Amsterdam
December 18, 2017
The morning after the PSV victory, Andrei woke early despite his exhaustion. His body ached everywhere—legs heavy, muscles sore from giving everything in Eindhoven. But his mind was alert, processing what the system had confirmed overnight.
He pulled up the full display while Elena slept beside him:
SYSTEM ANALYSIS - ELITE STATUS ACHIEVED
Player: Andrei Luca
Age: 19 years, 3 months
Position: CAM/LW/ST (versatile)
Club: Ajax Amsterdam
Overall Rating: 80.1/99
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES:
Pace: 78/99 (+2 from season start) - Elite speed for attacking midfielder
Acceleration: 79/99 - Explosive first few yards
Strength: 67/99 (+2) - Improved but still needs work
Stamina: 73/99 (+3) - Good endurance, can play full matches
Agility: 76/99 - Excellent balance and body control
Jumping: 68/99 - Adequate for position
TECHNICAL ATTRIBUTES:
Dribbling: 74/99 (+6) - Very good close control
Ball Control: 76/99 (+6) - Elite first touch
Shooting: 75/99 (+11) - Massive improvement, now elite
Finishing: 76/99 - Clinical in front of goal
Long Shots: 74/99 - Dangerous from distance
Passing: 73/99 (+11) - Excellent distribution
Crossing: 71/99 - Good delivery from wide areas
Curve: 73/99 - Can bend passes and shots
MENTAL ATTRIBUTES:
Vision: 75/99 (+14) - ELITE - sees passes others don't
Positioning: 76/99 (+13) - ELITE - always in right place
Composure: 65/99 (+8) - Improved significantly, still room to grow
Decision Making: 74/99 - Makes smart choices under pressure
Anticipation: 73/99 - Reads the game well
Concentration: 70/99 - Maintains focus through matches
Work Rate: 77/99 - High defensive contribution
Teamwork: 75/99 - Plays for the collective
SPECIAL TRAITS:
Flair: ★★★★☆ (Elite movement and creativity)
Weak Foot: ★★★★☆ (Can use both feet effectively)
Skill Moves: ★★★★☆ (Technical repertoire)
SEASON STATISTICS (2017-18 at Winter Break):
Appearances: 24 (21 starts)
Minutes: 1,847
Goals: 10 (Eredivisie: 7, Champions League: 3)
Assists: 15 (Eredivisie: 11, Champions League: 4)
Average Match Rating: 7.9/10
Key Passes per Match: 2.8
Successful Dribbles per Match: 3.1
Distance Covered per Match: 11.2 km
ELITE ACHIEVEMENTS THIS SEASON:
Champions League Round of 16 qualification (key contributor)
2 goals vs European giants (PSG, Bayern Munich)
Match-winning performances in title race
Consistent high-level output
Mental resilience demonstrated repeatedly
STRENGTHS:
Elite vision and playmaking ability
Excellent positioning and movement
Clinical finishing (improved dramatically)
Work rate and defensive contribution
Performs in biggest moments
Versatility across attacking positions
WEAKNESSES TO IMPROVE:
Physical strength (67/99) - still vulnerable to strong defenders
Composure (65/99) - improved but not yet elite
Aerial ability (68/99) - adequate but not special
Consistency - occasional quiet matches vs defensive teams
Tendency to overthink in low-pressure situations
POTENTIAL RATING: 88-90/99 (World Class ceiling if development continues)
CURRENT MARKET VALUE: €18-25 million
Projected Value (if growth continues): €50-70 million by age 22
CLUBS MONITORING:
Real Madrid (Very High Interest)
Manchester United (High Interest)
Borussia Dortmund (High Interest)
Juventus (Medium Interest)
Tottenham (Medium Interest)
Bayern Munich (Monitoring after facing him)
Barcelona (Scouts present at multiple matches)
RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT PATH:
Stay at Ajax through 2018-19 season (age 19-20)
Move to elite club summer 2019 when ready
Focus on: Physical strength, composure, consistency
Maintain current trajectory for world-class potential
Andrei stared at the numbers, processing what they meant. An 80 overall rating at nineteen was exceptional—most players never reached this level. His vision and positioning were genuinely elite now, his shooting had improved dramatically, his overall game was complete.
But the weaknesses remained: strength still only 67, composure 65. Against the absolute best defenders—Sergio Ramos, Virgil van Dijk, Giorgio Chiellini—he'd still struggle physically.
"You're doing that thing again," Elena mumbled, eyes still closed.
"What thing?"
"Staring at nothing while your brain runs statistics." She opened one eye. "What's the verdict?"
"Eighty overall. Elite status confirmed."
"I could have told you that without a magical system." She pulled him back down to bed. "Now rest. You earned it."
Champions League Round of 16 Draw
UEFA Headquarters, Nyon, Switzerland
December 18, 2017 - 12:00 CET
The Ajax squad gathered in the team room to watch the draw together. Sixteen teams remained, split into seeded group winners and unseeded runners-up.
