Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 317: Belgium's Twin Stars

In the Belgian locker room, De Bruyne sat in front of his locker with his head leaning against the cool metal, eyes closed, lost in his thoughts. The other players were too busy with their final preparations to pay him any attention.

Hazard walked over and sat next to De Bruyne, asking softly, "What's wrong?"

As the two stars of the Belgian team, they were also rivals in the Premier League, leading many media outlets to speculate about a strained relationship between them. But in reality, they were quite close, especially after De Bruyne's fallout with a certain individual over a scandal. Hazard had become one of De Bruyne's best friends in the national team.

De Bruyne opened his eyes and looked at Hazard, then shook his head.

"It's okay, you can talk to me," Hazard said gently.

De Bruyne opened his eyes again, staring straight ahead as if his gaze could penetrate the walls into the Portuguese locker room, seeking out the player he had long considered his biggest rival.

"I finally met him," De Bruyne said.

"What's he like?" Hazard asked, even though he had already seen Bruno on the field.

"He's about my height, similar build, looks quite friendly, and he even smiled at me," De Bruyne replied with a bitter smile.

...

De Bruyne had imagined many times what it would be like to meet Bruno, thinking the Portuguese player might be arrogant and aloof. But when Bruno smiled at him, De Bruyne was caught off guard and, out of politeness, quickly waved back.

"How did you feel?" Hazard asked.

"I don't know," De Bruyne answered, shaking his head. After a pause, he continued, "For the past few months, I've been training hard, wanting to surpass him."

"That's true," Hazard agreed. "When we saw you at the training camp, everyone noticed you seemed different—not just physically, but also in your resilience, fitness, tactics, and technical skills. Everyone thought it was because you were taking better care of yourself after your injury."

In January, De Bruyne suffered a severe injury that took him two months to recover from.

De Bruyne smiled bitterly and said, "The injury was part of it, but the real reason I pushed myself so hard was Bruno. He felt like a sword hanging over my head, ready to strike at any moment. I was scared."

"Fear drove me to get stronger. I knew he was training hard too, and if I wanted to be better, I had to outwork him."

...

Hazard understood De Bruyne's feelings because he had experienced something similar two years ago. When Chelsea's coach, Mourinho, repeatedly expressed interest in signing Bruno, Hazard was motivated to prove he was just as good, leading him to a standout season where he scored 14 goals and had 8 assists, helping Chelsea win the league title and earning the PFA Player of the Year award.

De Bruyne had always been shy, but he wasn't naive. He thought a lot and was very sensitive. In a private conversation, he had confessed to Hazard his fear that Bruno's arrival at Manchester City would push him out, just like some of his teammates who had left.

Hazard reassured him, "I believe you're strong enough now."

De Bruyne nodded but said nothing.

"If you're afraid of him, then beat him today. Prove you're better, and you'll never have to fear him again," Hazard encouraged.

De Bruyne took a deep breath and nodded firmly.

"Kevin, I believe in you. You're the best player in this tournament. No one can stop you," Hazard said, boosting his confidence.

De Bruyne exhaled deeply, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

...

The referee for the Portugal vs. Belgium match was Viktor Kassai from Hungary, a highly experienced international referee who had officiated significant matches, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics final and the 2011 Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona.

Kassai had also refereed Belgium's group stage match against Italy, which could be an advantage for Belgium. Familiarity with the referee can sometimes be beneficial.

However, Kassai seemed to have a more memorable impression of Bruno. As both teams emerged from the tunnel, Kassai greeted Bruno first, having encountered him before at the 2013 U-20 World Cup in Turkey.

According to pre-match briefings, Kassai was known for being strict and handing out cards frequently. Bruno had already warned his coach and teammates about this, but the real test would be during the game.

While waiting in the tunnel, Bruno stood near De Bruyne and extended his hand, saying, "Nice to meet you, Kevin. I hope we have a great match today."

De Bruyne was momentarily taken aback but quickly shook Bruno's hand. "You too. Let's do our best."

"Good," Bruno said, sensing De Bruyne's determination.

Returning to his team's line, Bruno glanced back at De Bruyne, feeling a surge of competitive spirit.

(End of Chapter)

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