September-December 2017 - Group Stage Dominance
Monaco's Champions League group: Porto, Besiktas, and RB Leipzig.
The Princes were on a mission. Last season's heartbreak fueled them.
Matchday 1: Monaco 3-0 Porto. Ethan: 1 goal, 1 assist. Matchday 2: Leipzig 1-1 Monaco. Mbappé: 1 goal. Matchday 3: Monaco 2-1 Besiktas. Ethan: 2 goals. Matchday 4: Besiktas 0-3 Monaco. Mbappé: 2 goals, Ethan: 1 goal. Matchday 5: Porto 1-4 Monaco. Ethan: hat-trick. Matchday 6: Monaco 5-0 Leipzig. Mbappé: 2 goals, Ethan: 2 goals.
Monaco topped the group with 16 points. Ethan: 10 goals in 6 matches. Mbappé: 6 goals.
The rest of Europe was terrified.
February 2018 - Round of 16Monaco vs Chelsea
English opposition again. Antonio Conte's Chelsea—Premier League champions, defensive masters.
First leg at Stamford Bridge. Forty thousand hostile fans. Chelsea pressed high, defended deep, made the pitch small.
For seventy minutes, neither team could score. 0-0.
Then Ethan changed everything.
Receiving the ball on the left wing, he cut inside. Two defenders closed him down. He performed a double elastico—leaving both on the ground—and curled a shot with the outside of his right foot into the far corner.
Thibaut Courtois didn't even move. Unstoppable.
1-0 Monaco.
They held on. Crucial away win.
Second leg at Stade Louis II. Monaco needed to avoid defeat.
Chelsea attacked desperately. Needed two goals. They threw everything forward.
But Monaco's counter-attacks were lethal. In the thirty-fourth minute, Mbappé made it 1-0 on the night. In the sixty-eighth, Ethan added a second.
Final aggregate: 3-0. Chelsea eliminated.
March 2018 - Quarter-FinalsMonaco vs Barcelona
The tie everyone wanted to see. Ethan facing the club that wanted to sign him. Messi, Suárez, Iniesta—legends everywhere.
First leg at Camp Nou. Ninety-nine thousand fans. The atmosphere was electric.
Barcelona dominated possession but Monaco's defense held firm. 0-0 at halftime.
In the fifty-third minute, Ethan scored.
A counter-attack. Fabinho won the ball. Played to Ethan at halfway. He drove forward, beat Piqué with pure pace, beat Umtiti with a Lavinho roulette, and finished past ter Stegen.
1-0 Monaco.
Barcelona pushed for an equalizer. Hit the post twice. Forced incredible saves from Subašić.
But they couldn't score. 1-0. Stunning away win at Camp Nou.
Second leg at Monaco. Barcelona needed to win.
They started aggressively. Messi scored in the nineteenth minute. 1-0 on the night, 1-1 aggregate.
The match was tense, tactical, physical. Both teams afraid to make mistakes.
In the seventy-eighth minute, Ethan delivered again.
A corner kick. He lost his marker. Met the ball at the near post with a glancing header.
2-1 aggregate.
Barcelona threw everything forward in the final minutes. But Monaco held firm.
Final whistle. Barcelona eliminated. Ethan had scored both goals across the two legs.
After the match, Messi approached him. "You played brilliantly. Barcelona is lucky you're coming next season."
Ethan smiled. "Nothing's decided yet. But thank you."
April 2018 - Semi-FinalsMonaco vs Bayern Munich
The semi-finals again. Last season: Juventus. This season: Bayern Munich.
First leg at Allianz Arena. Seventy-five thousand German fans. Bayern attacked relentlessly.
But Monaco's defense was resolute. And their counter-attacks were devastating.
Mbappé scored in the thirty-second minute. 1-0 Monaco.
Bayern equalized through Lewandowski. 1-1.
Ethan scored the winner in the eighty-eighth minute—a brilliant solo goal, dribbling from halfway and finishing past Neuer.
2-1. Crucial away goals.
Second leg at Monaco. Bayern needed to score.
They did—Müller in the twenty-third minute. 1-0 on the night, 2-2 aggregate.
The match went to extra time.
In the ninety-eighth minute, Mbappé scored. 1-1 on the night, 3-2 aggregate.
Bayern pushed desperately. But Monaco's defense held.
Final whistle.
MONACO IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL. AGAIN.
May 26, 2018 - Champions League FinalMonaco vs Liverpool - Kyiv
The redemption match. Last year: heartbreak against Real Madrid. This year: another chance.
Liverpool—Jürgen Klopp's high-pressing machine. Salah, Mané, Firmino. They'd destroyed Roma 7-6 on aggregate in the semis.
The NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv. Sixty-three thousand fans. The world watching.
Pre-Match
In the changing room, Jardim addressed his team.
"Last year, we came close. This year, we finish the job." His eyes found Ethan and Mbappé. "You two. This is your last match together at Monaco. Make it count. Make it legendary."
"We will, Coach," Ethan said.
"The Princes don't lose finals twice," Mbappé added.
The Match
Liverpool started with their signature press. High intensity. Constant pressure. Chaos.
But Monaco had experience now. They'd been here before. They stayed calm.
In the thirty-first minute, the breakthrough came.
Ethan received the ball on the edge of the box. Three Liverpool defenders converged. He performed a triple elastico—his signature move—leaving all three sprawling.
Then he struck. Low. Hard. Far corner.
Alisson got a hand to it. Wasn't enough.
1-0 Monaco.
Liverpool responded furiously. Salah hit the post. Mané forced an incredible save from Subašić.
But they couldn't equalize before halftime.
The second half was brutal. Liverpool attacked relentlessly. Wave after wave of red shirts.
In the sixty-eighth minute, they equalized. Firmino headed home from a corner.
1-1.
The match opened up. Both teams going for the win.
In the eighty-fourth minute, Ethan scored again.
A counter-attack. Fabinho won the ball. Played to Mbappé. Mbappé drove forward, drew three defenders, and slipped a pass to Ethan.
One-on-one with Alisson. He finished with ice-cold precision.
2-1.
Liverpool threw everything forward. Five minutes of regular time. Five minutes of stoppage.
Monaco defended with everything they had. Bodies on the line. Desperate blocks. Incredible saves.
Final whistle.
MONACO - CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS 2017-18
The stadium exploded. Ethan collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Mbappé was beside him, screaming, crying, laughing.
They'd done it. Champions of Europe. At eighteen and nineteen years old.
The Princes of Monaco had conquered the continent.
Post-Match
Ethan was named Man of the Match. Two goals in the final. Seven in the knockout stages. Sixteen total in the competition—joint Golden Boot winner with Mbappé.
At the trophy presentation, he lifted the Champions League trophy with Mbappé. Both crying. Both laughing. Both knowing this was their final moment together at Monaco.
In the changing room celebration, Jardim pulled them aside.
"You did it. You kept your promise. One more season together. Champions League winners."
"Thank you for believing in us, Coach," Ethan said.
"Now you're free. Barcelona. PSG. Go conquer the world." Jardim's eyes were wet. "But know this—Monaco will always be your home. You'll always be Princes here."
End of Chapter 22