Emperor of Football: Julien De Rocca

Henderson, Chamberlain, Zaha, Shelvey, Sterling, and even Harry Kane.

The names read like a who's who of English football's future, each one destined for greatness in ways that would reshape the landscape of the Premier League and international football.

Julien's eyes lingered on each profile, recognizing faces that would become household names across Europe and the world.

Of course, these comprehensive files represented only potential selections rather than confirmed starters. The materials the French coaching staff had compiled were educated guesswork, assumptions based on form, fitness, and tactical suitability.

The final squad list from England U21 head coach Stuart Pearce was a secret, to be revealed only when the teams took the field.

Julien absorbed every detail studying his opponents. However, as he glanced around the room, he noticed that most of his teammates weren't displaying the same level of intensity.

Some players absently were flicking through pages while chatting about unrelated topics, others checking their phones or staring out the windows. It seemed that in their eyes, this was just another routine friendly match, a brief interruption in their club seasons rather than a meaningful competitive opportunity.

The tactical analysis included detailed breakdowns of Pearce's preferred style of play. The reports described a philosophy rooted in traditional English football values: direct play, long balls launched from deep positions, and aerial attacks that relied on physical presence and set-piece expertise.

This was essentially a continuation of the classical English approach—less tiki-taka, more blood-and-thunder.

However, when Julien's eyes fell upon Pearce's name and accompanying photograph, his concentration faltered slightly.

A flood of tabloid memories surged through his mind, not the kind of tactical intelligence that would help on the pitch, but the sort of gossip.

This former England defender, who had once been among the country's finest players, didn't leave his deepest impression on Julien through his illustrious playing career. Nor was it because he had been successfully leading England U21 since 2007, building a reputation as a developer of young talent.

It wasn't even his historic achievement of coaching the British Olympic team at the 2012 London Olympics—a unique moment when Britain's four traditionally separate football associations England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland had united under a single banner for the first time in decades.

Rather, it was because this coach, who would turn 51 next year, would eventually be exposed in a scandal involving a female FA staff member 12 years his junior. The tabloid images were seared into Julien's memory: the two of them passionately embracing in Pearce's car, then whispering intimately for twenty minutes, all was supposedly captured by The Sun newspaper.

The Sun might be dismissed as toilet paper when it came to serious football reporting, but when it came to scandals involving players and coaches, it was absolutely authoritative.

This incident would ultimately become the catalyst for Pearce's dismissal from the England setup. Eventually, Pearce's former national team teammate, Gareth Southgate, would inherit his U21 position.

This would allow Southgate to build relationships with England's future stars during his U21 tenure, successfully positioning himself to become England's senior head coach and unite the national team in an unprecedented way.

But that was all in the future.

Currently, Pearce's position remained rock-solid.

Julien pulled his thoughts back to the present moment, forcing himself to focus on the tactical preparations rather than future tabloid headlines.

After reviewing the materials, the players dispersed to find their assigned accommodations. There was no training scheduled for today, allowing bodies and minds to recover from travel and adjust to the environment.

Perhaps someone had arranged it deliberately, or perhaps it was simple coincidence, but Varane and Julien were sharing a room, becoming roommates.

"This must be fate," Varane smiled.

Perhaps because of their roommate status, combined with the naturally straightforward communication style of young people, Varane and Julien quickly became familiar with each other.

Two days later, as dawn broke over the French countryside, the France U21 team boarded their flight to London.

They would complete this friendly match at Arsenal's Colney training ground.

As for why a national youth team match was being held at Arsenal's training facility, the explanation lay in England's current organizational predicament.

The England national team currently existed in a state of administrative limbo, it had no permanent national team base, no dedicated facilities, no consistent infrastructure to support their international ambitions.

They didn't even have a full-time team doctor position, and were relying instead on borrowed medical expertise from Premier League clubs.

The Three Lions typically borrowed Arsenal's Colney training ground for domestic pre-match preparations, while for major tournaments, they would temporarily assemble medical staff from various Premier League clubs.

If the senior national team was operating in such makeshift conditions, youth teams like the U21s naturally had to rely on Arsenal's continued generosity and the goodwill of club owners.

However, England's ambitious St. George's Park project was scheduled for completion by the end of this year. This state-of-the-art football training facility, with a budget approaching £100 million, would become the future home for all England national team squads—from youth levels to the senior team.

This modern complex would finally end their current embarrassing situation, providing England with the kind of dedicated national team infrastructure that countries like Germany and Spain had enjoyed for decades.

