Amsterdam
March 7-15, 2018
The morning after eliminating Real Madrid, Andrei woke to find his phone had exploded. Hundreds of messages, missed calls, social media notifications that crashed his apps.
Messages from former FCSB teammates congratulating him. Messages from Romanian journalists requesting interviews. Messages from his agent about club interest that had intensified overnight.
And one message that made his heart stop—from Cristiano Ronaldo himself, via Instagram DM:
"Well played. You have a great future. Keep working, stay humble. - CR7"
Andrei stared at it for five minutes, unable to believe it was real. Cristiano Ronaldo—his idol, one of the greatest players ever—had messaged him personally.
"What's wrong?" Elena asked, noticing his stunned expression.
"Ronaldo sent me a message."
"What? Show me!"
They read it together, both overwhelmed. This was validation from the absolute pinnacle of the sport.
System Update:
Achievement: Recognition from all-time great
Mental Attributes: +0.2 (confidence boost from elite validation)
Status: Among European elite confirmed
But there was no time to celebrate properly. Ajax had an Eredivisie match in three days—the title race demanded immediate refocus.
Champions League Quarterfinal Draw
March 16, 2018
The quarterfinal draw brought another impossible opponent: Juventus. The Italian giants, featuring Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuaín, and veteran leadership from Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon.
Champions League Quarterfinals:
First Leg: April 10, 2018 - Juventus vs Ajax (Turin)
Second Leg: April 17, 2018 - Ajax vs Juventus (Amsterdam)
The other matchups were equally compelling:
Barcelona vs Roma
Bayern Munich vs Sevilla
Liverpool vs Manchester City
Ajax was the only Dutch club remaining. The youngest squad left. The ultimate underdog story.
"We've come this far," Bosz told the squad. "Why stop now? Juventus is beatable. They're experienced, organized, but not unbeatable."
March-April 2018: The Title Sprint
While preparing for Juventus, Ajax had to maintain their Eredivisie challenge. PSV Eindhoven refused to give up, matching Ajax result for result.
Key Eredivisie Matches:
March 11: Ajax 3-0 VVV-Venlo
Andrei: 2 goals (Rested second half)
Rating: 8.8/10
March 18: SC Heerenveen 1-2 Ajax
Andrei: 1 assist
Rating: 7.6/10
March 31: PSV Eindhoven 3-0 FC Utrecht (PSV maintaining pressure)
April 1: Ajax 3-1 PEC Zwolle
Andrei: 1 goal, 1 assist
Rating: 8.3/10
April 8: NAC Breda 0-4 Ajax
Andrei: Rested entirely (saved for Juventus)
Eredivisie Standings (With 4 matches remaining):
Ajax - 74 points (+81 GD)
PSV Eindhoven - 71 points (+72 GD)
Three points separated them. Every remaining match was a final.
Personal Life: Wedding Planning Intensifies
Amid the football chaos, wedding plans progressed. The date was set: August 11, 2018. Venue confirmed. Guest list finalized at 68 people—intimate, meaningful, perfect.
Elena's dress had been chosen (Andrei wasn't allowed to see it). The rings were ordered. Invitations sent. Everything falling into place.
"Are you nervous?" Elena asked one evening while reviewing seating charts.
"About the wedding? No. About everything else? Constantly."
"Juventus?"
"Juventus, the title race, the summer transfer speculation, becoming a husband—all of it." He smiled. "But the wedding part is easy. That's the only decision I'm completely certain about."
"Smooth talker."
They'd decided to honeymoon in the Maldives—two weeks of complete disconnection after an exhausting season. No football, no media, just each other.
"Do you think we're too young?" Andrei asked suddenly. "Twenty years old, getting married?"
"Probably," Elena admitted. "But we're also living a compressed life. You're experiencing at twenty what most people don't until thirty. Why should our relationship timeline be traditional when nothing else about our lives is?"
She had a point. Normal rules didn't apply to professional footballers.
Juventus - First Leg
April 10, 2018
Allianz Stadium, Turin
Juventus at home was a fortress. The Italian champions had defensive mastery coded into their DNA. Their stadium—the modern Allianz Stadium—was intimidating and loud.
Ajax traveled to Turin as underdogs again. Nobody outside the Netherlands gave them a chance.
