[Legendary Player Model Attribute Unlock Card in effect——]
[Platini Template: Long Passing attribute has been activated!]
[Long Passing Attribute: 65 ➔ 99!]
[Overall Rating: 78 ➔ 81!]
All three core pillars of the Michel Platini template—Vision, Short Passing, and now Long Passing—were finally maxed out. As the "red" 99 flickered on his mental screen, Renzo felt a surge of kinetic energy settle into his right leg.
Previously, his 99 Vision allowed him to see a teammate's run 60 yards away, but his 65 Long Passing meant he didn't dare pull the trigger. It was like having a high-definition satellite feed but only a handheld slingshot to deliver the payload. Now? He had a precision-guided missile system.
The next morning, Renzo was the first at the training ground. He headed straight for the Long Passing Strip—a narrow 100-meter corridor dotted with one-meter rings every 10 meters.
Bang! His first attempt from 50 meters out flew in a majestic, flat arc, passing through the dead center of the ring.
"Ren, practicing long balls?" Aquilani walked up, flanked by Salah. "It takes years to master the weight of a long pass. Your short game is already the best in Italy; don't stress if the long balls take time—"
Bang! Renzo ignored the advice and struck a second ball toward the 60-meter ring. From that distance, the target looked no larger than a coin. The ball didn't just hit the ring; it whispered through the center without touching the edges.
Aquilani's jaw dropped. "No... that's impossible. I've been here years, and I've never seen a first-time strike hit the 60-meter mark like that."
"Actually," Salah interrupted, his voice trembling slightly, "last week he broke my ball-control record by a full second. I think he's... evolving."
Renzo didn't stop.
70 Meters: Direct hit.80 Meters: One hit out of two.90 Meters: One hit out of two.
Aquilani, the team's designated "Long Ball Specialist," felt his world collapsing. A 90-meter pass is effectively the entire length of a football pitch. To hit a one-meter target from that distance meant Renzo's precision was now bordering on the supernatural.
When the intra-squad scrimmage began, the transformation was even more terrifying.
Montella watched from the sidelines as Renzo received the ball in his own defensive third. Usually, Ren would look for a short link-up with Badelj. Instead, Ren didn't even take a second touch. He unleashed a 60-yard cross-field "laser" that landed perfectly on Mario Gomez's forehead. Gomez didn't even have to adjust his stride—he just nodded it into the net.
"Good god," Montella cursed under his breath, his eyes wide with delight.
By adding a 99-rated long pass to his 99 Vision, Renzo had just doubled Fiorentina's tactical options. Opponents could no longer just "park the bus" or press high; if they left even an inch of space anywhere on the pitch, Renzo could exploit it from his own penalty box.
The timing couldn't be better. Round 29 took Fiorentina to the legendary San Siro to face AC Milan.
While Milan was a shell of its former self, currently languishing in 10th place, the game had a personal edge. Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy—the "Little Pharaoh"—had recently mocked Salah on social media, claiming Salah's form was a "flash in the pan."
The media had fueled the fire, officially transferring the title of "The Egyptian King" from the fading El Shaarawy to the red-hot Salah.
As the teams lined up in the tunnel, the tension was palpable. El Shaarawy glared at Salah with eyes full of jealousy. But most of the Milan veterans—Montolivo, De Jong, and Mexès—weren't looking at Salah.
They were looking at the 16-year-old standing next to him.
They had seen the footage from Florence. They knew about the "Maestro" who had toyed with Juventus. And as the San Siro lights beamed down, they wondered: How do you defend against a kid who can see the future and pass through a needle's eye from 90 yards away?
Renzo adjusted his captain's armband (given to him for the day by a supportive Pasqual) and looked out at the pitch. The San Siro was about to witness a masterclass.