Late October 2014.
Pressure hung over Castilla like an unspoken curse. After a shock 1–0 loss to UD San Sebastián de los Reyes, the squad dropped to third in the Segunda B Group II table. Morale was shaky. Momentum—gone.
The next match was against the league leaders, Real Oviedo. Away. A fortress.
If Castilla lost again, promotion dreams would begin to fray.
And all eyes turned to one player.
Sae Itoshi.
---
The Fires of Asturias
It was a gray, rainy afternoon in Oviedo. The Carlos Tartiere stadium echoed with chants and drums from the home fans. Castilla's young squad stood in the tunnel, heads lowered, shoulders tense.
Except for one.
Sae stood motionless, eyes locked ahead. Unblinking.
Carlos Domínguez, now starting again as a defensive midfielder, stood beside him. Nervous energy radiated off him like heat.
"You ready for this?" he muttered.
Sae's reply was cold and simple: "I've already played harder games in my head."
---
Leadership Forged in Fire
Zidane's tactical instructions were clear: 4-3-3. Compact midfield. High line. Quick transitions.
But twenty minutes in, Oviedo had already suffocated them. Their pressing was relentless. Castilla couldn't string three passes together. The home crowd grew louder. By the 25th minute, it was 1–0.
Castilla's players began to panic. Short passes went long. Movement stopped. Communication broke down.
Until Sae took control.
In the 31st minute, after stealing the ball deep in midfield, Sae shouted—actually shouted—for the first time in a match.
"¡Cálmate! Juega simple. Uno-dos. ¡Confía!"
Calm down. Play simple. One-two. Trust.
The team froze for a heartbeat.
Then… something shifted.
Sae dropped deep to receive the ball from Lucas, the keeper, and slowed the pace. He spread it calmly to Carlos, then demanded it back. He switched play twice, found a vertical lane, and pierced it with a through ball.
Momentum changed.
---
The Turning Point
In the 42nd minute, Castilla equalized.
Sae intercepted a pass, nutmegged his marker, and threaded a diagonal to De La Fuente, who curled it past the keeper.
1–1.
In the second half, Sae controlled the match like a conductor. He dictated rhythm, set pressing traps, dragged Oviedo's midfielders out of position, then punished them.
The winner came in the 76th.
From a dead ball near the halfway line, Sae lofted a free-kick that dropped just behind the center-backs, right into Carlos' path. The midfielder slid it home.
2–1.
The silence in the stadium was deafening.
As the team huddled together, Carlos turned to Sae.
"…Gracias," he muttered.
Sae didn't reply. But his eyes said it all: Follow me, and we win.
---
Zidane's Quiet Smile
Back in the locker room, Zidane entered as the team celebrated. He didn't say much. Just looked at Sae for a long moment.
"You didn't just control the game," he finally said. "You carried them."
He tossed a folded slip of paper on the bench beside him.
"Congratulations. You're in the Copa del Rey squad."
The room went dead silent.
Then erupted.
Even players who once resented him clapped. A few cheered. Sae sat still, staring at the paper.
Real Madrid vs. Cultural Leonesa.
Copa del Rey - Round of 32.
Date: November 7th.
Venue: Santiago Bernabéu.
---
A Return to the Bernabéu
November arrived with cold Madrid winds and heavier expectations.
Sae entered the senior training building on a Tuesday morning and was greeted differently this time. Less like a guest. More like… one of them.
"Hey, future star," Marcelo grinned, clapping him on the back.
Modrić gave him a nod. "Saw your match. You're learning."
Even Kroos offered a rare comment: "That pass to Carlos? Zidane would've done the same."
But not everyone was casual.
Ronaldo, fresh off another La Liga brace, walked by without a word. But then, at the end of training, he jogged beside Sae.
"You're playing in the Copa?"
"Yes."
Ronaldo nodded slowly. "Don't treat it like a youth match. There's no such thing here."
Sae locked eyes with him. "I wasn't planning to."
---
Copa del Rey: The Call-Up
Matchday.
The Santiago Bernabéu glowed beneath the floodlights. Over 30,000 fans had shown up despite the early-round opponent. Because it was Real Madrid. Because it was the Copa. And because word had gotten out—
The Japanese kid is starting.
Carlo Ancelotti had made the decision the night before.
"Modrić and Kroos need rest. You'll play with Illarramendi and Isco in midfield. Sae—just play your game."
Sae's game.
The game of a genius reborn.
---
The Debut
Kickoff. Real Madrid in their iconic white. Cultural Leonesa in black.
Within ten minutes, it was clear: Sae didn't just belong—he was in control.
He dropped deep between the center-backs to receive the ball. He slipped between Leonesa's pressing lines like water. His touch was velvet. His decision-making, ruthless.
In the 18th minute, he executed a perfectly disguised reverse pass that allowed Jesé to open the scoring.
1–0.
The crowd applauded politely.
Then, in the 36th, he danced through three defenders on the edge of the box, only to lay it off unselfishly for Chicharito.
2–0.
Now the crowd roared.
---
The Bernabéu Takes Notice
As halftime approached, the commentator's voice echoed through Spanish homes.
> "Este chico… Itoshi Sae… tiene algo especial. No solo técnica, sino temple. Parece haber nacido para esto."
(This boy... Itoshi Sae... has something special. Not just technique, but composure. It's like he was born for this.)
Up in the VIP box, Florentino Pérez leaned forward.
"Who is this kid again?" he asked.
"Zidane's personal recommendation," came the reply.
---
Second Half Statement
In the 63rd minute, Ancelotti gave the signal. Sae would come off in five.
Before that, he left one more message.
Receiving the ball just outside the box, he stopped—literally stopped—dragging two defenders into hesitating. Then, with a sudden touch, he weaved through the gap and chipped the keeper with his weak foot.
3–0.
The Bernabéu erupted.
Sae didn't celebrate. He just walked back, head down, as if it meant nothing.
The cameras zoomed in.
The world took notice.
---
Post-Match Reverberations
In the tunnel, as players traded shirts, Modrić clapped Sae on the shoulder.
"Not bad. You made the game your stage."
Kroos, walking past, added: "Now do it when it matters."
Even Ronaldo gave a nod.
But it was Ancelotti's words that stayed with him.
"You made the fans look twice tonight. That's the start."
---
The Quiet Night After Glory
Back at the dorms, long after the team dinner, Sae sat alone in his room.
His phone buzzed with articles:
"Who is Sae Itoshi? Madrid's Midfield Prodigy Emerges"
"Zidane's Secret Weapon Debuts with Style"
"Japanese-Born Midfield Wizard Steals Spotlight"
He turned the phone off.
Then lay back, arms behind his head.
A long road remained.
Barcelona. Bayern. The Champions League. The World Cup.
But for now…
He had taken the first step.
The crown wasn't his yet.
But it was looking his way.
---
End of Chapter 5