Rise of a Football God

(ESPN News:)

(FC Barcelona's winning streak is finally broken, but they maintain their unbeaten streak as they drew 2-2 against Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarin. Most importantly though, Sam maintains his goalscoring streak, it's now 27 goals in just 19 games. He's on another level!)

…

(Supersport News:)

(FC Barcelona escapes the Estadio Benito Villamarin with a point despite Hansi Flick heavily rotating his team for the champions league game in mid-week, a 2-2 draw. Now, all eyes are on Fulham vs Barcelona!)

…

(GOAL.com:)

(FC Barcelona player ratings against Real Betis:)

(Goalkeeper & Defense:)

(Marc Andre Ter Stegen: 7.5/10)

(Jules Kounde: 7/10)

(Ronald Araujo: 7.5/10)

(Pau Cubarsi: 8/10)

(Alejandro Balde: 5/10)

---

(Midfield:)

(Frankie De Jong: 6.5/10)

(Marc Casado: 7/10)

(Dani Olmo: 6.5/10)

---

(Attack:)

(Gavi: 7/10)

(Sam: 8.5/10)

(Raphinha: 8/10)

…

(Champions League Football:)

(Fulham – Barcelona)

(A game of nostalgia for Sam! After months since his move from England, he's finally returning to his roots in Craven Cottage before tens of thousands of Fulham supporters. Will Sam perform?)

FC Barcelona's next game was a UEFA Champions League game and it was between Barcelona and Fulham, Sam's previous club.

Yes, it was a game of nostalgia for him.

He spent just 1 and half seasons in the West London club, but to Sam, it was a significant and unforgettable period of his life.

Afterall, he created memories with the Fulham supporters.

He created history with them.

Winning the EFL Cup, and then the FA Cup and the English premier league, winning all that in just 1 and half seasons, damn, if that was not memorable Sam did not know what else was.

Sam may be away from England now but in his free time, he still followed Fulham, keeping tabs on their performances in the English premier league.

With his heroics with the West London club last season, he and his teammates booked a first UEFA champions league spot for Fulham in years.

This season, Fulham played in the UEFA Champions League.

After last season's heroics, certain important players left Fulham like Sam, going to greener pastures but the situation of the club was not as tragic as Sam feared after their departures this season.

With a core now led by Emile Smith Rowe, Fulham was still a force to be reckoned with in the English premier league.

At the moment, they were in 5th position in the premier league table but only 4 points separated them from the top 3 position.

So yes, Fulham was doing well in Sam's absence.

Sam was happy for his old club, but he was an FC Barcelona player now, this was why he put even more effort in training preparing for the big game.

Afterall, football was what he knew how to do best.

Football was the catalyst for the memories and history that he created with Fulham. This was why, returning back to Craven Cottage, Sam wanted to show them that he still got it, that he didn't regress.

He wanted to show the fans that adored him in Fulham what they transformed him into.

And so, Sam trained for the game.

Day after day, training after training, he put in 100% and in no time, it was D-day.

3 days later after the away game against Real Betis, on 10th of December, the FC Barcelona squad traveled to England, Fulham.

Right there at the airport, Sam received a hero's welcome in Fulham.

Fulham fans flooded the stadium awaiting his arrival with banners depicting him in a Fulham jersey, banners of him lifting the premier league trophy, lifting his golden boy award, and banners of him balling out for Fulham FC.

Right there at the airport, the nostalgia hit Sam.

This was a city where he was adored.

That was not all though, Sam was singled out of the FC Barcelona squad and honored on his arrival to Fulham.

Councilor Patricia Quigley, the Mayor of the London Borugh of Hammersmith & Fulham invited Sam to a meal on his arrival in Fulham.

This was a great honor.

And not just that, leaving the Mayor's office, Councilor Patricia Quigley personally led a contingent that escorted Sam to Craven Cottage, Fulham's home stadium where the greatest honor was revealed.

"…!"

Sam was shocked as the secret was finally unveiled.

Unknown to him and the rest of the world, Fulham secretly worked on a bronze statue outside their stadium.

