Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
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The treble celebration parade swept through social media like a hurricane.
On Twitter, YouTube, and every major platform, fan-recorded clips spread wildly across the internet.
Holding the La Liga trophy in one hand and the Champions League trophy in the other, Lance stood proudly at the very front of the open-top double-decker bus, showing off the club's glory to the fans lining the streets.
"Lance, I love you!!"
"Can King Lance come closer?!"
"He's so handsome!!"
"Champions!! Champions!!"
The treble celebration completely shook Madrid.
Half the city transformed into a giant carnival.
On this day...
Madrid belonged to red and white.
After hours of parading through the streets, evening finally arrived.
The entire Atlético Madrid squad, all wearing customized treble celebration shirts, stepped onto the center stage at the Wanda Metropolitano.
"Honestly, at that moment, I really thought we were going to lose."
"I was already in despair. I even comforted myself by thinking that being Champions League runners-up wasn't so bad. At least we fought until the end."
"Anyway, the person most responsible for almost losing was definitely the coach."
Standing on stage with a microphone in hand, Antoine Griezmann still found time to joke about Diego Simeone.
Naturally, Simeone wasn't angry.
He laughed just as hard as everyone else.
Then Griezmann suddenly became serious.
"Everyone already knows what happened afterward."
"Actually... I really want to report Lance to UEFA or some scientific research organization."
The moment those words came out, the entire stadium fell silent.
Even the Atlético Madrid players looked confused.
Then Griezmann continued.
"I want them to examine whether he's actually an alien."
"Because there is no way a normal human being can do something like that."
"No ordinary person could complete an impossible comeback after trailing by four goals."
"Lance brought this trophy to me."
"I'm truly grateful to him."
"Only after thanking him do I thank the club, the coaching staff, and every fan here tonight or watching from home."
Thunderous applause instantly exploded throughout the Wanda Metropolitano.
Griezmann rambled on enthusiastically for nearly ten minutes straight.
Yet nobody found it boring.
With his playful humor and relaxed French personality, he felt more like a stand-up comedian than a football star.
After the players shared their own reflections about the treble season, Simeone also stepped forward to speak honestly from the heart.
"To be honest, before the season began, I never imagined we could achieve this."
"Our original goal was simply to compete for La Liga, fight for the Copa del Rey, and try reaching the Champions League semifinals."
"And now..."
"We accomplished all of it."
"We exceeded every expectation."
The applause and whistles inside the Wanda Metropolitano continued for a long time.
"And I don't think I even need to say who deserves the most credit for all this."
"LANCE!!!"
"LANCE!!!"
"LANCE!!!"
The entire stadium chanted the hero's name in unison.
No amount of praise felt excessive anymore.
Without Lance, even if the entire Atlético Madrid squad exhausted themselves completely, they probably would've only achieved Simeone's original targets.
Nobody could've imagined Atlético Madrid actually winning the treble.
And in his very first season with the club...
Lance had already rewritten Atlético Madrid history.
Rumors even claimed the Atlético Madrid board unanimously approved plans to construct a life-sized bronze statue of Lance outside the stadium.
Normally, statues were reserved for players who dedicated many years to the club.
Or legendary one-club icons.
Lance was only eighteen.
And this had only been his first season.
Technically, he wasn't qualified at all.
But anyone who watched Atlético Madrid throughout the season...
Anyone who witnessed every match...
Could never possibly object.
Many Atlético Madrid supporters had already begun hanging portraits of Lance inside their homes and worshipping him like a football god.
Compared to that...
What was a bronze statue?
It still couldn't compare to the impact Lance brought to the club.
If Atlético Madrid possessed unlimited money, they would've happily offered Lance the highest salary in world football and kept him forever.
Of course, after the Champions League Final, the media frenzy became completely uncontrollable.
Headlines flooded every newspaper:
"FOUR GOALS FROM LANCE LEAD ATLÉTICO MADRID TO A SHOCKING 5-4 COMEBACK!"
"FROM 0-4 TO 5-4! ATLÉTICO MADRID CREATES THE GREATEST MIRACLE IN FOOTBALL HISTORY!"
"HE IS GOD! LANCE DESCENDS UPON THE 2015-16 SEASON WITH A FOUR-GOAL FINAL MASTERPIECE!"
"TACTICAL ANALYSIS: HOW DID REAL MADRID LOSE AFTER LEADING 4-0? THE ANSWER IS ATLÉTICO MADRID'S NUMBER 10!"
As for internet comments...
There was no need to describe them individually anymore.
Every platform had become a sea of exaggerated praise.
Even the traditionally reserved European media, who rarely wasted extra words on dramatic praise, couldn't help themselves this time.
Marca.
AS.
Mundo Deportivo.
The Guardian.
La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Even the Manchester Evening News.
For perhaps the first time in history, all of them unanimously showered overwhelming praise upon Lance.
Even the most racist critics fell completely silent.
What argument could anyone possibly make against that performance?
Even the extremist supporters who hated seeing Lance dominate football could only pretend not to exist online.
Anyone daring to insult him now would immediately be destroyed by millions of furious fans.
Who would dare attack the god inside supporters' hearts?
However...
Becoming the center of the football world also brought endless trouble.
Agent Jorge Mendes nearly wanted to shut off his phone permanently.
Calls regarding his other clients like Cristiano Ronaldo and José Mourinho had to wait.
Because everyone only wanted one thing.
Lance.
Mendes eventually responded publicly on Twitter:
"Lance is not for sale! At least not during his contract period. Stop asking."
In reality, Lance himself had no desire to leave after only one season.
That would feel far too heartless.
At the very least, he wanted to stay two full years.
Or perhaps even complete the entire four-year contract.
Regardless, one thing was certain.
During the 2016-2017 season, Lance would still wear Atlético Madrid colors while fighting for the sextuple.
Meanwhile, transfer rumors completely exploded.
Real Madrid CF.
FC Barcelona.
Paris Saint-Germain F.C..
Manchester City F.C..
Manchester United F.C..
Every rich superclub in Europe was linked with Lance.
Rumors claimed both Real Madrid and PSG prepared offers worth over €200 million.
PSG had originally been close to signing Neymar.
But once Lance exploded onto the world stage, they immediately shifted all focus toward him instead.
As a result, many Atlético Madrid supporters became terrified.
After the greatest season in club history...
Was Lance really about to leave already?
That fear only intensified when Lance finally stepped onto the stage during the celebration and heard tens of thousands of fans screaming in unison.
"LANCE, DON'T LEAVE!!"
"LANCE, STAY!!"
"PLEASE DON'T GO!!"
Lance smiled helplessly before raising the microphone.
"Everyone here is my brother or sister."
"Relax."
"Tonight is a celebration."
"We're here to celebrate the treble."
"And besides..."
"I'll definitely still be here next season."
"Because I want to fight alongside everyone again."
"I want us to challenge for the sextuple together!!"
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The entire Wanda Metropolitano exploded instantly.
The cheers sounded like roaring oceans and collapsing mountains.
"My speech is finished."
"Honestly, I don't have many reflections about the past."
"What's already happened is over."
"I'm always looking toward the future."
"There are still countless trophies waiting for me."
"Lance out."
After delivering his short speech, Lance casually dropped the microphone and walked off the stage.
It wasn't some deeply emotional speech.
But it became the most explosive moment of the entire night.
Because football fans always cared most about one thing.
The next trophy.
And Lance's words perfectly captured the dreams of every Atlético Madrid supporter.
That's right.
Atlético Madrid's story wasn't over.
And Lance's journey...
Had only just begun.