Starting With Real Madrid

Every time he returns to Tocopilla from Calama, Sánchez feels as if he is moving from a ghetto to a war zone.

The rugged roads filled with potholes, broken tiles, and ruins are everywhere along the roadside. Garbage is scattered all around, and when the wind blows, sand and plastic bags dance in the air.

For all this, Sánchez and his compatriots have long become accustomed to it.

Before, every time he came back from Calama, he would feel a little lost, but today it was even more overwhelming.

Because he finally saw the outside world.

...

His family lives in an old house with mottled exterior walls in Tocopilla by the sea. There is a small courtyard in front of it, with only a rusted iron gate guarding the entrance. Standing in front of the house, you can see the blue sea, with fishing boats in the distance. Occasionally, a large ship carrying copper ore will pass by, and the sound of its whistle will trigger cheers from the locals.

Once upon a time, Sánchez, like all the other children, would lie on the seaside railings, cheering at the big ships.

Back then, he vowed to take his family out of Tocopilla and let them live in a big city like Calama.

This has been his dream since he was a child, and it is also the dream of everyone who lives here.

Up until now, he has not realized it.

Even if he is already a member of the Chilean national team.

...

Sánchez's father left home when he was very young to dig in the mines.

But after he left, he never came back, and no one knew whether he was alive or dead.

Perhaps, like countless others, he was buried alive in that dark mine.

It was not easy for his mother to raise five children by herself, so she found another man his stepfather who, while not very respectable in Calama, had a job that was enviable enough in Tocopilla.

His stepfather brought the family to Calama, where Sánchez was introduced to football. He showed his talent, joined Cobreloa's academy, and became a first-team player.

At the age of 16, he represented Cobreloa in a match, and in his second game, he played in the Copa Libertadores, breaking the record for the youngest player to ever appear in the competition.

He performed well at Cobreloa and was called up to the national team by Chilean coach Nelson Acosta.

Yes, he is only eighteen years old, and he has bypassed all the age groups to enter the national team directly.

Not long ago, the national team started training, left Chile, and went to Europe for a series of friendly matches. Sánchez was fortunate to be one of the players selected to go to Europe and played two matches against Ivory Coast and Sweden.

He was a substitute in the first game and a starter in the second.

Those two games, and the half-month stay in Europe, were eye-opening for him.

On the pitch, he saw Drogba, Koné, Kolo Touré, Yaya Touré, Seydou Keita, and Eboué, among other Ivorian stars. They are also from poor and underdeveloped countries, but they have made a lot of money in Europe by playing football, and everyone looked happy and full of laughter.

In Sweden, he saw superstars like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrik Larsson, and Freddie Ljungberg all from wealthy Northern Europe. Everyone seemed carefree.

The match against Côte d'Ivoire was held in Nancy, France. It is not a big city, but the roads are very wide, the air is fresh, and even the sky is blue. The people there are very clean and neatly dressed, each with a decent job, driving, drinking coffee...

In the Swedish stadium, he saw those middle- and lower-class people from Northern Europe. They are the most respectable group in Calama.

This made Sánchez and Chile's internationals feel inferior.

Because the kind of people they dreamed of being, in France and Sweden, were just considered poor people.

What made him even more uncomfortable was that from entering France, to Sweden, and to leaving Europe, they were prohibited from moving privately throughout the entire process. Every time they went out, they were strictly controlled because the authorities were afraid that they would leave secretly and not return with the team.

Captain Jiménez, who plays in Italy, would tell them many stories about European football. He would encourage his teammates to go abroad whenever possible. He told them that just this summer, a 25-year-old Chinese coach led one of the world's top clubs, Real Madrid, under seemingly impossible circumstances, to win both La Liga and the Champions League, which was a miracle!

"He showed us with facts that in the world of football, nothing is impossible!"

Sánchez always remembers that when the captain said this, his hands were clenched into fists and his teeth were gritted.

He is ashamed of the situation with the national team!

Sánchez remembered the name of the man who created the miracle Gao Shen!

...

After returning from training in Europe, Sánchez went back to Calama, and after hearing that his mother could not stay there, he returned to Tocopilla. And so, he had to go back to Tocopilla.

From the picturesque, clean air of Europe, back to this small town that has been seriously polluted by heavy industries like copper mining, Sánchez experienced a huge psychological gap. He always felt depressed and unable to lift his spirits.

He doesn't know when he will be able to take his family out of this disaster.

