Sam may just be coming back from the AFCON tournant, having won it, but he knew that to him, the season was far from ending.
Rather, the true difficult part of an elite club's season just started.
Unlike other clubs like Fulham where he played before in England, big clubs like FC Barcelona truly beco busy at the business end of the season.
The gas stack up, coming in fast and hard, and this was because unlike small clubs, they compete in multiple tournants.
This season, FC Barcelona was competing in not just the Spanish La Liga, but the Supercopa de Espana, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.
And at this stage of the season, having won the Supercopa de Espana already, FC Barcelona was still in the 3 other competitions, and it was ramping up.
They were now into the deep.
This was why imdiately after the ga against Valencia on the 26th of January, after a day of rest on 27th that Hansi Flick gave to his players, from the 28th, Sam joined his club teammates in training again.
He was back, back to the grueling schedule of club football.
Hansi Flick already sent his players the fixtures for FC Barcelona's next 5 gas, he also sent it to Sam since he was now back in the fold.
(FC Barcelona fixtures:)
(UEFA Champions League:)
(Matchday 8 of 8:)
(Barcelona – Atalanta)
(Date: 29th January, 2026)
…
(La Liga:)
(Barcelona – Alaves)
(Date: 2nd February, 2026)
…
(Copa del Rey:)
(Quarterfinal:)
(Valencia – Barcelona)
(Date: 6th February, 2026)
…
(La Liga:)
(Sevilla – Barcelona)
(Date: 9th February, 2026)
…
(Barcelona – Ray Vallecano)
(Date: 17th February, 2026)
At so point between this fixture of 5 matches, it would be a ga every 3 days for FC Barcelona.
For Hansi Flick, the FC Barcelona head coach, it was not just about making his players play at their best anymore, it was now also about making them play at their best while managing them enough to make sure that they don't burn out.
The deep end of every football season for big clubs was always like this, packed and full of action, and Sam was ready for it.
This was why from 27th January, he finally resud his hobby with his friends, jogging through the streets of FC Barcelona again with Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, and Alejandro Balde.
Jogging alongside them, Sam felt like it had been forever since they did this.
"I never knew how much I missed this till now". He laughed.
Lamine Yamal smiled and said in Spanish. " too".
Of course, after getting close to the Spotify Camp Nou, they did their customary competition and like usual, Sam won the race.
But this ti, there was a shocker.
Lamine Yamal did the impossible, blitzing past Gavi to clinch 2nd position in the sprint race for the first ti since they started.
The rest were shocked, their eyes wide. "Your speed has improved?"
Lamine Yamal grinned, feeling mischievous. "I've been working with my personal trainer to improve my physicality, and with it, my speed has been improving too".
"Apparently, speed is in a way tied to physicality".
"I just have to learn a few techniques about my running technique. With the right technique, I can be faster, so that's that". He smiled bashfully.
"Wow…," Sam was amazed. "You have to introduce to that personal trainer of yours!"
" too!" Pedri said with all seriousness.
In the end, Gavi and Alejandro Balde also showed their willingness, making Lamine Yamal to promise to introduce the trainer to them.
After that, they entered the gym, did the usual for the day, and then…
Ding!
~----~
[You have completed Daily System Quest: ntality Monster!]
[You have been rewarded with low-grade physical conditioning elixir!]
~----~
After that, Sam drove ho, eager to enjoy the day off too.
Speaking of the system, after Sam played his last AFCON ga against Morocco, winning and bringing the trophy ho, his system lit up with series of notifications, no doubt related to his seasonal system quest.
But Sam didn't have the ti to go through them because of the chaos of the celebrations, and then his vacation that followed soon after.
He never had ti to focus on his system since that ti. But now, on getting ho, after taking a cold shower, he laid down on his bed and focused on it.
~----~
[Congratulations! You have completed Season Quest 4 in your Season System Quests: Supercopa de Espana!]
[You have been rewarded with 5,000 Skill Points!]
[You have been rewarded with an Advanced-tier skill mastery Upgrade Card!]
>NOTE: The Advanced-tier skill mastery Upgrade Card can be used to upgrade the mastery of any skill below the Advanced level to the Advanced level<
…
[Congratulations! You have completed Season Quest 6 in your Season System Quests: AFCON 2025 Tournant!]
[You completed Mission 1: Win the AFCON trophy!]
[You completed Mission 2: Win the Golden Ball award!]
[You completed Mission 3: Win the Golden Boot award!]
[Calculating completing rating, please wait…]
[Calculation complete!]
[Congratulations! You have received a perfect completion rating of S-tier!]
[Your completion rating has exceeded the reward tier of the system!]
[Automatically combining normal rewards to create a new fitting reward!]
[Please wait…]
[You have been rewarded with a Legendary Passive Skill: Clutch Player!]
>Clutch Player: This passive skill triggers only during the biggest gas, in the biggest stages. When triggered, all your abilities and attributes increase by 50%, making you a far deadlier, and lethal footballer. The X-Factor favors you, making you a clutch player<
~----~
Sam stared at the notifications before him with an incredulous expression on his face. In the end, he muttered. "Damn!"
"Clutch player is actually a passive skill?!"
Saying that, the first na that ca to his head was. "Didier Drogba!"
Sam grinned. "Now, I finally understand!"
Didier Drogba, the ex-Chelsea striker was never outrightly the best player in the world but the Ivorian legend had a reputation for coming up clutch every ti in the biggest stages.
Sam had no doubt that the Chelsea legend had this passive skill.
Sam already built a reputation for himself as a clutch player before now, and to think he now had the passive skill too.
Sam smiled. "The season's about to get even more exciting…"
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