"Phew!"
To the thunderous roar of the AC Milan supporters, Leon walked out onto the San Siro pitch alongside his teammates.
Torino's head coach this season was Ventura.
For Torino, Ventura was without question a legendary figure at the club.
He had brought them up from the second division to Serie A.
And he had kept them there.
Last season he had guided Torino to sixth place in Serie A, even securing Europa League qualification.
That was already a remarkable achievement.
However, in Leon's previous life, Ventura later became the national team manager and led the side straight out of the World Cup.
That was quite something.
Even more absurd was that his successor, Mancini Jr., then presided over another World Cup absence.
Two consecutive World Cup absences were nothing short of a disaster for the national team.
[Translator: NOW ITALY MISSED A THIRD WORLD CUP!!!!!!!]
For Torino, the final matchday was a fixture with nothing at stake.
Torino currently sat ninth in Serie A.
Whatever the result, it would not change their final position.
Ventura deployed the classic Serie A 3-5-2 formation for this match.
A back three was not common in mainstream setups.
The demands placed on the centre-backs were significant, otherwise the wide channels could be torn apart.
Three defenders: Damian, Glik, Moretti.
Five midfielders: Pérez, Vives, Gazzi, El Kaddouri, Molinaro.
Two forwards: Amauri, Martínez.
Goalkeeper: Padelli.
The iron-willed Amauri and the ruthless Bonera.
As it happened, Inzaghi did actually hand Bonera a start in this match.
It was not because Inzaghi had started taking risks.
It was because both centre-backs Lami and Zappata had picked up injuries.
Bonera, as a veteran of Milan, still had Inzaghi's trust.
After all, Bonera was still Milan's fourth captain.
AC Milan's lineup for this match:
Four defenders: Abate, Bonera, Mexes, De Sciglio.
Three midfielders: Essien, Polly, Menez.
Three forwards: Suso, Torres, Bonaventura.
Goalkeeper: Leon.
"Tweet!"
With the referee's whistle, the match kicked off.
"Right then, ladies and gentlemen, the final round of Serie A is underway!"
"I'm your old friend Jackson!"
"There's something a little special about today's coverage. Our channel has partnered with the 'Leon Fan Hub', and you can watch today's commentary directly through the Leon Fan Hub website!"
In the commentary booth, Jackson opened the broadcast.
Thanks to the Leon Fan Hub having no shortage of wealthy supporters, and some with considerable connections, the Hub had quickly established contact with the official broadcaster.
With football back home at a low ebb, there was a desperate need for a player like Leon to inject some excitement and passion into the whole scene.
So this collaboration had come together naturally.
With Jackson's mention, the Leon Fan Hub website had well and truly made a name for itself.
"The Leon Fan Hub? Leon?"
"I want to join the fan club! Are there any requirements?"
"Leon! That young lad's something special. Keep it up!"
In no time, the number of Leon's fans was growing exponentially.
At that moment, the broadcast camera swept to the VIP box in the stands at the San Siro, and inside it, alongside Berlusconi and Torino's owner Cairo, two other figures had appeared.
One of them had an Eastern face.
The other was the legendary agent Mendes.
The sharp-eyed Jackson immediately sensed something unusual.
He did not say anything, though.
It must be related to Leon.
"The match is underway, and AC Milan have launched the first attack!"
"Oh! Menez has had a shot, the ball just clears the crossbar!"
As the match progressed, the supporters turned their attention to the pitch.
The team trait Accumulate was still in effect.
AC Milan's output in the opening stages was actually slightly below their usual level.
However, Torino were clearly not interested in the fight today and were essentially going through the motions.
So even without scoring, AC Milan held firm control over proceedings.
Seeing that this match was more or less a foregone conclusion for AC Milan, the fans switched to following the Roma and Palermo broadcast.
In the 35th minute, a twist emerged in the Roma versus Palermo match.
Roma's midfielder Paredes made a reckless tackle inside the penalty area and received his marching orders along with the penalty.
A penalty.
Palermo were awarded a penalty.
Leon's fans erupted in cheers.
Get in!
Palermo's attacking midfielder Vázquez did not waste the opportunity and tucked it away cleanly.
One nil.
Palermo had taken the lead away from home.
On the live table, AC Milan were now level on points with Roma.
If things stayed this way until the final whistle, the two sides would be separated by head-to-head record, goal difference, and goals scored.
And just as the AC Milan supporters began working through the calculations, more good news arrived.
In the 41st minute, Suso struck what seemed like a casual lofted effort from the attacking third and it went straight into the Torino net.
Suso's form had clearly picked up over the final ten matchdays.
Whether or not it had been sparked by Leon was anyone's guess.
Leon can do it, so can I.
That kind of healthy competition was exactly what all AC Milan fans wanted to see.
One nil.
It was done.
On the live table, AC Milan had now pulled two points clear of Roma.
Got it!
The atmosphere at the San Siro grew even more electric.
At half-time, AC Milan headed back to the dressing room with a one-nil lead.
Over at Roma's match, they were still trailing Palermo nil-one at home.
"Congratulations!"
In the VIP box in the stands, Torino owner Cairo offered his congratulations to Berlusconi.
The result of this match had no bearing on Torino's situation, so Cairo was watching it all very casually.
"There's still a half to play."
"But it should be fine."
Berlusconi said with a smile, clearly in good spirits.
AC Milan had total control of proceedings on the pitch.
And on the other side, Roma were down to ten men.
Fortune was smiling on AC Milan.
"Cairo! Are you thinking of selling the club as well?"
Berlusconi's intention to sell AC Milan was already an open secret, and he had no qualms about others knowing.
"I am! Running a club costs a fortune."
Cairo nodded.
Torino's ancestors had unquestionably been giants of Serie A.
But a plane crash had changed everything.
That was all ancient history now.
Since gaining promotion back to Serie A, Torino had brought Cairo no additional returns, and had instead cost him ever more money.
He had already reached the point where he was losing the appetite for it.
"Surely this gentleman isn't a prospective buyer!"
Berlusconi glanced at the Eastern face beside them and asked with a smile.
"My good friend! Lin Yuan!"
"Eastern heritage! Italian nationality!"
"He is indeed looking to take over Torino!"
Cairo made the introductions.
Lin Yuan smiled and gave Berlusconi a nod.
"Mr. Lin, would you have any interest in taking over AC Milan?"
Berlusconi took a draw on his cigar and said with a calm smile.
"Come on now, that's not on!"
"What kind of person poaches another man's buyer?"
Cairo put on a show of indignation and glanced at Berlusconi, and all three of them burst out laughing at once.
Mendes, seated furthest to the side, said nothing, and simply took a quiet sip of his coffee.
Not bad.