Courcoronne is a small town in the southern suburbs of Paris, France, with a population of just over 10,000, mainly North African immigrants.
There is no mess like other immigration areas here. The roads are very clean. Although the low-rise bungalows on both sides are a bit old, they are still full of the atmosphere of human habitation. This makes anyone who walks here not feel it.
Rumor has it that the immigration area has a bad impression.
In fact, the security here is also good.
Like most French towns, sports facilities are not uncommon in Courcoronne, especially football stadiums.
To the northwest outside the town, there is the Robert Robin Stadium, where major sports events in the surrounding areas are basically held. To the south of the town, there is a training camp for amateur teams, and the facilities are also very complete.
To the east is the city park, and to the south of the park is a sports center with two football fields, a basketball club, a swimming pool, and a rock climbing gym across a road.
Every afternoon, young people in the town come to the sports center to play football after work.
They have their own fixed players, and they fight against each other. They do not consider whether it is formal or irregular during the game. They play in the field with as many people as they can come. There will be many fans watching and cheering for them on the sidelines.
But recently, there have been a lot of spectators at these two stadiums.
Because the biggest star in town is back.
…
Thuram Ulyan is a goalkeeper.
Playing for Monaco's youth team in Ligue 1, he is currently 19 years old and has high hopes of entering the first team next season.
Not only that, he is also the international player of the French U20 youth team.
This goalkeeper of African descent has been a star player of Courcoulona since he was a child. He is the second football genius to enter the Clairefontaine training camp after passing the selection process to receive the highest level of elite training.
, is someone else’s child that countless families in Curcurona talk about.
After the season, he returned to his hometown from Monaco.
Every afternoon, whenever he has time, he will come to the stadium where he used to play football and play football with his friends from back then.
For professional players like them, playing a game with amateurs, or even players who are not even amateurs, is just relaxing and having fun.
It is said that he is a goalkeeper, but in fact, Thuram Ulian can play any position of defender, midfielder and forward.
Later, everyone felt that this was not good, it was too bullying, so they restricted him to only be a goalkeeper.
But even so, it is not easy for his opponent to break his goal.
This is the gap between amateur and professional!
When Thuram Ulian comes to the football field every day, he will go to another field to watch another person train, or talk to him, or play with him directly.
But this person never participates in competitions, and just quietly carries out his own training.
At first, everyone invited him several times, but when they saw that he was unwilling, they didn't force it.
This person's training intensity is not high and it looks a bit relaxed, but Thuram Ulyan said that he is undergoing rehabilitation training.
"Severely torn knee ligament!"
This is a professional term, and many people who have played football or have some knowledge about sports injuries are stunned after hearing it.
Madehi Benatia was the first genius from Courcorona to enter the Clairefontaine training camp. Everyone had concluded from an early age that he would definitely become a professional star and a French international.
And he did not disappoint, being selected for the French youth team early.
When he was sixteen years old, he joined the wealthy team Marseille, which caused an uproar in the town. Everyone felt that he was going to become famous, just like many legendary football stars.
Marseille also attached great importance to this international player. They first loaned him to Tours in Ligue 2 for training. He quickly became the main force and performed reasonably well. However, that season, Tours was not competitive enough and was relegated from Ligue 2.
After returning to Marseille, the team arranged for him to be loaned to Lorient in the middle of Ligue 1.
This team also admires the French youth team international and even paid a loan fee of 100,000 euros for him.
But he only played one game for Lorient, which was the cup match against Paris Saint-Germain. As a result, Lorient lost 3-0, and he shouldered an unshirkable responsibility.
To make matters worse, not long after, he suffered a severe tear of his knee ligament, ending the entire season prematurely.
As a 21-year-old young man who had just emerged, his knee ligament was seriously torn and he missed an entire season. The trajectory of Madhi Benatia's life changed drastically.
His name is no longer in the French national youth team, and Marseille also considered the relationship between serious injury and age and decided not to renew his contract and allow him to move on a free transfer.
He lost his job!
He returned to his hometown town in despair.
In the past, he received so much honor and praise, but now he receives so much cynicism and cynicism.
He became taciturn.
But he insists on going to the court to train by himself every day, because he still has a dream in his heart!
He feels that he can still become a professional player.
His best friend Nasri in Marseille often calls him. Nasri has been selected for the French national team. This was the wish they made when they were in Marseille and looking forward to the future together.
