Chapter 99 Beach Soccer

"Bang!"

With the black ball pocketed, Pirlo cleared the table.

"Hey, I won, Sang."

Pirlo patted Nesta on the shoulder and sat down next to Fino.

“It’s boring, you always win.” Nesta also came over and sat down on the single sofa next to him.

After lunch, Fino and his two companions had been in the hotel's recreation room for quite some time. Pirlo and Nesta were playing snooker, while Fino watched from the sidelines with his arms crossed.

Fino wasn't very interested in snooker; after watching for a while, he went to the sofa in front of the French windows to sunbathe.

Dubai enjoys a warm and comfortable winter; even as the end of December approaches, daytime temperatures can still reach around 25°C.

Outside the window was a clear blue sea and sky, and in his ears were the crisp thuds of billiard balls being struck. The warm sunshine enveloped him. Fino, who had been playing football in the bleak and rainy weather of Italy just a few days ago, let out a comfortable and satisfied sigh.

"You're so bad." Pirlo took a sip of water, then turned to Fino and asked, "Fino, are you really not going to give it a try? You're so smart, a few rounds of this and you'll be able to crush Sanjaya."

Fino smiled and shook his head.

Nesta shouted in dissatisfaction, "How dare you look down on me! Come on, I refuse to believe I can't beat you!"

Several waiters pushed in a food cart, and after politely greeting them, they placed the drinks and snacks from the cart onto the coffee table. It was time for afternoon tea.

Nesta's attention was immediately diverted.

After confirming that Fino and his companions did not require service, the waiters pushed the food cart away.

Fino and Pirlo sipped their tea and chatted, while Nesta was too preoccupied to speak, his eyes fixed on the exquisite and delicious snacks.

At that moment, Kaka walked in from outside.

"Phineas, so you guys are here! The weather outside is so nice, want to go out and play together?"

Nesta stuffed a snack into his mouth while waving his hand in refusal without turning his head, signaling Kaka to get lost.

But Kaka still walked over and plopped down on the single sofa opposite Nesta.

"Fine, you guys are having snacks without inviting me!"

Kaka picked up the snacks and started showing them off.

Fino poured him a cup of black tea and casually remarked, "They should provide it in every room. Weren't you in your room just now?"

"I just went to the beach to play for a while, and I was so bored by myself, so I came to call you guys."

This is AC Milan's second day in Dubai.

During this winter break, Milan received an invitation from a large conglomerate in the UAE to conduct winter training in Dubai and participate in the Dubai Challenge Cup commercial event.

The Middle Eastern tycoon not only covered all the travel and accommodation expenses for the entire Milan team and the players' families, but also paid AC Milan a considerable appearance fee.

Of course, everyone in Milan was more than willing.

From the club's perspective, it's natural to participate in some commercial activities during the winter break, since it's not expensive; from the coaching staff's perspective, training in a warm place during the dead of winter makes the players more comfortable; from the players' perspective, they can train while vacationing with their families—it's wonderful!

The Christmas holidays had just ended when the players boarded a plane to Dubai.

The first three days are free time, during which players can spend time with their families in Dubai. The training camp officially begins on December 30th and ends on the afternoon of January 7th, with the players returning to Milan. The camp lasts for a total of 8 days, during which there is also a warm-up match, the Dubai Challenge Cup, against Hamburg from the Bundesliga.

Most of the players' families came to Dubai with the team and are enjoying their time there as families. Kaka's wife, Caroline, did not come with the team; she and their six-month-old baby, Luca, have remained in Brazil. Kaka, all alone, can only hang out with three other bachelors: Fino, Pirlo, and Nesta.

After afternoon tea, Kaka insisted on taking Fino to the beach. Fino wasn't keen on going, but she quickly gave in to Kaka's sweet talk.

Nesta and Pirlo originally wanted to continue playing snooker, but after seeing that Fino was about to be taken away by Kakara, they followed him.

Compared to the high temperatures of summer, Dubai's winter climate is more pleasant and ideal for outdoor activities.

Many guests were sunbathing or surfing on the hotel's private beach.

As they passed a service area, Fino hooked a soccer ball with his foot and dribbled it while searching for a suitable spot on the beach.

"Let's play 2v2 beach soccer? It's been so long since I've trained, my body feels stiff."

Nesta and Pirlo were both very interested, and Kaká, the Brazilian, was even more enthusiastic.

The group looked around the beach and soon found a relatively empty spot.

They casually placed two small piles about three meters apart using their discarded shoes and coats to serve as goalposts. The four of them played against each other in pairs, sharing one goalpost.

Since each team only has two players and there are no positional distinctions, players can freely play their roles in tackling, intercepting, and shooting.

Through a game of rock-paper-scissors, Fino and Nesta were paired together, while Pirlo was paired with Kaká.

Fino and Nesta gave each other a high five, both pleased with each other.

Nesta, who had suffered a crushing defeat in snooker, taunted, "Just wait and see, Andrea. Finney and I are a match made in heaven. We have the skills to shoot and the skills to defend. We're going to wipe you out completely."

