May 14, 2017 - Ligue 1 Matchday 37Monaco vs Saint-Étienne
Before the Champions League final, there was still Ligue 1 to clinch.
Monaco needed just one point from their final two matches to win the title. Saint-Étienne came to Stade Louis II fighting to avoid relegation.
The match was tense, physical, emotional. Saint-Étienne defended desperately. Monaco attacked constantly but couldn't score.
0-0 at halftime.
In the sixty-seventh minute, Mbappé broke the deadlock—a brilliant solo run and finish.
In the eighty-first minute, Ethan sealed it.
A counter-attack. He received the ball at halfway, drove forward, beat two defenders with pure pace, and finished clinically.
2-0.
Final whistle.
MONACO - CHAMPIONS OF FRANCE 2016-17
The stadium exploded. Players collapsed in tears. Fans invaded the pitch.
Ethan and Mbappé found each other in the chaos. They embraced, both crying, both screaming with joy.
"We did it, brother! We're champions!"
"The Princes of Monaco! Champions at eighteen!"
They'd delivered on their promise. Won Ligue 1 together. Made history together.
June 3, 2017 - Champions League FinalMonaco vs Real Madrid - Cardiff
The biggest match in club football.
Real Madrid—European champions, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos. Legends everywhere.
Monaco—young, fearless, led by two eighteen-year-old strikers.
The Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Seventy-four thousand fans. The world watching.
Pre-Match
In the changing room, Jardim addressed his team.
"Gentlemen, we've already made history. League champions. Champions League finalists. But we didn't come this far to just participate."
He looked at Ethan and Mbappé. "You two have been incredible. Seventeen and eighteen years old, and you've destroyed the best teams in Europe. Tonight, one more. The biggest one."
"We're ready, Coach," Ethan said.
"I know you are. Now go show the world what the Princes of Monaco can do."
The Match
Real Madrid started strong. Ronaldo forced a save in the third minute. Benzema hit the post in the ninth.
But Monaco absorbed the pressure and countered.
In the twenty-third minute, they shocked the world.
Ethan dropped deep, received the ball, and played a perfect through ball to Mbappé. The striker was one-on-one with Keylor Navas.
He finished clinically. 1-0 Monaco.
The stadium erupted. The underdogs were ahead.
Real Madrid responded furiously. Ronaldo equalized in the thirty-eighth minute—a typical poacher's goal.
1-1 at halftime.
The second half was brutal. Real Madrid dominated possession, created chances, pressed relentlessly.
In the sixty-first minute, they took the lead. Casemiro scored from outside the box. 2-1.
Monaco pushed for an equalizer. Threw everything forward.
In the seventy-seventh minute, Ethan thought he'd found it.
A brilliant solo run from halfway. Beat Ramos with a Lavinho roulette. Beat Varane with pure pace. Shot from fifteen yards.
Navas saved. Somehow.
In the eighty-fourth minute, Real Madrid killed the game. Ronaldo scored his second. 3-1.
Final whistle.
Monaco had lost the Champions League final.
Ethan collapsed on the pitch. Mbappé sat beside him, head in hands. They'd given everything. It wasn't enough.
Real Madrid celebrated. Monaco mourned.
Post-Match
In the changing room, devastation.
Players crying. Some staring blankly. The pain was overwhelming.
Jardim addressed them. "Gentlemen, I know it hurts. Losing a final always hurts. But remember what we achieved this season."
He looked around the room. "We won Ligue 1. We reached the Champions League final. Two eighteen-year-olds scored thirty-five goals between them. We played the most exciting football in Europe."
"This isn't the end. This is the beginning. We'll be back. And next time, we'll win."
The Summer
Despite the Champions League heartbreak, the season was historic.
Team Achievements:
Ligue 1 Champions Coupe de France Semi-Finalists Champions League Runners-Up
Ethan Loki (Age 17-18):
41 appearances (all competitions) 32 goals 18 assists Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year Champions League Breakthrough Player France U-19 Captain
Kylian Mbappé (Age 17-18):
44 appearances 26 goals 14 assists Ligue 1 Young Player (runner-up)
The Princes had delivered.
But the summer brought change. Big clubs were circling. Real Madrid wanted Mbappé. Barcelona wanted both of them.
Jardim fought to keep them: "One more year. Win the Champions League together. Then, if you want to leave, you can go with my blessing."
Ethan and Mbappé made a pact: one more year at Monaco. One more year as Princes. One more chance at European glory.
And then...
Then Barcelona would come calling.
End of Chapter 20