Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 94's

Nero and Bella arrived at Anderlecht's R.S.C headquarters, located in Anderlecht, at eleven in less than fifteen minutes that morning.

"I wonder why they can't just put their office in Brussels!" Bella commented as they stood in front of the antique-style eucalyptus building with the name 'Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht' inscribed on its door.

"I don't know," Nero replied with a shrug. "Maybe they just want an office that sets them apart from other clubs. We have to go inside. It's time for the meeting to start."

"okay." Bella nodded before leading the way into the building.

Nero followed him through a brightly lit corridor, passing framed photographs of former Anderlecht players.

They walked past some cupboards with trophies, some doors closed— might lead to some Anderlecht offices. In less than a minute, they arrived at their destination. They stand in front of other closed doors— carved out of rich and soft wood decorated with artistic patterns.

There Bella stopped, straightening her clothes for a bit. He had been wearing what appeared to be a new suit for the encounter. There was not a single visible crease on it. However, Bella still looked worried about the outfit. His behavior makes Nero ticklish.

"Be sharp" he said, turning to observe him. "Be yourself there. I'll be in charge of the contract negotiations and anything else that comes up. You are free to request a private chat with me—if you do not understand the contents of the final. But don't openly interrupt my dialogue with their representatives. Are we clear?" His voice turned serious.

"okay." Nero nodded.

"Then let's go inside." She smiles.

Bella turned around and knocked on the double door. After knocking, he did not wait for an answer, or at least Nero had never heard of it. He pushed the door open, stepped into the room, flooded with small talk in Dutch.

Nero did not linger but stepped in after him. Coach Marcel, Mr. Borguet, and two other Anderlecht executives were waiting for them in the dining room.

"Good morning, Nero," said Coach Marcel, extending his hand to greet him. "May your day go well!" He smiled, sweeping the two fingers of his left hand through his dense beard.

"Good morning, coach," answered Nero, stepping forward and clasping the outstretched hand tightly. "Thank you for hosting us today" he added, smiling softly.

"There's no need to thank us" said the coach, waving his hand in front of him in an understatement. "That's what we have to do" he added before turning his eyes to Bella, who was standing quietly beside Nero. "And this must be Miss Isabella Anderson, your agent. Right?"

Bella stepped forward, offering a hand to say hello. "Yes, Coach. I'm Isabella Anderson. Nice to meet you."

Coach Marcel returned his handshake, half-smiling. "Oh, thank you for taking care of Nero. I heard you've overwhelmed our finance and law departments when negotiating the Nero deal. But, I'm glad we finally reached an agreement."

Coach Marcel was about to continue, but a mild cough interrupted his monologue.

"Oh, sorry," said the coach, stepping aside. "I forgot to introduce you to the Chairman and sporting director of Anderlecht" he added, a sad smile adorning his face.

"Coach Marcel," said one of the executives behind him. "I can introduce myself very well." He laughed out loud, stepping forward to grab Nero's hand. "Young man, I'm Roger Vanden Stock, chairman of the club. Let me take this opportunity to greet you at Anderlecht."

"Good morning, chief." Nero returned the handshake, slightly bowing at the waist. He has heard that Chairman Anderlecht is one of the most influential people in Brussels. But what Nero liked most about him was his love of football. "It's nice to meet you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to play for The Purple and White."

The chairman was large, his chest protruding behind his shirt on a slightly distended stomach. His head had long since gone bald. He carried himself with an atmosphere of authority, strengthened by his sharp eyes.

He stepped back, observing Nero for a moment. "Hahaha," he then laughed out loud, nodding to himself as if he found something interesting. "I understand why Coach Marcel so badly wants to have you as part of your squad. You are destined to be a great player.

‘ Does this chairman think that he can see one's talent with just a glance? ‘ Nero can't help but wonder. He had just given him one look and decided he was going to be a great player. It was strange because even the most astute coach could not discern talent with just a glance. They should observe the player holding the ball first before they can judge his skills.

"Miss Isabella Anderson, we meet again," the chairman grinned, turning his head towards her. "I'm glad that we've finally reached an understanding."

"Good morning, Chief," Bella nodded, smiling. "Thank you for accepting us. Hope your morning is fun!"

Head beaming. "Before you arrive, it's still a bit slow. But, since you have brought us our stars, I can finally relax. Let's sit down and start a meeting right away. I have a few more appointments today."

The chairman did not even give Nero a chance to greet the other executives. He held Nero's hand and took him to a nearby table. It seems like he was worried that Nero would leave before signing the contract.

"Well, Miss Isabella Anderson," Mr. Tim Borguet, Anderlecht's chief legal adviser, spoke, in a formal tone. All the parties present had just completed one round of introductions after taking their seats around the rectangular table. "Have you and your client read and understood all the terms of the contract? Does your client agree to these terms?" He asked, leaning forward to lock the gaze with Bella.

Bella smiled with confidence. "We've finished reviewing the 'draft' of the contract." He emphasized the word 'draft' . "Most clauses are acceptable to my clients" he said, opening the map in front of him. He then pulls out a set of papers, perhaps a copy of the draft contract, before continuing. "However, there are still three clauses that we will propose to revise. These are the Appearance, Buy Out, and Release clauses."

Nero struggled to prevent himself from frowning at Bella's statement. They have already discussed all the terms of the contract, including three clauses. Nero was satisfied with the deal. However, he was puzzled by his agent's insistence on bargaining in the final stages of negotiations.

The Appearance Clause stipulated that Nero must play a total of 75 minutes in a single match to receive a match participation bonus. The Buy Out clause ties Nero to Anderlecht unless other clubs (not in the Belgian league) can offer 24 million Euros during the active transfer window. Anderlecht will only allow Nero to negotiate with other clubs after accepting such an offer. In addition, there is a release clause in Nero's contract. If any club ever makes a bid of 50 million Euros, they will trigger a clause and release Nero from Anderlecht, winning his services in the process.