The days leading up to the Ajax match were some of the toughest Mateo had ever experienced.
Training sessions became battles.
Drills turned into silent duels of pride and ambition.
Every boy on the Bayern U17 squad knew what was at stake —a chance to test themselves against one of Europe's finest youth teams.
No one wanted to be left out.
And neither did Mateo.
But the path wasn't smooth.
Even as Mateo pushed himself harder than ever, he felt the whispers.
The glances.
Some of his teammates doubted him.
After all, he had been out for weeks.He was the "injured guy."The "question mark."
During a practice match, Lukas — one of his closest friends — passed him the ball a little hesitantly.
Later, on the sidelines, Mateo overheard two other players murmuring:
"Do you think he's really ready?"
"Coach won't risk it if he's still shaky..."
The words stung more than he expected.
But he didn't react.
He couldn't afford to.
Instead, he let his boots do the talking.
The next day, during another scrimmage, Mateo played with a quiet fury.
He chased every ball.
Pressed harder.
Made sharp, intelligent runs.
Executed clean, quick passes.
Even delivered a clever assist to Sebastian, who finished neatly.
Each move, each sprint, was a statement:
I'm back.Stronger.Better.
Coach Dietrich watched silently from the sidelines, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
But occasionally, there was a glint of approval in his sharp eyes.
Later that afternoon, after another exhausting session, the team was gathered once more.
Coach Dietrich's voice was clear and cold:
"The list for the Ajax match is final."
He read out names — one by one.
Mateo stood perfectly still, hands clasped behind his back, heart hammering inside his chest.
"Müller.Schmitt.Braun.González."
Mateo exhaled sharply, a wave of relief washing over him.
He was in.
He had earned it.
And he would not waste this chance.
That night, as he lay in bed, stretching out his sore muscles, another System Notification popped up:
[Quest Progress:]
Objective 1/2 Completed: Selected for the Ajax match ✅
(Next Step: Contribute to a goal during the match.)