When the France U21 team arrived at Colney training ground, Coquelin and Kakuta rejoined the squad.

Both were experienced U21 internationals who didn't need tactical preparation—they could slot into the team's system immediately.

Coquelin currently played for Arsenal. Meanwhile, Kakuta played for Chelsea, another London club.

Chelsea had signed Kakuta as a speculative investment in 2007, bringing him from Lens U19 to Chelsea U18 for a €120,000 fee.

He possessed both raw talent and refined technique, certainly demonstrating more immediate promise than Julien had shown when he first joined Chelsea's academy system. Kakuta had even managed to break into Chelsea's first team, making 16 appearances and registering one assist.

He had also been loaned to Fulham for development. Unfortunately, despite his ability, the pieces hadn't fallen into place.

Last summer, Chelsea had essentially given up on Kakuta's long-term prospects, loaning him to Bolton Wanderers.

Unless he demonstrated exceptional ability during this loan period, he would likely continue being shuffled between temporary clubs, never getting another genuine opportunity to establish himself at Chelsea.

As for Coquelin, Arsenal had invested €1 million to sign him from French club Laval, treating him as their own lottery ticket in the competitive market for young talent.

This season, he had been officially promoted to the first team by Wenger, representing a successful transition from academy prospect to professional squad member.

After arriving at Colney training ground, France U21 didn't have the luxury of preparation time. Their schedule was compressed by logistical necessities, they had only two hours to rest after lunch before the match would start at 3 PM.

There was no choice in the matter—they had to finish early to catch their flight back to Paris, fitting international football around the demands of club schedules and travel arrangements.

During the post-lunch rest period, as players lounged in the comfortable surroundings of Arsenal's player facilities, someone casually mentioned, "Wenger might come to watch this match."

The comment landed like a small explosion in the quiet room.

This comment filled many players with sudden excitement, transforming the atmosphere from casual preparation to focused anticipation.

Who was Wenger? The question was rhetorical—any French player would recognize him instantly, no introduction needed.

Arsène Wenger was more than just a successful coach; he was a cultural icon, a symbol of French football intelligence applied to English football passion.

There was even a saying among young French players that no ambitious footballer could refuse Wenger. His reputation for developing talent, his track record of transforming careers, and his philosophical approach to the game made him irresistible to aspiring young footballers.

Not only could they not refuse Wenger personally, but Arsenal as a platform also held tremendous appeal for young players.

The players whispered among themselves with growing excitement. They discussed the possibility of Wenger's attendance, with most believing he would indeed appear, especially since several Arsenal players were participating in the match.

Some players were visibly eager to showcase their abilities, hoping to catch "Professor's" eye for talent. The opportunity to impress one of football's most respected figures was too valuable to waste.

They hoped to demonstrate the kind of intelligence, technique, and tactical understanding that Wenger valued above raw athleticism or flashy skills.

Varane and Julien remained relatively calm amid the growing excitement—one had already secured his future with Real Madrid, the other had developed a clear career plan that didn't necessarily include Arsenal at this stage.

Current Arsenal, despite its prestigious history and attractive philosophy, wasn't the right fit.

When Lacazette heard that Wenger might appear at the venue, his eyes showed fighting spirit.

Julien glanced at him, and Lacazette responded with a smile.

At 1:30, Erick Mombaerts came to announce the starting lineup for the match.

Julien didn't hear his name called.

But whether he played or not didn't matter to him—he wasn't here primarily for the match anyway.

At the same time, Mombaerts also brought England U21's starting lineup.

Julien scanned the English team sheet with interest. Well, poor Harry Kane was still just a nobody like himself, also without a starting opportunity. The future England captain and Premier League golden boot winner was currently just another promising youngster trying to break into the first team.

At 3 PM sharp, a whistle pierced the crisp London air at one of Colney training ground's pitches.

The match between France U21 and England U21 officially began, marking another chapter in the long-running rivalry between these two footballing nations.

To many people's surprise and delight, right at the start of the match, Wenger's figure appeared on a platform beside the pitch.

Since this was an internal training ground rather than a proper stadium, there were no traditional stands or spectator areas. Instead, several platforms had been constructed specifically for coaches and scouts to observe players from optimal vantage points.

When that tall elegant figure appeared, the desire to perform among players from both teams ignited like a spark hitting gasoline.

_______________________________________________________________________

Check out my patreon where you can read more chapters:

patreon.com/LorianFiction

Thanks for the support