Juventus Starting XI (4-4-2):
GK: Gianluigi Buffon (40-year-old legend, one of greatest ever)
DEF: Mattia De Sciglio, Giorgio Chiellini, Medhi Benatia, Alex Sandro
MID: Juan Cuadrado, Miralem Pjanić, Blaise Matuidi, Douglas Costa
FWD: Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuaín
Ajax Starting XI (4-3-3):
GK: André Onana
DEF: Joël Veltman, Davinson Sánchez, Matthijs de Ligt, Nicolás Tagliafico
MID: Frenkie de Jong, Lasse Schöne, Donny van de Beek
FWD: Hakim Ziyech, Kasper Dolberg, Andrei Luca
From kickoff, Juventus controlled the match with suffocating possession. Their experience showed—they moved the ball patiently, probed for weaknesses, never rushed.
Ajax defended compactly, waiting for counter-attacking opportunities. But Juventus's defensive shape was perfect—when Ajax won possession, they had no space to attack into.
In the 26th minute, Juventus took the lead.
Pjanić played a gorgeous through ball that split Ajax's defense. Higuaín timed his run perfectly and finished clinically past Onana.
1-0 Juventus.
The Allianz Stadium erupted. Juventus was in control.
Ajax tried to respond but couldn't create clear chances. Juventus's defense—led by the legendary Chiellini and ageless Buffon—was impenetrable.
Halftime: 1-0. Ajax still in the tie, but struggling.
The second half continued Juventus's dominance. In the 62nd minute, they doubled their lead.
A corner kick caused chaos. The ball bounced around Ajax's penalty area before falling to Benatia, who smashed it home from six yards.
2-0 Juventus.
The tie was slipping away.
Bosz made attacking substitutions—bringing on Neres and Kluivert, pushing everyone forward. Ajax had to score an away goal or face near-impossible odds in Amsterdam.
In the 79th minute, they got it.
A quick counter saw Neres break down the right wing. His cross found Andrei arriving at the back post.
One touch to control, one strike with his left foot.
GOAL. Juventus 2-1 Ajax.
Crucial away goal secured.
Goal Scored - Away goal vs Juventus
Status: Ajax still alive in the tie
The final ten minutes were survival. Juventus pushed for a third goal that would effectively kill the tie. Ajax defended desperately.
Final whistle: Juventus 2-1 Ajax.
A deficit, but manageable. One goal at home would put Ajax through on away goals.
Match Rating: 7.4/10
1 Goal (crucial away goal)
Difficult conditions, battled hard
In the mixed zone, Andrei was realistic. "We're behind, but we're not out. At home, with our fans, we believe we can finish this."
The confidence wasn't bravado. It was earned through experience.
The Final Week
The seven days between the Juventus legs were the longest of the season. Every training session felt critical. Every tactical detail was analyzed obsessively.
Ajax also had an Eredivisie match—away to Willem II on April 15th. They won 2-1 (Andrei rested), maintaining the three-point lead over PSV.
Eredivisie Standings (3 matches remaining):
Ajax - 77 points
PSV - 74 points
So close. Three matches from the title. Two matches (potentially) from the Champions League semifinals.
On April 16th, the day before the Juventus match, Andrei and Elena took a quiet walk through Amsterdam. They needed normalcy, perspective, reminder of what truly mattered.
"Tomorrow night could change everything," Andrei said as they walked along their favorite canal.
"Or it changes nothing. Either way, we're getting married in four months. That's what actually matters."
"You always know what to say."
"That's why you're marrying me."
That night, lying in bed, Andrei checked the system one final time before the biggest match yet:
Current Status:
Overall Rating: 81.8/99
Form: Peak (9 goals, 6 assists in last 12 matches)
Physical Condition: 96% (perfectly prepared)
Mental State: Focused
Composure: 66.1/99 (improved significantly)
Confidence: Very High
Season Statistics:
Appearances: 42 (37 starts)
Goals: 18 (Eredivisie: 12, Champions League: 6)
Assists: 22 (Eredivisie: 15, Champions League: 7)
Elite numbers. World-class production.
Tomorrow night, it all came down to one match.
Ajax vs Juventus. The Amsterdam Arena. A place in the Champions League semifinals on the line.
For a team of teenagers against Italian giants.
David vs Goliath. Youth vs Experience. Belief vs Reality.
The beautiful game's ultimate test.