Before Pirlo could retaliate, Kaká jumped out first.

"Hehe, you'll soon find out why Brazilians are the kings of beach soccer."

Fino raised an eyebrow; Kaka was far too confident.

Although I've never played beach soccer before, the small field, 2v2 format, and lack of positional assignments already destined it for high scores and intense competition.

Saying his defensive abilities are on par with Kaká's is just him being modest. His partner Nesta is a superb defender, while Pirlo's defensive capabilities are practically nonexistent.

Neither Nesta nor I know how we can lose, okay?

However, just five minutes into the game, Fino understood why Kaká was so confident.

Beach soccer differs significantly from regular soccer because the sand beneath your feet not only increases running resistance but also makes it easy to slip. Passing and shooting are similarly affected; the irregular sand can send the ball flying in unpredictable directions, making it difficult for inexperienced players to adapt.

In such a situation, no matter how many skills you have, you can't perform well if you're not comfortable with the venue.

Whether it's Fino or Nesta, when they lose possession of the ball to Kaká, it's easy for Kaká to immediately steal it back.

Pirlo didn't even need to participate; he could just stand by and cheer Kaká on. Even in a 1v2 situation, Kaká held his own.

In no time at all, Kaka and Pirlo's team were already leading by four goals.

After scoring another goal, Kaká put his hands on his hips and laughed heartily, revealing two rows of bright white teeth.

"Who's waiting to lose?"

I'm so angry!

Fino puffed out his cheeks like a hamster, then let out a long sigh and went over to Nesta to discuss countermeasures.

"Sandro, whether you're passing or shooting, try to keep the ball in the air and avoid letting it touch the sand too much. This will make it easier to control the direction."

Nesta nodded.

They are all professional football players. After playing on the beach for a while, they can quickly grasp the knack of it, but just because they understand it in their minds doesn't mean their bodies can keep up.

Fino and Nesta's clumsy movements made Kaká and Pirlo burst into laughter.

Nesta, furious, grabbed Pirlo's hair and yanked it several times. Kaká laughing is one thing, but aren't you just as clumsy? How dare you laugh at us?

"Hey, hey, you bastard Sandro, let go!" Pirlo, pulled by Nesta, tilted his head and looked to Fino for help, "Fino, save me, please save me!"

However, Fino didn't notice Pirlo; he had already found his rhythm and couldn't wait to face Kaká again.

During one of Fino's attacking opportunities, Fino and Kaká met head-on.

Despite Kaka's dazzling smile that was almost blinding him, Fino remained focused. He tightened his grip on the ball between his feet, then used his back foot to gently push the ball upwards along the ankle and calf of his front foot. He then kicked the ball upwards and backwards with his front foot, sending it gliding down Fino's back over both Fino and Kaka's heads before landing behind Kaka.

It's like a rainbow passing by.

Before Kaka could even turn around, Fino had already flashed behind him, tapped the ball with the instep of his foot, and then volleyed it through the air, sending the ball flying between two piles of clothes.

Fino doesn't like fancy tricks on the field; he prefers efficient, fluid dribbling and teamwork. For him, winning is more important than showing off. But now he understands why beach soccer players like to use fancy tricks. Besides increasing the spectacle, doing more aerial maneuvers also helps to overcome the impact of sand on accuracy.

"Yo-ho~ Score!" Fino waved to Kaka childishly. After losing seven or eight goals, he finally managed to pull one back.

What athlete doesn't have a strong competitive spirit? Even in unfamiliar fields, the drive to win is instinctive.

Fino believed that now that he had scored one goal, there would soon be countless more.

"Again, again!" Fino urged Kaká and Pirlo to kick off, full of fighting spirit.

After Fino had a breakthrough, Kaka clearly felt that he was struggling.

In terms of interception, Kaká and Pirlo were no match for Fino and Nesta. Fino and Nesta gradually adapted to the beach environment and constantly controlled the ball's trajectory through aerial passes, allowing the score to catch up rapidly.

Especially Fino, who seemed to unleash all the mischievousness he had been suppressing on the football field. He displayed his talent and skills with all sorts of imaginative dribbling and shooting moves, all while sporting a wicked smile, which was incredibly annoying.

Fino and Nesta quickly closed the gap to 13-14, just one goal away from a tie.

One minute later, Fino and Nesta had a chance to equalize.

Nesta hooked the ball away from Pirlo during a challenge and delivered a lobbed pass. At this point, Kaká was still nearly two meters away from Fino and could not threaten Fino's receiving of the ball.

Fino, caught up in the moment, unleashed a bicycle kick, sending the ball into the "goal," making it 14-14, with Fino and Nesta tying the score.

Fino, who landed on his back, lay down on the beach and burst into laughter, pointing at Kaka who was walking towards him and teasing, "King, huh?"

Kaka wasn't going to tolerate him; she squatted down and scratched him until he was curled up like a shrimp.

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Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your support~ [Let me see...]