“Sometimes in life, you feel the fight is over
And it seems as though the writing is on the wall
Superstar, you finally made it” *

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The boy was rushing towards the craziest fans’ side of the huge stadium. He had felt so alone while running in front of more than fifty thousand shouting like-hell people from age seven to seventy-seven. He had worked so hard to deserve the shirt for the starting line. So many hours of training, missed classes, injuries, muscle aches, etc. But just eleven minutes into the game, he managed to score his first goal in an official match in his sports life. He found himself running towards the people that he did not even know. He was hugged by some huge men. His second goal and the one that sealed the hat trick in the same match turned him into a hero. He was just seventeen but now he was on every national TV program, each and every newspaper. He was living his dream with blood and flesh. His hurting legs and frozen nose could never be felt.

​

He continued his goals and assists for the rest of the season. In every match, his pictures and cartoons were presented with pride by the fans. He was on top of his career when he learned that he was selected to the national team squad. His contract was renewed with the revenue that his family could never make in their full lifetime. The very first thing he did was to buy his Ferrari for his eighteenth birthday. His next dream was a better transfer to La Liga Galacticos.

 

“But once your picture becomes tainted
It's what they call
  The rise and fall” *

​

He was approached by beautiful girls, relatives that he could not even remember from the past and several friends that he had made in the last months and even weeks. During the whole summertime, he was a very well-known figure not on the pitches but at bars and nightclubs. He even came to the very first training of the season without any sleep. The first weeks of training were not good. But no worries, he thought. He was the young hero of the fans and no one could dare to leave him out of the squad. He was right since he was in the starting line for the first official match of the season. He was trying hard on the pitch but he was not able to move his legs. The coach could not wait till the end of the game to replace him with the new transfer. His friends were waiting for him outside to enjoy the night and have some drinks to forget the defeat. Although he was surprised with the paparazzi photographers who were waiting at the exit door of the night club he could hardly figure out the situation with his drunk head and body. The day after, he was again on the news but this time everyone was talking about the young rascal. All the people around him were talking to him saying that it was not important. He would play the next match and start scoring again. But this did not happen. He was out during halftime in the next match with the fans yelling harshly at him. He again chose a new nightclub to forget. Again the paparazzi and the photographers. This time there was a huge penalty from the club, followed by angry fan reactions. He did not need to think. He had lots of useless people around to think on behalf of him. He was hit by the club manager’s declaration that he would be transferred to a low-level club and this was closed to any further debate. He sold his Ferrari to pay his debts and it was just two pieces of luggage with him that travelled to the new city he did not even know.

 

“Now I know I made mistakes
Think I don't care” *

​

Now he was alone. No beautiful girls, no relatives and no friends. They were not even responding to his calls. He realized what was going on for the first time when he was looking at the ceiling of the room of the club’s training facilities. It is over, he thought. He could never be a hero on the pitch. Two drops of tears drew the picture of regret on his face. It was only his father who answered the phone. It was ironic since he was not responding to his father while he was a hero at his previous club. It was just adequate to tell his father that he was not doing good and the old guy flew with the first flight to help his son. His Father knocked on the door at midnight. During the whole night, his father was his coach and his friend rather than his father.

 

“But you don't realize what this means to me
So let me have just one more chance
I'm not the man I used to be” *

​

The day after the training was a fresh start for the young boy as if he was handed to the kid's team while he was only seven. It was not easy. Lots of sweat, lots of pain and lots of effort. It took him two months to prove himself to the new coach, new club and new set of fans. He played two seasons in the club. After two years he was called by a voice that he knew from past days. It was the manager of his previous club. He was talking about a new chance and fresh start with several terms and conditions to protect him from the shiny life outside the pitch. It took him only seconds to accept the new offer to play in front of his beloved excited fans. In the first official match of his new career while he was stepping on the green field he was not only promising himself about the match, he promised himself that he would never dismiss this new chance that was gifted by his rise and efforts. He was a new man with a very well-deserved new chance.

 

*Lyrics of the song “Rise and Fall” by Craig David and Sting