Home / Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control / Chapter 423. Something Seems Wrong with the European Cup

Read free on Ficlyn

Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 423. Something Seems Wrong with the European Cup · Oct 28, 2026

Prev Chapter Novel Info Next Chapter

Chapter List (460)

Page number / 10

401 Chapter 401. How Is It Not a Championship? 2026-10-28
402 Chapter 402. I Have a Second Form Too! 2026-10-28
403 Chapter 403. Ultimate Individual Ability! 2026-10-28
404 Chapter 404. Messi, Your Celebration Is Really Useful 2026-10-28
405 Chapter 405. Isagi Yoichi’s Ability is Really Useful! 2026-10-28
406 Chapter 406. The Miracle of the Final Seconds of Stoppage Time 2026-10-28
407 Chapter 407. Winning the Copa del Rey! 2026-10-28
408 Chapter 408. Cristiano Ronaldo: The Advantage is Mine 2026-10-28
409 Chapter 409. Is This Meeting the Parents? 2026-10-28
410 Chapter 410. Decisive Battle at the Pinnacle of Europe 2026-10-28
411 Chapter 411. The Huge Shock of the Champions League Final 2026-10-28
412 Chapter 412. Peak Real Madrid! 2026-10-28
413 Chapter 413. Misfortune Never Comes Alone 2026-10-28
414 Chapter 414. The Counterattack Begins 2026-10-28
415 Chapter 415. Thunder Beast Descends 2026-10-28
416 Chapter 416. The Final’s Most Perfect Arc 2026-10-28
417 Chapter 417. The Century Connection with the Former Golden Boy, Torres! 2026-10-28
418 Chapter 418. The God-Tier Goal! 2026-10-28
419 Chapter 419. We Are the Champions! 2026-10-28
420 Chapter 420. The treble Celebration 2026-10-28
421 Chapter 421. Arriving in France, Preparing for the European Cup 2026-10-28
422 Chapter 422. Griezmann’s Worries 2026-10-28
423 Chapter 423. Something Seems Wrong with the European Cup 2026-10-28
424 Chapter 424. Exchanging Jerseys with the Great Ibrahimović 2026-10-28
425 Chapter 425. Isagi Yoichi’s New Skill Get! 2026-10-28
426 Chapter 426. Direct Strike Shoot! World-Class Volley! 2026-10-28
427 Chapter 427. The Most Magnificent Individual Performance at the European Cup 2026-10-28
428 Chapter 428. Advancing Like This? 2026-10-28
429 Chapter 429. Battle Against Defending Champion Spain 2026-10-28
430 Chapter 430. European Cup, Full Firepower! 2026-10-28
431 Chapter 431. The Maestro on the European Cup Pitch 2026-10-28
432 Chapter 432. Defeating Spain! 2026-10-28
433 Chapter 433. The German Panzer, From Prosperity to Decline Starting Today 2026-10-28
434 Chapter 434. European Cup Scoring Record! 2026-10-28
435 Chapter 435. Griezmann Can’t Smile 2026-10-28
436 Chapter 436. It’s a Case of Red Culture Export 2026-10-28
437 Chapter 437. Encountering a Crisis at the Start? 2026-10-28
438 Chapter 438. Another Godly Goal! 2026-10-28
439 Chapter 439. Goal Fest at the European Cup! 2026-10-28
440 Chapter 440. Ruling the European Pitch! 2026-10-28
441 Chapter 441. Mbappé Appears! 2026-10-28
442 Chapter 442. The Semi-Final That Shook the World! 2026-10-28
443 Chapter 443. The Eve of the Final 2026-10-28
444 Chapter 444. Cristiano Ronaldo Refuses to Give Up 2026-10-28
445 Chapter 445. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Performative Personality 2026-10-28
446 Chapter 446. Who Says Lance Can’t Pass? 2026-10-28
447 Chapter 447. The Crescent Blade Reappears! 2026-10-28
448 Chapter 448. King of Europe? It’s Just the Beginning! 2026-10-28
449 Chapter 449. Coming to the Capital 2026-10-28
450 Chapter 450. The Most Dazzling Superstar 2026-10-28

Chapter 423: 423. Something Seems Wrong with the European Cup

Check out advanced Chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari

----------

”Sky Sports: Belgium Struggle in Warm-Ups as European Championship Nears”

”Belgium Lose Both Warm-Up Matches. Lance Unable to Rescue the Team.”