But Nasri has become a national player and is about to participate in the European Cup, and he, Madhi Benatia, has no ball to play.
He knew that his injury was recovering well, he knew that his strength was still there, and he knew that he would be able to play football again, but no one believed it and no one was willing to give him a chance.
His agent helped him contact many French Ligue 1 teams, but most of them refused, and some even refused to give him a chance to try out.
This made Benatia feel extremely aggrieved, but at the same time a ball of raging anger arose.
He is not willing to give in!
Never give in!
…
"Madehi, there are only a few of us, let's have some fun."
Thuram Ulyan's shouts came from the stadium next door. Gu Yi
Benatia just finished his training and looked at the fellow who talked to him almost every day.
"Don't be like this. It's not enough to practice hard by yourself. You need teammates and competition." Thuram Ulian said with a smile.
"Come on, Madhi, play with us!"
"Yeah, let's play together."
They were all a group of former companions of similar age, but Benatia couldn't refuse after all and agreed to join them in the game.
This immediately caused the fans watching on the sidelines to talk a lot.
This is the first star of the town, but unfortunately, I heard that his knee injury was serious and he can hardly play football anymore.
Everyone was curious when they saw him play again.
"Come on, Madhi." Thuram Ulian encouraged with a smile.
Benatia took the jersey and looked at it blankly for a while.
This is the first time he has put on a jersey since his knee injury, and it feels really special.
He felt that the familiar feeling of playing football was back.
After exhaling heavily, he put on his jersey and walked into the stadium.
…
From time to time bursts of warm applause erupted from the sidelines.
Whether you can play football or not, you’ll know just by looking at it!
After Benatia came on the field, he played as a central defender, but he is very strong, moves very fast, and has very strong interception ability. Almost any ball that tries to pass through him will be easily intercepted by him.
His shots are very decisive and quick, and his timing is always perfect, which makes all opponents who attack him feel a headache. Even if there are no mistakes, his excellent physical fitness can intimidate opponents.
If there are mistakes, take action; if there are no mistakes, create mistakes and then take action.
More importantly, this guy has a very strong sense of the overall situation and ability to read the game. Every time he predicts the path of the ball, his opponent fails, and after stealing the ball, he instigates counterattacks and passes, especially long passes.
They can all create opportunities for their teammates.
After kicking and kicking, everyone inside and outside the stadium understood.
Who said he broke his leg?
Who says he can't play anymore?
He is still the national football star that everyone in this town looks up to!
Ullian had known for a long time that Benatia's strength recovered quickly, but he never expected that he would be so strong.
Although he was facing a group of amateur players, his skillful and smooth movements, excellent reactions and awareness were enough to prove that he was still the amazing senior!
This is a central defender who competes with talents such as Nasri, Benzema and Ben Arfa in the national youth team, and has even won deep friendships with many French talented stars, including Nasri!
…
After a game, Benatia did not concede a single goal.
The smile gradually returned to Benatia's face. He was slightly out of breath, but the look on his face was very excited.
"Well done, Madhi!"
Ullian and other players also came over to congratulate him on his wonderful performance.
Although it was only an amateur competition, Benatia's performance was eye-catching.
"I will call the coach of our team tonight and tell him that if you haven't contacted the team during the training camp, just follow me back to Monaco. I believe you will be able to stay in the team because of your level.
Even better than our first team players.”
Ulian trains with Monaco's first team, so he knows their level.
"Thank you." Benatia smiled lightly.
Finally played another game!
Although it was just an amateur competition, he felt that he had regained a lot of confidence.
He still remembers that his coach once told him that players' confidence is accumulated game after game.
"Count me in for the next games." Benatia said.
Ullian and others were all stunned, but they all laughed and agreed in unison.
In fact, they also hope to see Benatia cheer up.
Because he was once the pride of this town!
At this moment, a burst of applause suddenly came from outside the stadium, and then Benatia heard the familiar voice of his agent.
"Excellent performance, Madehi. It seems you have fully recovered."
Benatia was stunned for a moment and immediately turned her head.
I saw my agent brought a stranger, and the applause came from him.
Ullian and everyone around him were also very curious. There were very few strangers in the town.
"Let me introduce to you, this is a scout from Naples. He was entrusted by the head coach and hopes that you will join Naples."
As soon as the agent finished speaking, the scene suddenly became silent.
