THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

The day dawned crisp and clear. The morning sunshine wafted gently in, diffusing across Zachary's hotel room. The golden rays illuminated his face, and he turned and blinked twice before slowly opening his eyes.

"What time is it?" He mumbled while turning and focusing his eyes on the clock on the opposite wall. "9:24 AM! I have really slept today."

He was still fatigued, especially after playing another 90+ minutes of the previous night's Serie A game against Atalanta. His joints ached, and he still felt drowsy, even after sleeping for more than eight hours.

But as a professional, he knew that he couldn't allow himself to continue dawdling in bed on his day off. He understood that he had to do his utmost to recover from his post-match fatigue before starting intense preparations for Juventus' midweek game against Atlético Madrid. Otherwise, if he was to relax, he might lose his just-gained place within Juventus' starting eleven.

"Time to rumble."

Zachary stretched and immediately jumped out of bed. He quickly began his morning routine, which included going through yoga exercises, cleaning up, and eating breakfast.

He completed everything he had to do by 10:30 AM and then sat in front of the TV to pass the rest of his morning free time. Soon, his entire focus was fully-attuned to that morning's ESPN daily sports show.

"Zachary scored yet another brace to give Juventus the edge to beat Atalanta in yesterday's Serie A game," Emilia Vasquez, the ESPN presenter, said. She smiled at the cameras and continued, "The young playmaker now has a tally of four goals in five Serie A matches and is just one behind the leading goal scorer, who happens to be his teammate - Carlos Tévez. For a midfielder, those are quite impressive stats."

"Yes, they are," Joshua Morales, the in-studio pundit, agreed. "Let's also not forget that he scored a hattrick in the Champions League game against Malmo. That elevates his tally to seven goals in six matches, which is a remarkable feat, especially for a midfielder. And what surprises me is that he's achieving all this while still at the tender age of nineteen. He's got so much potential, and I can't even imagine how he will evolve as a player by twenty-five!"

Emilia Vasquez smiled. "Indeed, he's an impressive and very clinical attacking midfielder, especially when it matters. His two goals have helped Juventus cement their place at the top of the Serie A table. He has also allowed his teammates to gain the momentum needed to head into Juventus' tricky Champions League fixture against Atlético Madrid."

"Yes, that is also an important point," Alessandro Costacurta, the other in-studio pundit, agreed. "The Old Lady players and coaches needed the win yesterday to raise the atmosphere around the club before starting preparations for the game against Atlético Madrid. Everything didn't go as planned in the beginning due to the defensive tenacity of Atalanta. But fortunately, their 80-million signing came through and scored twice during the second half to help them win the game. They are now in the best shape for the game on Wednesday, and I think they have a high chance of winning if they play their cards right."

"Atlético Madrid is not an easy team to beat," Emilia Vasquez pointed out. "They are the current champions of La Liga, and over the years, they have managed to frustrate footballing giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona on several occasions. It will be a tough challenge for Juventus to win against such a team."

"You're talking about Atlético Madrid's achievements but forgetting about Juventus' might," Alessandro Costacurta said with a chuckle. "Juventus won the Serie A last season, even before acquiring Zachary. They would have had a perfect season if they didn't mess up their Champions League campaign. Now, after signing Zachary, they are an even much stronger team. They have some of the most creative midfielders in Europe at this moment. There's the ever-creative duo of Zachary and Andrea Pirlo. Then, there's the ever-consistent support of either Claudio Marchisio or Arturo Vidal. All these guys shouldn't lose against Atlético Madrid unless Massimiliano Allegri messes up big time."

"I'm with Alessandro on this point," Joshua Morales, the other pundit, chimed in. "Atlético Madrid will likely start with the midfield combination of Koke, Ñíguez, Mendes, and probably Antoine Griezmann as an attacking pivot. Of course, all these are very tactical and skilled players in Europe. But against the midfield combination of Zachary, Andrea Pirlo, and Claudio or Vidal, they are simply lacking. The best they can manage is to play defensive football while waiting for an opportunity. But I can't picture them helping Atlético Madrid outplay Juventus, especially in midfield."

"You guys all seem sure," Emilia Vasquez said, smiling. "But I still think Atlético Madrid has a high chance of winning the game. The game is in Madrid. Moreover, Atlético Madrid has Diego Simeone, the miracle worker."

"I hear the miracle worker!" Joshua Morales chuckled and shook his head. "Should we have a little bet concerning who'll win the game between Juventus and Atlético Madrid?"

"Sorry, I don't bet," Emilia said. "But I still think Atlético Madrid has a good chance of winning the game..."

Zachary shook his head. He couldn't continue watching after the presenters started some pointless banter among themselves. He was also uncomfortable with watching the pundits put him on a high pedestal due to a single performance.

He picked up the remote and switched the channel. Very soon, he started following Sky Sports news while occasionally thinking about Juventus' upcoming Champions League match against Atlético Madrid.

Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid's manager, was the type of coach who organized his tactics depending on the opponent. The man often lived off about 35% possession during matches. But even with that little bit of the ball, he would often outclass strong teams tactically and defeat them time and time again. It didn't matter whether a side had Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Lewangoalski. Diego would always try to find a way to win despite the odds against him. And considering all that, Juventus would find it challenging to play against a side managed by such a coach.

"Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt!"

Zachary's phone started vibrating from the nearby coffee table while he was still following the Sky Sports news. He leaned forward and scooped it up before glancing at the screen. The next moment, his eyes narrowed with discontent when he realized the call was from an unknown number. But that didn't stop him from accepting the call and placing the phone against his ear.

"Hello," he said, speaking into the phone.

"Hello, to you too," a deep and vigorous voice, colored by a thick accent, sounded from the other end of the line. "I'm Matteo Tavano, a solicitor based in Turin. I acquired your number from Emily Anderson, the agent, and I'm supposed to be aiding you during your purchase of a villa in Pinerolo, Piedmont."

"Oh, Matteo Tavano!" Zachary exclaimed while quickly picking up the remote and lowering the volume of the screen. "Emily told me about you. How're you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," Matteo replied, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Zachary."

"No, no, no," Zachary said exaggeratedly, "The pleasure is mine. I really need your help while completing the purchase of the villa."

"Of course," Matteo said with a chuckle. "I'll do my best to offer you the best legal advice money can purchase. But it will cost you."

Zachary chuckled in response. "Emily should have already mentioned the remuneration details when she contacted you. She's the person that usually handles all my financial issues."

"I understand," Matteo said. "I'll discuss with Emily the issue of payment. Now, concerning the villa in question! When can we meet to iron out the arrangements for the property transfer?"

"Today, afternoon. It's my only free day for like the next seven days."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line before Matteo's voice sounded again. "The afternoon is fine with me. We can meet and travel together to the villa. Then, after seeing it and talking to the sellers, I'll immediately begin the legal process of the property purchase. If all goes well, I should finish all the procedures latest by Thursday. How does that sound?"

"Can't you complete everything sooner?" Zachary asked.

"That's a bit tricky," Matteo said. "You must understand that I'll have to do all the heavy lifting for the settlement, including preparing, reviewing, and lodging all required legal documents, such as the contract of sale and memorandum of transfer. Then, I'll have to deal with any issues related to a property inspection and read the property transfer agreement for any hidden clauses. Finally, I'll conduct a title and certificate search on the property to ensure everything is correct and in order before arranging a settlement between you and the seller. As you can see, I need time to complete all these procedures. Thursday is the best I can do."

"Okay, then," Zachary said. "Let's aim to complete the purchase by Thursday."

"That's for the best," Matteo said. "So, where do we meet up today afternoon?"

"Can you come to the J Hotel?" Zachary asked. "We can meet in the restaurant before traveling to Pinerolo to see the villa."

"What time would you like me to come?" Matteo asked.

"One o'clock," Zachary responded. "Is that fine by you?"

"1:00 PM is okay with me," Matteo said. "Let's meet then."

"Excellent," Zachary responded. "Then, see you later."

As planned, Zachary met up with Matteo Tavano at one o'clock. He was a lean middle-aged man with amber eyes and a receding hairline. He gave off a friendly vibe, and a smile was constantly plastered on his face while he greeted and introduced himself to Zachary.

The two men wasted no time on small talk after exchanging greetings. They immediately started discussing the nature of their business relationship while enjoying some afternoon tea. Their dialogue went well, and thirty minutes later, they traveled to Pinerolo to see the villa. There, they met up with Lorenzo D'Alessandro, the real estate agent in charge of selling the house, and Riccardo Costa, another older gentleman who seemed to be the seller. And from there on, everything was straightforward.

Zachary immediately voiced his intention to purchase the villa at the previously agreed price of 1.8 million Euros. After hearing his declaration, neither Lorenzo nor Ricardo bothered to bargain and hike up the price. They immediately consented to the deal and shook hands with Zachary to complete the initial verbal agreement for the transfer of the property.

They then spent a few minutes discussing and ironing out a few of the more crucial details of the deal under the legal guidance of Matteo Tavano. For instance, they talked about when Zachary would transfer the money for the house and specified when the previous owner would deliver the keys and the ownership papers of the villa. Their talk was fruitful, and they all left happy at dusk after taking another tour around the house and its gardens.

Zachary, on his part, was feeling quite fulfilled as he sat in Angelo's Citroën, heading back to the J Hotel. He was on cloud nine after completing a verbal agreement to purchase a mansion that he could only dream of during his previous life.

All that was left was for Matteo Tavano to conclude the legal end of the deal, and then Zachary would be able to live in the house of his dreams while also playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. The notion brightened his spirits, and he returned to his hotel room later that evening with a smile plastered on his face.