Episode 198: Restroom Aphorism -1
“In a way, you could say they were just a bit unlucky.”
“You could see it that way. But in the end, isn't luck simply another form of skill?”
“Exactly. All teams compete in the same environment from the very beginning. Honestly, saying one team was unlucky and another was lucky is itself a stretch.”
Two hosts of *Total Football*, a talk show focused on Italy's Serie A, were conversing with a screen behind them.
On the screen behind the two were the results of each team's last five matches.
On the left were the records of Napoli, the sole leaders of the league.
On the opposite side, the records of second-place Fiorentina were displayed in contrast.
From Round 32 to Round 36.
Napoli's total points haul was 13.
They had recorded four wins and one draw.
Fiorentina's total points haul, on the other hand, was eight.
Two wins, two draws, and one loss—that was Fiorentina's record.
“So, the points gap between the two teams is now five. Since there are still two matches remaining, a reversal isn't impossible. Mathematically speaking, of course.”
“Of course. If Napoli loses both today's match and the next, and Fiorentina wins both, the standings would flip. However, as you can see···”
One host pointed toward the bottom of the screen.
In the area where the captions were located, the live score of the ongoing match between Napoli and Sampdoria was being broadcast.
With the time having passed the 80-minute mark, the score was 2-0.
Naturally, the side with two was Napoli.
“If the next ten minutes pass like this, Napoli will clinch the title.”
“I don't think many people expected this outcome when the season began. If the match ends as is, Napoli will capture the Scudetto for the first time in thirty-three years.”
“On the other hand, for Fiorentina, their title challenge after fifty-four years will burst like a bubble.”
“It's a shame. Truly a shame. The league had us on the edge of our seats until the very end because Fiorentina was there.”
“That's right. They were a truly formidable rival. Too strong to settle for second place. But that is precisely why a title holds value—because only one team can take it. Napoli and Fiorentina. That race which kept us on the edge of our seats might come to an end in just ten minutes. Now—”
It felt as if the end of the race was practically in sight.
Since they would have to talk mostly about Napoli once those ten minutes passed anyway.
The hosts decided to take a moment to look back on Fiorentina's season.
“Fiorentina—twenty-six wins, six draws, and four losses up to Round Thirty-six. As I've already said, it's a record that wouldn't have been strange had they won the title.”
“Exactly. Their momentum was especially tremendous in the first half of the season. They even rose to joint first after defeating Napoli in their head-to-head early in the second half.”
Swish.
All of Fiorentina's match results from Round 1 to Round 36 appeared on the screen.
Wins were marked in green, draws in white, and losses in red.
Naturally, the green markings were overwhelmingly dominant.
Especially in the first half of the season and the early part of the second half, there was almost nothing but green.
But the problem began after that.
“Is this when the previously unstoppable Fiorentina began to falter?”
“Yes. Right after the Napoli match. It was the point when key players dropped out en masse due to injuries, causing a severe drain on their strength. Napoli had their share of injury casualties too, but Fiorentina's was worse.”
“It was inevitable. Their dependence on the starting lineup was extremely high.”
“And even within that, their dependence on a few core players was high. In a way, making it to Round 30 without any injuries was lucky in itself.”
The records of the previous matches scrolled off the screen, leaving only the records from Round 32 onward.
Round 31 vs Monza—Win.
Round 32 vs Genoa—Win.
Round 33 vs Inter—Win.
“Nevertheless, Fiorentina had recorded victories in all three of those subsequent matches.”
“But here, another problem occurred.”
“What kind of problem?”
“In a situation where their strength was already weakened, the remaining players ended up suffering from overload due to being pushed too hard. They earned the points, but the players were ground down for those points. Captain Biragi was ruled out for the season, and Lee was unable to play in the next match.”
Those three results scrolled off, and the screen now showed only the records from Rounds 34 to 36.
Round 34 vs Sassuolo—Loss.
Round 35 vs Lazio—Draw.
Round 36 vs AC Milan—Draw.
“Well, the draws against Lazio and AC Milan were understandable. No, rather, you could call it an amazing result born from the fighting spirit they showed until the very end.”
“It was a match where Lee carried them to the end.”
“That's right. However, even so, the result left them with only two points. What's even more decisive is that they lost away to Sassuolo when Lee couldn't play.”
“That was huge. Who knows what would have happened if they had at least drawn.”
“I remember it as a match where the absences of the other key players—and Lee's in particular—were truly felt.”
Two draws and one loss in three matches.
The points between Napoli and Fiorentina, who had been tied, widened significantly here.
Of course, given the situation and the quality of their opponents, public opinion was that they had actually done well to prevent the gap from widening further.
But it wasn't as though anyone awarded them an extra point for taking that into account.
In the end, only the reality of a five-point gap remained.
“Looking at it this way, it definitely hits home.”
“What does?”
“The difference between having Lee and not having him.”
“That goes without saying. As you can see, in matches where Lee scored, they won or at least drew, and their losses were all in matches where Lee didn't play.”
The screen switched, and one player's face filled it entirely.
Fiorentina, number 10, Jian Lee.
“At this point, it's no exaggeration to say he practically carried on a title race against Napoli by himself.”