And today, they finally unveiled it to the rest of the world.

It was a bronze statue of Samuel Moses.

Sam was immortalized in Fulham.

"…"

Staring at the bronze statue, Sam was speechless and emotional, driven to tears all of a sudden as he was caught off-guard.

In the end, he gave a speech with a big smile on his face. "This…, I won't lie, I don't even know how to react".

The audience laughed.

He looked at the Mayor. "First, I want to express my gratitude to the Mayor, Councilor Patricia Quigley for approving this and making it possible".

"I'm grateful ma".

The Mayor smiled back at him.

Then, Sam grinned. "And I want to thank the city of Fulham especially, fans of the white, black, and red".

"I love you guys and you know it".

"When I was unknown and obscure, you had faith in me, prying me from the jaws of the NPFL to prove myself in the English premier league".

He looked at his old coach, Marco Silva. "Coach," he smiled. "Thank you for believing in me".

He grinned mischievously. "Thank you for playing me in that Liverpool game".

Marco Silva chuckled among the audience.

He remembered that day, he was glad he dropped his pride to take the decision. He lost nothing and gained everything after that day.

Sam smiled as he faced the camera. "Fulham made me, and tomorrow," he grinned. "I'll show you all the monster that you created!"

"Pity us Sam!" Some of the fans bellowed, making him to laugh.

In the end, after more speeches from the Mayor herself, highlighting the importance of Sam's incredible achievements for the City of Fulham during the previous season, Coach Marco Silva also had a speech. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire

After that, the little ceremony finally came to an end.

When Sam returned to his hotel to meet up with his teammates, his training buddies teased him.

Yamal laughed. "Are you some kind of honored legend now?"

"Get lost!" Sam said, eliciting more laughter.

That night, the group of 5 teammates and friends played a few rounds of FIFA on a PS5 console before finally retreating to bed on time for the night.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

In a blink, it was morning already.

No training was scheduled for morning, just Hansi Flick going over the game strategy with his players all over again as he warned them not to do anything stupid to make sure that they were in optimum state for the game.

The FC Barcelona players were obedient, all staying docile in preparations for the big UEFA champions league clash.

And then, later at night, they finally arrived at Craven Cottage.

In big UEFA champions league nights like this, opposition fans tend to be extremely hostile, trying to get into the head of their opposition players and rattle them before the game but simply due to the presence of a specific player in the Barcelona squad, the Fulham fans were tamed for this game.

Both squads started with their strongest starting XI.

For the visiting side, FC Barcelona, Hansi Flick finally reverted to his strongest lineup with the attacking trio of Raphinha, Sam, and Lamine Yamal anchoring the attack and Gavi playing just behind them in attacking midfield.

Behind them was a midfield duo of Pedri and Frankie De Jong.

Manning the defense was the imperious quadruple of Alejandro Balde, Inigo Martinez, Ronald Araujo, and Jules Kounde in right back. Barca's no. 1, Marc Andre Ter Stegen started in between the posts.

As for the home side, they lined up in a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation.

Raul Jimenez led the attack, while behind him was the attacking trio of Alex Iwobi in left wing, Emile Smith Rowe in attacking midfield who was now the core of this team, and the rapid Adama Traore down the right wing.

Behind them was the duo of Berge and Lukic in midfield.

As for the defense, the quadruple of Antonee Robinson, Calvin Bassey, Andersen, and Castagne started. Further behind them was Bernd Leno in between the posts.

Craven Cottage was electric.

The home fans sang at the top of their lungs, excited for a lot of different reasons. The homecoming of their hero, their eagerness to show him what the team was now capable of in his absence, and the eagerness to see what he could do.

Heck, their emotions were complicated and going haywire this game.

They wanted to win but they didn't want Sam to look bad. They wanted Sam to play well but not enough to help FC Barcelona win.

Their emotions were heightened and complicated.

And then, all of it came to a halt, focusing on the game as soon as the referee's whistle cut through the noise like a knife.

FWEEEE!

The game started.