Yes, he is the most promising person in the whole family and the hope of the entire household.

"Is the club still unwilling to sign a new contract with you?"

The family sat around the dining table, and his mother asked with concern.

"Yeah," Sánchez nodded sullenly.

"Didn't you say before that a European team is interested in you? Is there a chance?" his mother asked again.

Sánchez shook his head. "I don't know; they didn't say anything."

"They" referred to the management of the Cobreloa club.

Although Sánchez is already a Chilean international, he still has no say in front of the club because he and his whole family need this job. Even now, his salary is still quite meager, but compared to his mother, stepfather, and uncle, it is already pretty good.

The entire family is now living on his salary. He doesn't dare to make trouble with the club; he can't afford to take risks.

"If you can, go to Europe. There is hope when you go," his stepfather finally spoke, his eyes red.

He was only about forty, but he looked as old as a man in his fifties or sixties.

So was his mother.

This is the price of long-term labor-intensive work.

But there is no other choice; if they don't do those jobs, they will starve to death.

"Yes, we have hope if you go. If we don't go, we will stay here without any hope," his mother said, sobbing.

Their son is getting older and rarely comes home. They didn't want to say this in front of the child, adding so much pressure on him. After all, he is only eighteen years old.

But they really can't hold on any longer!

If, like everyone else, Sánchez couldn't play football, they would accept their fate.

But he can play football and play well, which gives them hope and allows them to see an opportunity to escape this devil's fate. They must seize it firmly.

This is the life of poor children!

It's not just Sánchez; in Chile, there are countless families like this, children like this, who have been indoctrinated with this belief.

"Don't worry, I will work hard!" Sánchez said resolutely.

From childhood to adulthood, he has always been a smart and sensible child, matured very early, and has seen the world.

But upon hearing his words, his mother couldn't hold back and cried directly on top of him. His stepfather's eyes were also red, full of shame.

They were supposed to be the backbone of the family, to take good care of the children, but...

...

After dinner, Sánchez walked out of the yard to the side of the road overlooking the blue sea, and his brothers and sisters stood around him, just like when they were children.

"You know what? In Europe, people don't seem to have to work. The government gives them money every month; they can wear nice clothes, eat delicious food, drive brand new cars, and play football or watch games every weekend," Sánchez muttered.

"Is that heaven?" the youngest brother asked innocently.

Sánchez laughed, "Yeah, it's a place like heaven."

With that, he turned around, gently scratched his brother's dusty head, and asked, "Let's live there in the future, okay?"

"Okay, I want fries and a hamburger every day."

"I want a Coke."

"I'm going to buy a doll."

"I don't want to wear ragged clothes anymore."

Sánchez listened in silence, taking it to heart.

What humble dreams these are, but right now, even these humble dreams, he can't help them realize.

Yesterday, when he returned to Cobreloa, he was told by the club that Udinese in Serie A was interested in him, but they had not made an offer yet.

He was afraid to tell his family the news because he was scared of disappointing them.

In recent times, such news has circulated more than once, bringing them hope again and again, but also disappointing them again and again. It's cruel.

"Don't worry, I will definitely play harder. I will give my best in every game and every training session!"

Sánchez shouted to the sea with all his strength.

"I want you all to wear nice clothes, buy fun toys, eat the most delicious food, live in the biggest house, and I want you to live in paradise every day!"

"I must succeed!" Sánchez roared, his voice hoarse.

Before he realized it, tears were already streaming down his face.

He had such determination, but he didn't know when the opportunity would come.

...

While Sánchez was shouting at the seaside near his home in Tocopilla, just a few dozen kilometers away in Calama, an old, rented Jetta was rattling along the road heading west.

In the front seat, Roman Díaz, who was driving, cursed the dishonest car rental agent.

"That damn bastard! He promised it was comfortable, but he rented us this old, beat-up car that's about to fall apart!"

"Haha, don't worry about it. Maybe this is the most comfortable luxury car they have in the shop," Gao Shen said, taking it in stride.

"Yeah, I get it. That's just how things are in places like this," Lucas chimed in with a laugh.

Roman Días looked frustrated. "We could have handled this with a phone call. Why are we going out of our way to make this trip? Is that kid really as talented as you say?"

"Talented? He's going to become one of the best players in the world!" Gao Shen replied with absolute confidence.

"Pfft! I don't believe you for a second! You really think you're some kind of prophet, don't you?" Roman Días almost raised his middle finger in disbelief.