August 2015
The second leg of the Supercopa de España was upon them. The first leg had ended 1-1 at Camp Nou. Sae had assisted Cristiano Ronaldo's equalizer in the 68th minute — a cutting diagonal ball that split Piqué and Mathieu apart. He had been sharp, if not dominant.
Now, under the Bernabéu's blistering lights, the stakes were different. This was no longer about Sae breaking into the team. He was in. A Champions League winner. La Liga starter. The one Zidane trusted in big games. But that also meant he had become the standard others were now compared to — envied, respected, and targeted.
The tunnel was quiet before kickoff. Sergio Ramos clapped him on the back.
> "They'll come for you harder tonight. You're no secret anymore."
Sae didn't answer. He stared forward at the field, feeling the weight of the crest on his chest. Not as a burden — but as a reminder. This was the price of ambition.
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Kickoff: Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona — Supercopa de España, Second Leg
From the start, Barça pressed hard. Iniesta and Busquets closed passing lanes. Sae was double-marked whenever he touched the ball. But the 17-year-old didn't panic. He dropped deeper, rotating with Modrić to build attacks from the back.
In the 32nd minute, he finally carved space — a feint to the left, a sudden shift to the right, and a 20-meter switch that put Bale into open space. Bale's cross was bundled in by Benzema. 1–0.
Barça equalized minutes later through Neymar. But in the 74th, it was Sae again — dancing between Rakitic and Alba, slipping Ronaldo into the left channel. CR7 rifled it into the roof of the net.
2–1. Final score. Trophy won.
The Bernabéu erupted.
Zidane hugged him after the match, whispering, "You're not a promise anymore. You're proof."
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Post-Match Fallout
The media, surprisingly, weren't over-the-top.
> MARCA: "Sae, the Metronome: The calm within Madrid's chaos."
> AS: "At 17, he's no longer the future. He's the system."
Instead, the narrative had shifted: Sae isn't some new prodigy. He's expected to be elite.
Inside the dressing room, things were more complicated. Isco was frustrated — two matches without starting. James Rodríguez had been subbed off for Sae again. Even Kroos had begun to feel the heat.
> "He's good," Toni told Casemiro after training. "But he's taking touches I used to take."
Still, there was growing respect. Sae trained like he was chasing someone.
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Post-Supercopa Training Week
The day after the Supercopa, Sae arrived at Valdebebas early. 6:15 a.m.
He trained alone — first-touch drills, tight dribbling in cones, long switches under pressure. Zidane noticed and adjusted the schedule.
> "Anyone who wants to stay in the XI has to match him."
The intensity spiked. Even Ronaldo joined him for extra finishing practice.
> "You're obsessed," CR7 laughed after Sae drilled his 30th pass in a row. "You're the one who taught me to be," Sae replied, stone-faced.
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Unexpected Bond — Neymar
A few days after the Supercopa, Neymar requested a shirt swap from Sae through mutual staff.
That night, Neymar DM'd him on Instagram:
> "You played like a 30-year-old. You'll be a pain in my ass for the next 10 years, huh? Haha. Respect."
Sae replied simply:
> "Only if you're still at Barca."
They exchanged numbers. Within a week, they were trash-talking during FIFA sessions over PSN. An unlikely friendship — born out of mutual brilliance.
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Preseason Friendlies Wrap-Up
Real Madrid played two more friendlies — one in China, one in Norway.
Sae started both, but played differently. Quieter. Deeper. Zidane asked him to mimic Xabi Alonso's role — test his vision under full-field pressure. He responded by completing 94% of his passes and creating the most chances in both games.
It was no longer about flair — it was about function.
Casemiro later told an interviewer:
> "Sometimes, when Sae speaks, we listen like it's a coach. At 17. That says everything."
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La Liga Opener Approaches
As the league campaign approached, Sae was no longer talked about like a kid. His locker room seat wasn't in the youth section anymore — it was between Modrić and Kroos.
But that came with pressure.
He was asked to be a leader. He was marked every match. Every touch was analyzed.
Yet his obsession never waned. Every night: tape study. Every morning: extra drills.
As Ronaldo told a young journalist:
> "Sae doesn't want to be the next Zidane. He wants to be the first Sae. And that's the most dangerous thing of all."
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To Be Continued...