Seeded Teams (Group Winners):
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Porto, Real Madrid, Tottenham
Unseeded Teams (Group Runners-up):
Ajax, Basel, Besiktas, Chelsea, PSG, Roma, Sevilla, Shakhtar Donetsk
Ajax could face any of the group winners except Bayern (same group). The possibilities ranged from manageable (Porto, Tottenham) to terrifying (Barcelona, Real Madrid).
The draw proceeded slowly, each pairing met with reactions around Europe. Finally, Ajax's name was drawn.
Ajax vs... Real Madrid
The room went silent.
Real Madrid. The most successful club in Champions League history. Twelve European Cups. Current holders. A team featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo.
"Well," Matthijs de Ligt said into the silence, "at least it's not Barcelona?"
Nervous laughter rippled through the room.
Bosz stood, addressing the squad. "This is what we dreamed about. Playing against the best, testing ourselves at the absolute highest level. Yes, they're favorites. But we've shown we can compete with anyone. These two matches—February and March—will define our season."
Champions League Round of 16:
First Leg: February 13, 2018 - Real Madrid vs Ajax (Santiago Bernabéu)
Second Leg: March 6, 2018 - Ajax vs Real Madrid (Amsterdam Arena)
Two months to prepare for the biggest matches of their lives.
Winter Break - December 2017
Dutch football paused for a three-week winter break, the first extended rest since the season began in August. Ajax's players scattered—some to vacations, others home to families.
Andrei and Elena flew to Iași to spend Christmas with his mother. The timing was perfect—he needed rest, needed distance from Amsterdam's intensity, needed to reconnect with his roots.
Ana's apartment was decorated for Christmas—traditional Romanian touches, the smell of cozonac baking, familiar warmth. She cried when she saw them, hugging Andrei tightly.
"So thin! They don't feed you in Amsterdam?"
"They feed me too much, Mama. I have nutritionists monitoring everything."
"Nutritionists." She scoffed. "You need your mother's cooking."
Over traditional Christmas Eve dinner—sarmale, caltaboși, cozonac—Ana asked the questions mothers ask: Was he happy? Was he eating properly? Was Elena treating him well? (Elena, sitting right there, smiled patiently through the interrogation.)
"I'm very happy, Mama. Playing for Ajax, living in Amsterdam with Elena, competing at the highest level—it's everything Dad and I dreamed about."
"Your father would be so proud." Ana's eyes glistened. "Sometimes I see him in you—the way you move, the determination in your eyes. He's watching, dragul meu. I know he is."
After dinner, Andrei walked through Iași's cold December streets, Elena beside him. The city looked different now—smaller, quieter, frozen in time while he'd been changing.
"Does it feel strange?" Elena asked. "Coming back here?"
"Yes. Like visiting a memory rather than a place." Andrei looked around at familiar streets. "I grew up here, but I don't belong here anymore. Is that terrible?"
"It's natural. You've outgrown this place. That doesn't mean you forget it—it just means you've evolved beyond it."
They visited his father's grave on Christmas morning, laying fresh flowers, standing in respectful silence. Andrei told his father everything—the goals, the assists, the Champions League, the upcoming match against Real Madrid.
"I'm doing it, Dad," he whispered. "Everything you wanted for me. I hope you're proud."
The wind rustled through bare trees, and for a moment, Andrei could almost feel his father's presence—a warmth, an approval, a blessing for the journey ahead.
New Year 2018
They returned to Amsterdam on December 28th, rested and recharged. Training resumed January 2nd, the squad looking refreshed after the break.
But something had shifted for Andrei during those quiet days in Iași. Being with his mother, visiting his father's grave, reflecting on how far he'd come—it had crystallized something in his mind.
Life was short. Uncertain. Beautiful and fragile.
And he knew exactly what he wanted.
On January 5th, before training resumed fully, Andrei took the day off and traveled to Amsterdam's diamond district with a specific purpose.
He'd been thinking about this for months, but the winter break had confirmed it: he wanted to marry Elena. Not someday, not eventually—soon. She was his foundation, his partner, the person who'd supported him through every challenge.
At a discreet jeweler recommended by Joël Veltman (who'd recently gotten engaged), Andrei explained what he wanted.
"Something elegant but not ostentatious. She's not flashy—she values quality over show."
The jeweler showed him several options. Andrei settled on a platinum band with a single, perfectly cut diamond—simple, beautiful, timeless. It cost more than his first car (not that he'd owned a car in Romania), but it was perfect.
"When will you propose?" the jeweler asked while preparing the ring.
"I'm not sure yet. But soon. Before the Real Madrid match—I want to know she's with me no matter what happens."
The ring sat in his sock drawer, waiting for the right moment. Every time Andrei saw it, his heart raced with nervous excitement.
Soon. He'd ask her soon.