Chapter 35 – Locker Room Lights & Headlines

The final whistle still echoed in Luca's ears as he stepped into the tunnel, jersey soaked, hair tousled, adrenaline surging like a second wind. The atmosphere in the away dressing room was already electric, the sounds of laughter, clapping, and shouting echoing through the tiled walls.

As he pushed the door open, the entire squad burst into cheers.

"Luca! LU-CA! LU-CA!"

Pedri was the first to wrap an arm around his shoulder, shaking him back and forth like a proud older brother. Gavi tossed a towel at him playfully, and Raphinha clapped him hard on the back, a grin stretching across his face.

"You didn't just show up," Raphinha said, smiling, "you owned the game."

Luca sat down at his locker, breathing deep, his muscles aching in the best way possible. Lewandowski, still shirtless and wiping sweat from his brow, walked over and handed him a bottle of water.

"Two assists in fifteen minutes? That's something even I didn't pull off my debut," he said with a smirk. "That cross… man. It was begging to be scored."

"Thanks, Lewy," Luca said, voice barely steady. "You made it easy."

"I make it look easy," Lewy replied with a wink, and the room erupted in more laughter.

Across the room, Lamine Yamal and Gavi were reenacting the first goal. Lamine pointed to the imaginary ball, made a dramatic sprint, and kicked it with an invisible boot, collapsing onto the floor in celebration.

"And then Luca sends this dime from the heavens! Boom! First-time finish!" Lamine called out.

"Oscar-worthy performance," Gavi said dryly. "I cried."

Even Hansi Flick joined in the celebration. He wasn't the yelling type, but his proud grin said enough. When he finally spoke, the room hushed instantly.

"Boys," he started, his voice firm but full of warmth, "this is the Barcelona we want. Possession with purpose. Courage with intelligence."

He looked around the room, his gaze landing on Luca.

"And sometimes… it takes a young heart to reignite the soul of the team. Luca — you didn't just come in. You changed the match."

Luca lowered his eyes, humbled, cheeks glowing red.

"Enjoy this," Flick continued. "Celebrate tonight. But tomorrow, we go again."

The clapping that followed wasn't just for Flick — it was for each other. For the team. For the grind.

Back at the hotel – A Digital Storm

The bus ride back to the team hotel was a symphony of buzzing phones. Players took turns showing each other social media posts, clips of the goals, fan edits already circulating with music and dramatic angles.

Luca sat near the window, scrolling through his own phone. His notifications were unending.

@BarcaWorldwide: "Luca #80. Remember the number."

@FutbolTalentScout: "Two assists in 15 minutes. Luca is HIM."

@LaLiga: "Another gem from La Masia. Luca stuns in debut for the senior team."

@BT_Sport: "Barcelona's next generation isn't waiting their turn. They're taking it."

He clicked on one post — a slowed-down clip of his assist to Lamine, soundtracked by a cinematic beat. The top comment had 10k likes already:

"This kid has vision. Not passing. Vision."

Even some verified accounts had reposted his highlights.

@Puyol: "Brilliant debut, Luca. Proud of La Masia."

@RiquiPuig: "Reminds me of the joy of playing at Camp Nou. Keep going."

His phone vibrated again. A message from his father:

"You did it, son. I watched every second. I'll never forget this night. Proud doesn't even begin to cover it."

Luca swallowed hard, overwhelmed with emotion. He sent back a simple voice note:

"Love you, Dad. We made it."

TV Studio – Post-Match Breakdown

Even the pundits couldn't stop talking about him.

In one of the post-match panels, a host was flipping through stats.

"Luca, number 80 — two assists in 15 minutes. 91% pass accuracy. Three progressive carries. And more importantly: he passed the eye test. He wasn't just good on paper, he looked like he belonged."

Another panelist nodded. "It's his decision-making that impressed me. That pass to Lamine? That's a risky ball unless you know exactly when to hit it. Most players his age would've recycled possession."

The female analyst chimed in next, eyes lighting up with excitement.

"He's not just playing. He's thinking. He's seeing. That's special."

The screen behind them played a slowed replay of Lewandowski's goal.

"And let's not forget," she added, "you deliver that kind of service to a striker like Lewy, you're going to the top."

Back in the Locker Room – Late Night

The team had returned to the training facility to recover, and a few players stayed behind in the locker room, winding down. Luca was still in partial kit, watching highlight reels on the team iPad when Pedri walked by.

"No sleeping tonight, huh?"

Luca smiled. "Not with my phone exploding every two minutes."

Gavi leaned against the wall. "Enjoy it. That debut? You'll never get another like it."

Lamine plopped next to him, grinning wide. "Next game, I'm stealing the spotlight back though."

Luca chuckled. "You better finish the next one left-footed, make it fair."

"Deal," Lamine grinned.

Pedri stood, tossing Luca a fresh towel. "Take it all in. This… this is how it starts."

Meanwhile – Club Office

Upstairs, in a quiet room where the lights had dimmed, Hansi Flick sat with his assistant coaches and one of the top execs.

"He's staying with us now," Flick said simply. "I want him in every first-team training session moving forward."

One of the assistants nodded. "No need to send him back to the B team."

"No," Flick confirmed. "The kid's ready."

The exec leaned back. "His market value just tripled tonight."

"We're not selling," Flick said without hesitation. "We're building."

That Night – A Boy and His Dream

Luca finally returned to his apartment. His father had left a note on the counter:

"Couldn't sleep. Went for a walk. This feels unreal."

Luca sat on the edge of his bed, holding his jersey in his hands. Number 80. The beginning of something bigger.

The dreams he used to have as a boy — dribbling past cones in the rain, shooting into trash cans, staying up late to watch old Messi clips — it all suddenly felt connected.

That night, as he lay down, Luca smiled to himself. He knew it wasn't going to get easier. But now, the world knew his name.

And the next chapter was just beginning.