“Ethan!
Your footwork was solid today!”
“Those two moves to get free were beautiful.”
“You’re receiving the ball with way more confidence now.”
“Looks like a strong debut did you good.
You’re a completely different player out there.”
Training had just ended.
Teammates stood on the sideline rehydrating, still talking about Ethan’s control during the scrimmage.
“It’s not just today,” Pasqual said.
“Have you all noticed?
His control has improved massively since he first arrived.”
The captain was the most observant of the group.
He had put his finger on it immediately.
Cuadrado grinned and clapped Ethan on the shoulder.
“I told you.
A passing genius was never going to have bad control.”
“He just needed time to adjust to the team’s rhythm.
Now look at him.
Talent always shows itself.”
Not far away, Montella watched with quiet satisfaction.
Ethan’s debut had been outstanding.
His passing talent was beyond question, and he had shown it perfectly on the pitch.
After the match, the coaching staff reviewed the data.
Montella noticed Ethan had received the ball far too few times.
He understood why.
Ethan had played a safe, measured game after coming on.
For a young player making his debut, that kind of approach was a sign of elite football intelligence.
But from a technical standpoint, it was not a good sign.
Ever since Ethan’s stunning two-assist debut, Montella had been thinking about how to unlock his passing talent and strengthen the midfield.
No matter what tactical plan he drew up, one issue was unavoidable.
To use Ethan’s passing, he had to get on the ball more.
If his control wasn’t solid, more touches meant more turnovers.
Montella had even been ready to give Ethan extra individual training on his ball control.
Then something surprised him.
Over the past few days, Ethan’s control had improved dramatically.
Before, his control had barely met the minimum standard for Fiorentina’s first team.
Now, it was good enough to hold down a starting spot.
Ethan had only been with the club for about ten days.
The speed of his improvement stunned even Montella.
Was this what a breakout looked like for a gifted young player?
For many talented prospects, growth came in sudden bursts.
Sometimes all it took was one moment to build real confidence, unlock their potential, and trigger explosive development.
In Montella’s eyes, Ethan’s record-setting debut had clearly been that moment.
Whatever the reason, seeing Ethan’s control improve so much excited him.
It removed a major worry from his tactical plans and made it far easier to build the midfield around the kid.
“Hey, look at Salah.
He’s full of energy.”
“Scrimmage just ended and he’s already doing extra work.”
“He’s been training hard all week.
And he was sharp out there today.
Like he’s running on rocket fuel.”
“Ethan, did your training obsession rub off on him?”
Ethan took a long drink from his water bottle, puffed out his cheeks, and rolled his eyes at Cuadrado.
“I don’t think that’s it,” Joaquín said, watching Salah train under the fading sun.
“It’s probably about the next match.”
The veteran winger had been a key figure for Fiorentina since joining two years earlier.
He had originally played on the right, but when Cuadrado broke through, Joaquín moved to the left without complaint.
As he aged and his stamina declined, the younger, more energetic Salah took over as the first choice on the left after arriving on loan.
Joaquín was a former Spanish international, a winger from the golden generation with a brilliant La Liga career behind him.
Even when he went from starter to rotation player, he never complained.
He held no grudge against Salah for taking his starting spot.
If anything, the two got along well.
And because he knew Salah, he understood exactly why the Egyptian was pushing himself so hard this week.
“This weekend we play Sampdoria away.
Their striker is Eto’o.
He’s Salah’s idol.
I’d bet Salah wants to put on a show in front of him.”
The name drew nods from everyone.
Salah was Muslim, but Egypt belonged to African football.
For any African kid, Samuel Eto’o was a legend.
Salah was no exception.
Four-time African Footballer of the Year.
The most decorated player in African football history.
In the 2008-09 season, he won the treble as a core player for Barcelona.
The next season, he moved to Inter Milan and helped them win another treble.
That made Eto’o the only player in football history to win back-to-back trebles with two different clubs.
Across African football history, the only legend who could challenge Eto’o’s standing was George Weah, the Ballon d’Or winner.
But in terms of team honors, even Weah couldn’t match him.
And Didier Drogba, the “Beast” who had just won the Champions League two years earlier, fell a little short as well.
For a young player like Salah, Eto’o was the ultimate role model.
And on a personal level, Eto’o had directly influenced Salah’s career.
When Salah joined Chelsea the previous season, Eto’o was part of the Blues’ attack.
The veteran had looked after the young Egyptian, offering guidance in training.
“Salah is a talented kid.
I believe he’ll reach Eto’o’s level one day,” Joaquín said.
“He’ll want to prove that in front of his idol this weekend.”
The teammates all turned to look at Ethan.
The meaning was obvious.
Ethan had fed Salah pass after pass in the scrimmage, setting up his standout performance.
He was the perfect key to unlocking Salah’s potential in the weekend league match.
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