”Internal Conflict? Tension Reported Between Belgium’s Former and Current Number 10s.”

”Breaking News! Belgium’s Twin Stars Reportedly Fall Out. On-Field Fight Rumored.”

”Experts Predict Belgium May Fall Short of Expectations at the European Championship.”

On the eve of UEFA Euro 2016, every national team was making final preparations.

The most talked-about squad in recent weeks was Belgium.

Unfortunately, the attention wasn’t entirely positive.

Two consecutive defeats in warm-up matches had sparked widespread concern, and media speculation about locker room tensions was spreading rapidly.

Belgium’s so-called Golden Generation featured stars such as Lance, Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku.

On paper, they looked terrifying.

On the field, however, the results had been disappointing.

Marc Wilmots admitted that the team was still searching for the chemistry they had displayed during the 2014 World Cup.

As players became bigger stars, new challenges naturally emerged.

Even though Lance had produced the miraculous four-goal comeback in the Champions League Final, football remained a team sport.

Not even he could instantly transform a disjointed squad into a perfectly synchronized machine.

According to predictions from publications such as The Guardian and The Sun, Belgium would struggle against major contenders like France, Portugal, England, and Spain.

Many analysts projected a quarterfinal exit.

When Lance read the article, he nearly laughed out loud.

He turned his phone toward De Bruyne.

”Kevin, are we having internal conflicts?”

”We are.”

De Bruyne nodded seriously.

”...”

Lance stared at him speechlessly.

People who didn’t know him well were often fooled by De Bruyne’s honest appearance.

In reality, he was the type who got red-faced and stubborn whenever he became competitive.

Privately, he was an absolute troublemaker.

Hazard was the complete opposite.

He looked flashy and rebellious, but he was actually one of the most easygoing people imaginable.

His favorite phrase was always:

”Lance, stop training. Let’s go play golf.”

Ever since discovering there was a golf course near the training base, Hazard had become obsessed.

The coaching staff prohibited him from golfing, so he constantly tried convincing Lance to go cycling, fishing, barbecuing, or basically anything that wasn’t football.

He resembled an elementary school kid desperately trying to avoid homework.

Lance couldn’t help shaking his head.

With personalities like these, how could there possibly be internal conflict?

The media were portraying Belgium as if they were some dysfunctional powerhouse like the Netherlands or France of previous generations.

Still, the warm-up performances had genuinely been terrible.

Something felt wrong.

Lance sensed it every time they stepped onto the field.

The problem was that he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

More importantly, the tournament was about to begin.

There wasn’t much time left to figure it out.

June 10, 2016.

Paris time.

The opening match of UEFA Euro 2016.

Host nation France fielded a full-strength lineup.

Inside Belgium’s training base, Lance, De Bruyne, Hazard, and Vincent Kompany gathered in the bar to watch the game on a large projection screen.

”This Griezmann guy is your buddy, right?” Hazard asked.

”How good is he?”

”Honestly?”

Lance smiled.

”He’s really good.”

”Oh?”

De Bruyne raised an eyebrow.

If Lance was praising someone, that player was usually special.

France faced Romania in the tournament opener.

Against a weaker opponent, France dominated from start to finish.

With Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté controlling midfield, and Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud leading the attack, Antoine Griezmann constantly found space between the lines.

”Beautiful!”

Griezmann burst down the left flank before floating a precise cross into the box.

Giroud rose and powered a header into the net.

1-0.

Later, Griezmann combined brilliantly with Pogba near the penalty area before threading a perfect through ball.

Benzema met it with a thunderous finish.

2-0.

The second half brought more of the same.

Griezmann slipped a clever heel pass to Pogba inside the box.

The midfielder blasted home from distance.

3-0.

After completing a hat trick of assists, Griezmann was substituted in the eighty-third minute to preserve his energy.

