Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 30: The Kvensonn Brothers

The sun had sunk lower in the sky, the light of day disappeared, giving way to the velvety night darkness.

I was walking home with a slightly drooping shoulder and a face that showed a hint of sadness. I was repeating my conversation with Mr. Thorgan after the match.

I just found out that I won't be able to join the professional football scene until I'm 18. That means I still have a year and a few months left before I can officially play in Belgium.

Zurich-based FIFA bureaucrats have made new rules to ban the transfer of young talent from developing countries, claiming to protect the rights of minors. To be honest I was a little surprised by this rule, because in my previous life I had not heard of this rule going into effect this year.

With these new FIFA rules, I couldn't possibly get a permit to play before I turned 18 in an official professional competition. However, I do remember that some of the top clubs like Chelsea have angered the world football bodies because they recruited minors during my previous life.

‘Hahh looks like I should postpone my plan for a bit.’ My mind is a little disappointed.

I hope to join the U-19 team after playing well today. Then I will get a lot of playing time and build up my skills and experience in official matches. But all that is no longer possible because of this new rule from FIFA.

‘Maybe, I can focus on my personal training during this period.’ Thought.

I'm interested in practicing some new skills that will benefit my career. However, I was always busy preparing for the trials in Jakarta and then immediately moved to Belgium. But now I have plenty of time to hone my skills.

With the facilities that are here, I can improve my physical fitness and refine my techniques to a higher level. My goal was to turn most of my attributes into A within a year. With the system I have, I believe I can be one of the best in Belgium by the time I make my debut at Anderlecht.

After a few more minutes of travel, I made it to the student village where I was living. With the plan I had already thought of, I was able to raise my mood back.

As I was about to enter the apartment, I was surprised to hear some foreign voices from behind the door. When I opened the door I saw two blond-haired Caucasians sitting on one side of the dining table. While Ryandi was sitting on one of the other chairs, it seemed that they were familiar and were busy chatting.

“Wah, already come our stars.” Said one of the young men when he saw me standing in the doorway. He stood up and rushed towards me before extending his hand to shake hands.

“It's nice to meet you. I'm Stefan Kvensonn.” He said while smiling at me.

“Nero Juniar, nice to meet you too.” I said, shaking Stefan's hand. I looked towards Ryandi to ask for clarification. I want to know who this stranger is in our apartment.

Stefan noticed my confusion and nudged Ryandi before speaking.

“We are your other two housemates, I was in room number 1 and Damon is here in the other room.” He said while laughing.

“Oh. So you are two academy players from Norway.” I said as I remembered that Mr. Thorgan had mentioned something about our Norwegian housemate going on vacation.

I was honestly a little surprised. The boy in front of her looked more like a model than an athlete. The short blond hair was slightly curly and disheveled matched with his arched brows and his sharp cheekbones were perfectly angled.

“Ya, it's us.” Stefan answered, pointing at his nose. It seems Stefan is a cheerful and fun-loving person.

“We've been in Brussels for a year. We just went on vacation. We watched your match, and your solo run was really Magical. How can you do it.?” Said asking.

But before I could answer, another boy Damon cut me off.

“Stefan, give him a break. He just finished the match, he must be tired.” Said.

He stood up and walked towards me

“Damon Kvensonn's. Nice to meet you.” He said, extending his hand. Damon looked like one of the modern hippie types, with a shoulder-length blonde hair framing his face. He also has a disheveled beard with his sea blue eyes and his calm and thoughtful demeanor seems to communicate a certain innocence about him.

“It's nice to meet you too.” I said while shaking his hand.

“You two are brothers.” I said curious.

Both have blue eyes and have the same last name. But their nature is very different. Damon is taller and more muscular than Stefan. I can't easily tell if they're close relatives just from their looks.

“Yes right, do we look like.” Stefan said quickly as he wrapped his hand around Damon's broad shoulder. The latter pushed him away before returning to his seat.

“What a bore.” Stefan murmured, shaking his head like an old man.

He turned to face me and asked “ Have you eaten.?”

“But.” My answer. Since Mr. Thorgan had called me right after the game, I had no time to eat post-match snacks with the team.

“Good, let's eat together. I've cooked Lasagna.” Stefan said as he clapped his hands excitedly.

Ryandi, is a very outspoken man, after biting lasagna, cheeses with dark green vegetables. He smiled and said.

“Stefan, this is very tasty.” He said with spirit.

With a childish grin, the Norwegian man raised his eyebrows and said.

“Clearly, any food I touch is a work of art.” Said. He looks like one of those beautiful, narcissistic boys who used to bully people in high school movies.

“So you guys are from Asia.?” Ask

“Yes. More specifically in Indonesia.” Ryandi said after swallowing her food.

“Oh is it close to Bali.?” Said excited.

My mouth twitched slightly after hearing Stefan's question. Many outsiders know Bali, but they do not know that Bali is in Indonesia.

“Ahaha, Bali is one of the regions in Indonesia.” Ryandi said with a laugh.

“Oh, I don't know, hahaha.” Stefan said as he scratched his non-itchy head.

“So, you guys are playing in what position.” Ask Ryandi.

“I play as an attacker and winger.” Stefan said before looking towards Damon who was calmly eating his food. The boy remained silent most of the night.

“Kiper” Damon replied after realizing that his brother was glancing at him.

“How about you.?” Ask Stefan to Ryandi.

“I can play on both sides of the wing.” Ryandi.

“Are you as good as Nero?” stefan asked, his eyes looking at Ryandi expectantly.

“Not yet. But I'll catch up with him soon.” Ryandi sighed and smiled sadly.

“That's the spirit, bro. I'm the same. I want to join Anderlecht U-19 as soon as possible. By the way, Ner, what number did you get on the U-19.?” team He asked while looking at me sitting opposite him. Damon and Ryandi also glanced at me with eyes sparkling with hope.

“I haven't joined U-19..” I then explained the entire FIFA regulations on not allowing foreign U-18 players to obtain professional licenses away from their home countries.

“Sial, it's not fair.” Ryandi shouted when he heard my explanation.

“Do not worry about the license for a while.” Stefan said amuseingly.

“We have been here for over a year, but we have no prospect of receiving a license before we turn 18. Belgian clubs are very strict, especially with rules about minors.

“But rest assured that your time here will pass very quickly. You must attend a compulsory high school education here in Brussels while also undergoing busy daily training at the academy.” Said.

“You two were in high school, right?” My toot.

“Yes. We attended Brussels International School. This is the school where RSCA Youth Academy sends its students for their academic Education. The coaches will most likely send you there after you complete your academy registration procedure.” Evidently.

“Do we have to pass all the subjects to stay in the academy.” Asked Ryandi while frowning.

“Yes. You have to be above average to get a scholarship. But don't worry. Schools have designed our study schedules to fit our training schedules. It has a collaborative initiative with Anderlecht to train young football talent in Brussels.” He said firmly.

The Norwegian then explained the training schedule at the academy to me and Ryandi. In addition to the regular daily soccer practice, players have the opportunity to take part in International Training and U-17 competitions if they perform well . The RSCA Youth Academy team had even participated in the SIA Cup of Valencia and the Riga Cup of Latvia in the previous year. In the competition, there are junior teams from top clubs such as Chelsea, Ajax and Valencia participating.

I'm delighted with the package offered by the academy and can't wait to start his training.

After a nice meal with my new housemate, I went back to my room to rest after informing my parents and preparing to go to sleep, because tomorrow we will be doing academy registration.