"Then I can only wish you the best..."
Petagna couldn't hide his regret.
Even though he had only played alongside Sandro for a single match—or more accurately, for about half an hour—he'd seen enough. He genuinely wanted to keep him as a teammate.
After hanging up, Sandro was just about to rejoin the conversation with Macado when his phone rang again.
This time, it was Inzaghi.
The coach relayed Allegri's message.
"You can train with the first team for now. You'll definitely start on the bench. He should give you some minutes to prove yourself, though they'll likely be brief, and probably in cup fixtures like the Coppa Italia. If you don't seize the opportunity, you might end up in the same boat as Petagna..."
Before Ninth Master could finish his sentence, Sandro's System chimed in.
"Main Quest (choose one of three) updated. Please review."
Main Quest 1:
A. Lead AC Milan to the Serie A title next season (2014-2015).
Reward: Shevchenko Template.
B. Lead Brescia back to Serie A.
Reward: Roberto Baggio Template.
C. Lead Sampdoria to Champions League qualification next season (2014-2015).
Reward: Mancini Template.
"..."
Although he was a reincarnator, he hadn't paid any attention to Serie B in his past life. He had no idea where Brescia ultimately finished the season, or how hard it would be to drag them back into the top flight.
He hadn't followed Sampdoria either, and similarly had no clue how far they were from Champions League qualification.
But he knew exactly what AC Milan's situation was this season.
Milan were in terrible form. After nineteen rounds, they sat eleventh in Serie A, trailing league leaders Juventus by a staggering thirty points. They were effectively out of the title race. Soon, Allegri would be shown the door and Seedorf would take over, but things wouldn't improve. Atletico Madrid would knock them out of the Champions League in the Round of 16, and they would finish the season down in eighth, missing out on European football for the first time in sixteen years.
Following that, Seedorf would be sacked and youth team coach Inzaghi would take the reins, only to inherit the exact same mess...
For anyone else, a loan move to Sampdoria or Brescia would undoubtedly be the best choice.
After all, Milan's first team was currently bloated, leaving absolutely no room for a newcomer to survive. For a kid not yet eighteen, missing out on first-team minutes during his most crucial developmental years would essentially ruin his career.
But Sandro was different.
He had the System...
Although the start might be tough, he was confident he could quickly edge out the competition and seize a place in the starting XI.
Dragging Milan from an otherwise guaranteed eighth-place finish all the way to the title would certainly be fraught with difficulties. But Kaka had carried a squad of aging veterans back to the pinnacle of Europe in 2007. Having activated the Kaka Template, Sandro absolutely had a chance to lead this troubled Rossoneri side back to the top of Serie A!
To be completely honest, though, just the thought of the Roberto Baggio Template was incredibly tempting...
By the time he finished reading the System's quests, Inzaghi had mostly wrapped up his explanation. Sandro asked, "Boss, what do you think my chances are of starting for the first team? I mean, if I can consistently maintain the level I showed in today's match..."
"..." Ninth Master fell silent for a moment.
The level he had shown in today's match?
Others might have a hard time evaluating it, since individual brilliance was inherently difficult to quantify. Furthermore, the opponents had only been Inter Milan's youth team, limiting the match's value as a true benchmark.
But Inzaghi was genuinely qualified to judge.
After all, he had witnessed Kaka at his absolute peak. As a Milan legend, he possessed a thorough understanding of the current squad, and as the youth team coach, he knew exactly how wide the gap was between academy football and the senior level.
If Sandro could truly maintain today's standard, Allegri would have to be blind or crazy to keep him on the bench.
If it were up to him, he'd practically put Sandro on a pedestal. It wouldn't even be out of the question to treat him like the Crown Prince of Milan.
The problem was that he simply didn't believe Sandro could consistently deliver that level of performance.
Everyone had highlight-reel moments. In Inzaghi's eyes, Sandro's performance today was a sudden, unrepeatable explosion of form. You only had to compare it with his past displays to see that today's match merely proved he possessed immense potential. When he was in the zone, he might be able to replicate this—or perhaps in a few years, once that potential was fully developed, he could reach these heights permanently.
But right now, he didn't believe this was Sandro's true baseline.
Weighing his words carefully, Inzaghi said in a low voice, "I don't know about anyone else, but I can at least promise you this: if one day I become manager of the first team, you'll be my starting forward..."
In truth, judging by the playstyle Sandro had shown today, forward wasn't his most natural position. But since he had the pace, the dribbling, and the finishing, Ninth Master was confident he could mold him into one.
Sandro also knew that a single match wasn't very convincing, so he didn't try to argue.
"Do you have any advice?" Sandro decided it was best to hear out the veteran's opinion. "Should I join the first team and bide my time, stay with the youth squad to keep honing my skills, or go out on loan for first-team experience?"
"If it were me, I'd probably choose to go out on loan. Only continuous, competitive minutes can truly elevate your game..." He paused for a moment. "But if you're truly confident, then going to the first team is a valid choice too. After all... we are AC Milan."
That was right. AC Milan.
Everyone knew what that name meant.
Once one of the best teams in the world, the dream club for countless aspiring players.
Even now, they remained one of the most competitive forces in all of Serie A.
More importantly, you could play Champions League football here...
"I understand. I'll think it over carefully."
"Have a good discussion with your parents. Remember, you don't have much time left. If you really want to go out on loan, you can start weighing your options now. As for the club's side of things, don't worry. I'll handle it."
"Okay," Sandro said sincerely. "Thank you, Boss."
"It's the least I can do..." Inzaghi was about to hang up when he added one last thing. "I don't know what you'll choose, but once you make a decision, don't regret it. Commit to it entirely!"
"I will."
He hung up the phone just as Xiao Zhe and Macado were finishing up their conversation nearby.
To be fair, Brescia were showing a lot of sincerity.
If it were just a straight choice between Sampdoria and Brescia, there was a very high chance he would pick Brescia.
Even though Sampdoria offered the chance to play in Serie A, for the sake of the Roberto Baggio Template, he'd be willing to drop down to Serie C...
But since there was an opportunity to stay at Milan, there was no way he could make up his mind so easily.
After all, the Shevchenko Template was pretty tempting too, wasn't it...