The coaching staff wanted younger players to gain experience.

Thanks to Griezmann’s masterclass, along with outstanding performances from Benzema, Giroud, Pogba, and Kanté, France cruised to a 4-0 victory.

Lance frowned slightly.

In the timeline he remembered, France’s opening match had been far more difficult.

This version of France looked terrifying.

The French commentators sounded as though they were celebrating a national holiday.

”Magnificent France!”

”This team truly looks like a champion!”

”Griezmann was the MVP tonight!”

Because Atlético Madrid’s treble-winning season had revolved around Lance, many fans had overlooked Griezmann’s actual level.

Tonight served as a reminder.

The French forward was elite.

By morning, scouting departments from Portugal, Spain, England, Germany, Croatia, and every other contender were analyzing his performance.

After receiving the Man of the Match award, Griezmann remained humble.

”Honestly, my role today wasn’t very different from Lance’s role at Atlético Madrid.

”He always helps his teammates shine.

”I’ve learned a lot from him, and I’m happy I could help my national team today.”

The next day’s headlines were filled with praise for France.

The hosts looked every bit like tournament favorites.

Not long after the match, Lance received a message.

From Griezmann.

How was that?

Did you watch?

Try not to get eliminated too early. Let’s meet in the final.

Lance laughed and typed back.

Same to you.

Make sure France survives long enough to get there.

According to the original timeline, France would indeed reach the final before losing to Portugal.

But now that Lance existed, everything could change.

”Guys!”

Just as the players prepared to head to bed, Wilmots entered with the coaching staff.

His expression was unusually serious.

”We’re running out of time.”

”Tonight we’re going over our problems one last time.”

”I want everyone paying attention.”

Everyone.

Hazard, who had been planning to secretly listen to music through his headphones, immediately removed them.

Wilmots pointed at the tactical board.

”Being a top seed means nothing.”

”Italy, Sweden, and Ireland are all dangerous opponents.”

”Our first match is against Sweden.”

”Their defensive organization is excellent.”

He began drawing arrows across the board.

”Hazard, make this run.”

”Kevin, attack more from the right side.”

”Lance, you can drive through here, or distribute the ball from this position...”

The tactical meeting continued deep into the night.

Three days later.

The opening group-stage match.

Belgium vs Sweden.

At the Allianz Riviera.

Lance burst forward through the center exactly as the coaching staff had instructed.

Hazard was making a run on the left.

De Bruyne was moving into space on the right.

Everything looked correct.

That was the problem.

It looked too correct.

Too predictable.

Sweden read the movement perfectly.

Passing lanes disappeared before they could even open.

Lance couldn’t find an angle.

The attack stalled again.

His expression darkened.

Something wasn’t right.

Back at the 2014 World Cup, Hazard and De Bruyne hadn’t moved like this.

The football had been more fluid.

More natural.

Why did everything feel so rigid now?

Why was it harder to play with his national team than with Atlético Madrid?

The clock ticked mercilessly forward.

88th minute.

Belgium 1.

Sweden 2.

The heavily favored Golden Generation was staring at defeat in their opening match.

Belgian supporters were nervous.

Fans watching from afar were already panicking.

An opening-match loss.

Then a must-win match.

Then a match for pride.

Then an early flight home.

Surely not.

Not again.

Prev Chapter Novel Info Next Chapter

Recommended Novels

Rebirth: The Courtyard Bride Is Cool and Radiant Spring Splendor in the Garden

Supreme Warrior in the City River Handsome

Prodigal System in the Flourishing City Wind and Thunder Brewing Wine

The Divine Urban Physician The Wind Laughs

D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Vongrak

The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era Tyramisu

The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated Ruqing Rusu

Master Of None 1King_Rep1

Marvel: A Lazy-Ass Superman House_of_Tales

Charm point maxed out, inheriting game assets Selective cutting

Sect Recruitment: I Can See Attribute Entries joyce_4070

Pirate I have global satellite positioning Severely criticize i

The Lovely Heiress Is Actually A God Beast Have a Bowl of Noodles

Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Writing Machine, 글쓰는기계

The King's Avatar Butterfly Blue