June 15th, 2028. The Loki family villa in Ibiza. Rented for the entire summer—six weeks of complete isolation from football, media, and pressure.
Ethan sat on the beach at 7:34 AM, watching Lucas toddle around in the sand, fascinated by shells and seaweed. Sofia was still asleep after a late night of wine and conversation.
This was the first summer since 2019 that Ethan had no international tournament. No World Cup. No Euros. No Copa América. Just family.
And it felt perfect.
Lucas picked up a shell, examined it carefully, then threw it into the ocean. He laughed—that pure, uninhibited baby laugh—and looked at Ethan for approval.
"Good throw, mijo!" Ethan called out.
Lucas clapped for himself, then fell on his diaper-padded bottom in the sand. He didn't cry. Just sat there, looking at the waves.
Ethan took a photo on his phone. Then another. Then a video of Lucas trying to stand up in the unstable sand.
These moments. These memories. This was what mattered.
His phone buzzed with a message from Mbappé:
Mbappé:Just finished France's friendly vs Belgium. We lost 2-1. You made the right choice skipping this summer. International football without tournament pressure is pointless.
Ethan:Told you. Enjoy wasting your vacation playing meaningless matches. I'm on a beach watching my son discover the ocean.
Mbappé:Fuck you. 😂 Enjoy it. You earned it.
Ethan:I did. See you in August.
Ethan had politely declined Deschamps' call-up for the summer friendlies. For the first time in his career, he'd said no to the national team.
The media had criticized him: "Is Loki losing his hunger?""Has fatherhood softened the killer instinct?"
But Ethan didn't care. This summer was for Lucas. For Sofia. For building memories that would last longer than any trophy.
June 20th - Lucas's Development
Lucas was sixteen months old now. His development was explosive:
Walking confidently, even running (though he fell constantly) Vocabulary of maybe twenty words: Dada, Mama, ball, agua, no, more, dog, cat, car Starting to understand simple instructions: "Bring me the ball" or "Come here" Obsessed with footballs (Ethan may have encouraged this) Personality emerging: stubborn, curious, affectionate
One afternoon, Ethan tried to teach Lucas to kick a football. It went about as well as expected.
Lucas picked up the ball with his hands.
"No, mijo. You kick it. Like this." Ethan demonstrated an exaggerated kicking motion.
Lucas stared at him, then threw the ball.
"Close enough," Sofia laughed from her beach chair. "He's sixteen months old, not sixteen years old."
"Never too early to start training."
"You're ridiculous."
"I'm dedicated."
But watching Lucas play—not training, just playing—reminded Ethan of why he'd fallen in love with football in the first place. The pure joy of it. No pressure. No expectations. Just a ball and imagination.
He'd lost that somewhere along the way. But he was finding it again through Lucas.
July 1st - The Offer
Ethan's agent, Ricardo, called with news that would have been tempting two years ago.
"Saudi Arabia," Ricardo said. "Al-Hilal specifically. They're offering three hundred million euros. Per year. For three years."
Ethan did the math: nine hundred million euros. Nearly a billion dollars.
"That's insane," Ethan said.
"I know. But they're serious. They want you to be the face of Saudi football. Build the league's reputation."
"I have a contract with Barcelona until 2037."
"They'd pay the release clause. One point five billion euros. They have that kind of money."
Ethan looked at Lucas playing in the sand, Sofia reading a book under an umbrella, the Mediterranean stretching out before them.
"Tell them no."
"Ethan, this is nine hundred million—"
"I don't care. I'm happy here. My family is here. My life is here. I'm not uprooting everything for money."
"You're sure?"
"Completely sure. I have five hundred million from Barcelona. That's more than enough. This isn't about money anymore."
Ricardo sighed but respected the decision. "Okay. I'll tell them no."
After the call ended, Sofia looked up from her book. "Saudi Arabia offer?"
"How did you know?"
"You had your 'someone just offered me an obscene amount of money' face. How much?"
"Three hundred million per year."
Sofia's eyes went wide. "And you said no?"
"I said no. We're happy here. Why change that?"
She set down her book and walked over, kissing him. "I love you. You know that?"
