Not long into browsing upcoming fixtures, a familiar match caught Juninho D'Alessandro's eye.
The UEFA Champions League Final was just four days away.
Real Madrid, the Spanish giants, would face Valencia, another top La Liga side.
Juninho remembered the result perfectly—Real Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win.
"But since Madrid were favorites, there won't be much payout just betting on them to win," he muttered.
Instead, he turned his attention to a far more profitable option—correct score betting.
Bookmakers always offered high odds for exact results. For someone like Juninho, who already knew the outcome, this was a gold mine.
"Betting shops usually open odds two days before the match," he reasoned. "I'll spend the next couple of days getting familiar with my current body and situation."
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Two Days Later
The odds were finally open.
That morning, Juninho left Morecambe's training base and took a taxi into town. He'd already informed the club he'd be out for the day.
In this era, online gambling hadn't gone mainstream, so most people still used physical betting shops.
And for safety reasons, Juninho wasn't going to dump all his money in one place. He had flights booked across the UK, intending to break up his €5 million bankroll across multiple betting locations.
It was a high-risk, high-reward move.
Before setting off, he checked the odds again:
Correct score 3-0 to Real Madrid?
15-to-1 odds.
That meant if he bet all €5 million correctly, his payout would be €75 million.
Even accounting for taxes and other deductions, it would still be a fortune.
And in the year 2000, even for a Premier League team, a transfer war chest of that size was massive. For Morecambe, currently in the fourth division, it would be a complete revolution.
"Whew…"
In the backseat of the cab, Juninho kept taking deep breaths, nerves and excitement battling inside him.
The driver looked at him in the rearview mirror with a puzzled expression—he seemed to think Juninho was on the verge of a breakdown.
Soon, the taxi pulled up in the center of Morecambe, near one of the local betting shops.
Juninho paid the fare, got out, and headed straight for the shop.
Thanks to memories from his predecessor, he remembered the layout of the area clearly.
Following the familiar route and street signs, Juninho arrived at the small betting shop tucked away in town.
He walked in and went directly to the counter.
"Champions League betting's open, yeah?" he asked casually.
"Sure is," the shop owner replied, pulling up a chair and logging into the system.
Juninho smiled. "Any tips, boss? I brought about €380,000 with me today."
He said it lightly, playing the role of a reckless gambler.
He didn't want to raise eyebrows by seeming too calculated. Pretending to be a foolish rich man was the best cover.
"€380,000?!" the owner blinked in shock.
It was rare for someone in Morecambe to bet that kind of money.
Still, he'd seen a few wild punters over the years, so he managed to keep calm.
"I'd recommend Real Madrid, obviously—they're favorites. But it's your call. I'm not responsible if it doesn't work out."
Juninho nodded, pretending to hesitate.
"What about scorelines? Got a feeling?"
"That's impossible to call," the shopkeeper said. "If I could predict that, I wouldn't be behind this desk."
He added, "With that kind of money, I'd say hedge your bets. Play it safe."
"I want a big payday," Juninho replied with a chuckle.
The shopkeeper gave him a look but stayed quiet. Another man chasing a miracle, he thought.
"Real Madrid… 3-0 against Valencia…" Juninho repeated thoughtfully, then looked up. "I'll take that."
"Three-nil?" The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want to put all of it on that?"
"Yes. €380,000."
The man whistled. "Alright."
He pulled out the POS machine. "You'll need to transfer the money first—I don't keep that much cash on hand."
"Of course."
Juninho handed over his card and wired the funds without delay.
The betting slip printed shortly after.
"Good luck, lad," the owner said, handing it to him.
Juninho nodded with a smile, took the slip, and walked out of the shop.
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