“It's a joke, but maybe not entirely a joke.”
“Personally, I truly wanted to see him deliver the Scudetto to his team. But that's modern football for you. The season is long, the matches are many. It's difficult for one player to create everything like in the old days.”
“That's precisely why Lee feels so incredible. Because he almost pulled it off.”
A sudden burst of praise.
The two hosts talked about Jian Lee's impressive performances this season, taking time to reflect on the boy's year.
In the first half of the season, recording his first hat-trick since his debut against Lazio.
Piling in two goals against Paris, which had Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé.
Scoring a knockout-stage goal at the World Cup held in winter.
And against Manchester City, who were now one step away from the Treble, putting five goals past them across two matches by himself.
“He did all of this in one season?”
“These are things some players couldn't accomplish in their entire careers.”
That he had accomplished all of this in just one season.
They were achievements that made the hosts click their tongues in amazement—completely understandable reactions.
“It's a bit of a shame, but doing all this and still having no title to show for it... is tragic, in a way.”
“That's how difficult winning a title is.”
“Which brings me to something. There's been a lot of talk lately, hasn't there?”
“What talk?”
“···Are you pretending not to know? You know exactly what I'm going to say. Are you passing the buck to me?”
“I really don't know. If you have something to say, say it.”
At one host's feigned ignorance, the other, who had brought it up, sighed and spoke.
“About next season, talk of Lee's future hasn't stopped for a single day.”
“Ah, that. It might already be a sad day for Fiorentina fans, and you're rubbing salt in the wound.”
“It's not like I'm making things up.”
“Viola fans, just because I'm sitting here doesn't mean I share this person's opinion.”
“Sigh. Fine. I'll take the heat, I suppose.”
Admittedly, since the season hadn't ended yet, talk of a transfer was inevitably sensitive.
But it was also true that it would be strange for a football talk show *not* to cover it.
“Honestly, it's a hot topic. Transfer rumors have been coming out tiresomely since last year.”
“It was noisy even during the World Cup, wasn't it? That Paris Saint-Germain had marked him as Messi's replacement, that Manchester United was preparing over one hundred billion won···”
“Pretty much every big club has been linked at least once. As the season nears its end, more and more specific figures have started to emerge.”
“If we just ramble amongst ourselves, we'll sound like a third-rate tabloid, so let's take a look at the screen.”
At the host's gesture, headlines filled the screen densely.
Looking at the screen, one host read them down rapidly like a rap.
“Juventus is prepared to spend over one hundred billion. Barcelona is targeting him as their first-choice option. Real Madrid—Lee has made the final shortlist alongside Bellingham. Bayern Munich is keeping an eye on Lee as Müller's replacement. Liverpool—unless they go all-out, they won't be able to sign Lee.”
“Whoa, that's a lot.”
“We're not done yet. Newcastle—the club owner has personally ordered his signing. Manchester City—they can use all their funds if it means signing Lee. Arsenal—they're preparing a big bid. Chelsea—they'll do everything to sign Lee. Man Utd—they've significantly increased their recruitment funds for Lee.”
The host panted for breath.
And this was just from collecting the headlines.
In effect, every big club was interested in Jian Lee.
“If he puts his mind to it, he can pretty much pick and choose where he goes.”
“Exactly. It's a big 'if,' but if he enters the market, where do you find a target like this? He's one of the biggest prospects, right up there with Kylian Mbappé, who comes up every year, and Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.”
“However, what matters is his decision. Isn't Lee famous for his tremendous love and loyalty toward his club?”
The host nodded.
“In his interview after the match against Milan last time, he said this: Florence is my home, and he didn't think there would ever be a team he could love as much as Fiorentina.”
“But realistically, I wonder if Fiorentina can really match the wages other big clubs will offer.”
“Right. Fiorentina ultimately isn't a club that can compete financially with the big clubs. Chiesa was the same, and Vlahović was the same. Realistically, matching their wages is impossible.”
“But if the player himself decides to stay, even giving up an enormous salary, then who knows. We just don't know how it'll turn out.”
“This isn't just my thinking. In fact, the fans feel the same. They'd love for Lee to stay, but if he can't, it can't be helped. There's a sense that he's already given them more than enough.”
“The Viola love Lee as much as Lee loves Fiorentina. That's why so many fans want him to receive the treatment he deserves.”
Both hosts nodded at the same time.
“Lee has never once brought up a transfer or expressed dissatisfaction with the club. He's just silently run his heart out every time. There are even many fans who say they'd rather let him go.”
“That's why fans were hoping for the title this season. They wanted to see him win it. Rather, the fans felt they would be sorry if they couldn't win. When he's doing that much for them, it's the team that can't keep up, you know?”
For some reason, the football talk show suddenly felt as if it had become a gushy talk show about love.
But, be that as it may.
This was a football talk show.
“As we speak, the final whistle has blown at Stadio Maradona.”
“Napoli! The Scudetto after thirty-three years! Congratulations!”
“The 2022/23 Serie A champions are Napoli!”
The screen switched, and scenes of celebrating Napoli players and Stadio Maradona began to appear.
The title belonged to Napoli.