'll call you first thing at midnight. We'll celebrate properly when I visit."
Aitana smiled. "You better."
"Love you," he murmured.
"Love you too."
And with that, neither of them wanted to hang up first, lingering in the quiet warmth of the call.
They kept talking, their voices softer now, filled with quiet laughter and shared memories. The conversation drifted from childhood stories to football, to the little things they missed about each other.
Then, as they spoke, the clock struck midnight.
"Happy birthday, Nico," Aitana whispered first.
A slow smile spread across his lips. "Happy birthday, Aitana."
She giggled. "Fifteen, huh? We're officially old."
"Yeah," he sighed dramatically. "We should start thinking about retirement plans."
She laughed. "Shut up."
They stayed on the call for a little while longer, neither of them in a rush to say goodbye. Eventually, with promises to talk again soon, they ended the call, both falling asleep with smiles on their faces.
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The next day, July 4th, his fifteenth birthday, Nico woke up to the golden morning light streaming through his window. He stretched, shaking off the remnants of sleep, before going through his usual routine—yoga to center himself, jogging through the quiet streets of Rome, and an intense gym session to push his limits.
By the time he returned to his apartment, sweat clinging to his skin, he showered and changed into something comfortable. Then, he dropped onto the couch, exhaling deeply, letting the silence of the apartment settle around him.
As he settled into the couch, his phone buzzed. Seeing the caller ID, a warm smile spread across his face. He quickly picked up.
"Buon compleanno, amore mio!" Danny's voice was the first he heard, full of warmth and affection. "My little boy is fifteen now. Time flies too fast."
Nico chuckled. "Thanks, Grandma. But I'm not little anymore."
"You'll always be my little boy," she insisted, making him shake his head with a grin.
Then, Johan's voice came through. "Happy birthday, Nico." His tone was calm, steady, but there was a depth of emotion in it. "Fifteen now, huh? How does it feel?"
Nico leaned back. "Not much different from fourteen, to be honest."
Danny scoffed. "That's because you've always acted older than your age. But don't forget, today is special! Did you at least take a break from training?"
Nico smirked. "Not really. I already went for a jog and hit the gym."
Danny groaned. "Of course, you did."
Johan chuckled. "That's my grandson."
They spoke for a while longer, with Danny reminding him to eat well and Johan telling him to enjoy his day, before they finally ended the call.
As Nico set his phone down, a soft smile lingered on his face. Even though he was in Rome, far from home, their voices made him feel just a little closer.
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After the call ended, Nico stretched and grabbed his phone, casually opening Instagram. As he scrolled through his feed, he noticed a series of notifications—his name was everywhere.
Barcelona had posted a photo of him from his time at La Masia, captioned:
"Happy 15th birthday to one of our brightest talents, Nico Cryuff! Have a great one, @nico.cryuff! 🎂🔵🔴"
Espanyol, the club where he had made his mark, shared a picture of him lifting the Copa del Rey trophy, with the caption:
"Feliz cumpleaños, campeón! Wishing @nico.cryuff a fantastic birthday! Once a Perico, always a Perico. 💙⚪"
AS Roma followed suit, posting a sleek edit of him in their colors with the words:
"A new journey begins! Buon compleanno, @nico.cryuff! 🟡🔴"
Nico smirked, amused by how all three clubs had something to say. The comments under Barcelona's post were full of fans still fuming about his loan move, while Espanyol fans flooded his post with love. Roma fans, on the other hand, were hyped, welcoming him with excitement.
He liked all three posts and chuckled to himself. "Well… at least they remember."
As he continued scrolling, his notifications were overflowing with birthday wishes. Many of his former Barcelona teammates had messaged him:
Messi:"Feliz cumpleaños, Nico! Hope you're doing well in Rome. Keep shining!"
Neymar:"Happy birthday, little magician! Don't cook Roma's defense in training too much 😂"
Iniesta:"Enjoy your day, Nico. I have no doubt you'll do great things in Italy."
Piqué:"15 years old and already a menace. Happy birthday, kid!"
From his new Roma teammates, the messages were just as warm:
Totti:"Buon compleanno, ragazzo! Can't wait to see you light up Serie A."
De Rossi:"Happy birthday, Nico. Just don't embarrass us in training today, alright?"
Nainggolan:"15? Are we sure? The way you play, I thought you were 25! Happy birthday, kid!"
Nico smiled as he typed out replies, thanking each of them in the DMs. Despite being far from Barcelona, it was nice to know he wasn't forgotten.
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Nico scrolled through his gallery, a fond smile on his face as he flipped through the countless photos of him and Aitana. Then he found it—the perfect one. It was him carrying her on his back, their heads touching as they grinned like idiots. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. With a chuckle, he posted it on Instagram with the caption:
"Birthday twins 🥂 Still waiting for my piggyback ride in return, @Aitana."
The comments poured in almost instantly:
@BarcaFan99: "Bro, you're supposed to be training, not making us single people suffer 😭"
@EspanyolForLife: "We miss you at Espanyol, but we'll allow this level of cuteness."
@RomaUltras: "New city, same golden boy. Enjoy your birthday, Nico!"
@LaMasiaProdigy: "How are you 15 and already living a football + romance fantasy life???"
@NicoCryuff_FanPage: "This man is breaking records on and off the pitch. Football star + relationship goals = Nico Cryuff."
@Aitana: "In your dreams, mister. You're my personal chauffeur forever. Happy birthday ❤️"
@ElMagoTotti: "Happy birthday, kid. Just don't forget, Roma > Barcelona 😉"
@DeRossi16: "15 years old, and you've already done more in football than most people in a lifetime. Enjoy your day, Nico!"
Nico laughed as he read through the replies, shaking his head. He didn't post much, but when he did, the internet always had something to say.
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