Unlimited Potential System-Chapter 80: Pats on The Back

Monaco is a small country bordering France, with the distance between the two countries being so small that you could come in from either without even feeling like you had left the same street.

Before Ligue 1 became as polished and reputable as it is now, French football was a lot looser and more pragmatic. Monaco, sharing a border with France and lacking a league of its own, asked to be allowed in. The French Federation agreed with the request (I think it's similar to how clubs like Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, etc. play in the English leagues), hence AS Monaco became a part of Ligue 1 and French football.

The part of France that bordered Monaco happened to be Nice, and as such a rivalry developed between the two clubs playing in that region, a derby that is now one of the fiercest rivalries in French football.

Hence, Adi Hutter reminding everyone that they were playing against their hateful neighbors made everyone a little tense. But it was only for a moment, before everyone started getting fired up, taking Tyler aback.

"What's the big deal about playing against Nice?" Tyler whispered innocently to George.

Tyler was English, born and bred, and even though he could speak quite a bit of the language, he was still oblivious to their culture, rivalries, and whatnot, so his ignorance in that aspect was understandable to George.

But it wasn't George that answered the question.

"What's the big deal?" Maghnes Akliouche scoffed as he stood up from the bench. "OGC Nice are the enemy. They're the annoying neighbors that nobody likes. They must be taught a lesson every single time we play against them, and this time will not be any different," Maghnes said as his demeanor changed. One could hear the malice in his voice as he spoke. "We will have to put belt to their ass next week, and I don't mind being the one holding the belt."

Tyler was taken aback by the passion with which Maghnes spoke. "Is it really that deep?" he muttered.

George hurriedly looked around and sighed in relief when he realized that nobody heard what he said. "But it is. They're the enemy. They're the Liverpool to our Manchester United, the Tottenham to our Arsenal, the Real Madrid to our Barcelona. At La Diagonale (Monaco's academy), we're taught to hate them before we're taught to love Monaco."

"It's really that deep, huh?" Tyler sighed when George finished talking.

"Yeah," George said.

"Alright, Maghnes, that's enough!" Adi Hutter said while clapping his hands a few times to get the attention of the boys in the locker room back to himself.

"Sorry, coach," Maghnes said while awkwardly rubbing his hair.

"I'm glad that everybody has been able to understand my point. It's a derby match next week, so it's going to be a lot more intense than the match we just played today. It's going to be physical, it's going to be mentally taxing, so we have to put in one hundred and ten percent of ourselves."

"That's all for now, boys. Freshen up so we can leave, and we'll start preparing for the upcoming match."

After Adi Hutter left the room, Tyler was immediately swarmed by some of the younger players in the squad who had a bit of experience.

"That was a mad game you played today," Maghnes said, slapping Tyler's back a bit too hard to be a friendly slap.

"Thanks," Tyler said as he rubbed his back while trying his best not to wince.

"Please, you're hyping mid." Elisse Ben Seghir walked over to the pair, and once again Tyler's back was subjected to a "friendly pat." "He just got lucky, Nuno Mendes had him in his pocket all game."

"And you that wasn't pocketed, where's your goal and assist?" Maghnes said.

"Fair play," Elisse shrugged. "But me playing ass does not change the fact that he didn't play that well. If anything, we're just both bums."

Golovin joined in the discussion, but not before giving Tyler another "friendly pat" on his back. "False. YOU'RE a bum, the kid is not. You don't leave a match against Paris Saint Germain with a goal and an assist if you're a bum."

Elisse opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but closed it back. "Touché."

"Is this something you guys have been doing before I came in?" Tyler asked while rubbing his back.

"Bantering?" Elisse raised an eyebrow.

"No," Tyler said with a deadpan look on his face. "I mean the slaps. The slaps on the back. I'd like them to stop." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Elisse and Maghnes burst into laughter when they heard what Tyler said, while George walked up to him and raised his hand to wrap it around Tyler's shoulder. As soon as George raised his hand, Tyler flinched, causing his three teammates to burst into laughter.

"Alex has given him PTSD," Maghnes said, causing the trio to burst into another fit of laughter.

"Just be glad Adi made us change it to slaps on the back. They slapped me behind the neck," George said, then shuddered as he recalled the bad memories that he tried so hard to forget. It was like that for a few moments before he caught sight of Tyler's back. His eyes then shone with a dangerous gleam.

Tyler's back...

It looked...

So lonely...

So empty...

It was calling for a companion, it needed someone to keep it company. Someone to talk with it, to laugh with it, to give it a pat-

"Don't even think about it," Tyler said, shrugging away from George's grasp. "Do. Not. Even think about that."

Without saying another word to his teammates, Tyler's eyes latched onto the bathroom door, and immediately he made a run for it, hurriedly grabbing a towel from his locker before escaping to take a bath before any of his other teammates started having funny ideas.

"Damnit," George said as he stared at Tyler's retreating figure.

"You'll get him next time," Maghnes said, while patting George's back.

"I will," George said while flexing his palm and looking in the direction of the bathroom. "I'll get him someday."