"I know. I love you too."
"Good. Because you just turned down nine hundred million euros and I need to make sure you're not having a mental breakdown."
They both laughed. But it was true—two years ago, Ethan would have seriously considered that offer. The money. The prestige. The chance to build something new.
But now? Now he had perspective. Money was important, but it wasn't everything. Happiness mattered more.
July 20th - Family Gathering
Ethan's entire family flew to Ibiza for a week. His parents. Marie with Laurent and Camille (now three years old). Sofia's parents. Everyone together for the first time in over a year.
The villa was chaotic—three kids running around, multiple conversations happening simultaneously, laughter echoing off the walls.
One evening, after the kids were asleep, the adults sat on the terrace drinking wine and talking.
"Nine Champions Leagues," Ethan's father said, still processing. "My son has won nine Champions Leagues. That's not real."
"It's real," Marie confirmed. "I watched all nine finals. Suffered through every stressful moment."
"Next is number ten," Sofia's father said. "Then eleven. Then twelve. When does it stop?"
Everyone looked at Ethan.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm twenty-eight. I probably have four or five more years at this level. Then a few years of decline. Maybe I retire at thirty-three or thirty-four."
"That's young," his mother observed. "Ronaldo played until thirty-nine."
"And he missed his kids' childhoods. I don't want that."
"So you'd give up potentially three or four more Champions Leagues to be present for Lucas?"
"Yes. Without hesitation."
The table went quiet. This was the clearest Ethan had ever been about his future plans.
"I think that's wise," Sofia's mother finally said. "Football is important. But family is forever."
"Exactly," Ethan agreed. "I've already achieved more than I ever dreamed of. Six Ballon d'Ors. Nine Champions Leagues. Two World Cups. At what point do I say 'I've done enough' and focus on being a good father?"
"Soon, I hope," Sofia said quietly. "Because I'd like Lucas to actually know his father."
The comment stung, but it was fair. Even with his reduced workload, Ethan was still gone frequently. Training six days a week. Matches twice a week. Travel. Media obligations.
Being present was hard when your job demanded constant availability.
August 1st - Return to Reality
The family vacation ended on August 1st. Ethan, Sofia, and Lucas flew back to Barcelona. Pre-season training started August 5th. Reality returning.
On the flight home, Ethan wrote in his journal:
August 1st, 2028
Six weeks with Lucas and Sofia. Best summer of my life. No football. No pressure. Just family.
But now reality returns. Pre-season. New season. The grind begins again.
We won three consecutive trebles. The pressure is off in some ways—we've already made history. But also on in other ways—can we do it a fourth time?
Probably not. That would be absurd. But we'll try.
Three moves ahead:1. This season (2028-29) - aim for another treble, probably settle for just La Liga and Copa del Rey2. Next season (2029-30) - World Cup year in North America, big opportunity3. After that... start thinking seriously about retirement timeline
I'm 28. I have 280 more chapters in my career. But Lucas is 16 months old. By the time I'm 33, he'll be 6 years old. First grade. Developing his personality. Crucial years.
Do I want to be there for that? Or do I want to be traveling for away matches in the Champions League?
The answer should be obvious. But it's hard to walk away from something you've been great at your entire life.
He closed the laptop as the plane began its descent into Barcelona.
August 15th - Season 2028-29 Begins
The first match of the new season was against Real Betis at Camp Nou. A chance to start the defense of their three trophies.
Flick had reinforced the squad with two new signings: a young German striker named Kai Havertz (poached from Chelsea) and a Brazilian right-back named Vanderson.
The locker room before the match felt different. Less pressure. They'd already achieved the impossible. Anything now was a bonus.
"Gentlemen," Flick said before they walked out. "Last season, we made history. This season, we just need to enjoy football. Play because you love it, not because you have to prove something. The pressure is gone. We've already won."
It was the perfect message. Liberating. Honest.
Barcelona won 4-1. Ethan scored twice. Professional start to the season.
But the post-match interview revealed his mindset:
"Ethan, four goals on opening day across the team. Are you confident about winning another treble?"
"We'll see. Winning one treble is hard. Winning three consecutive was impossible. Winning four would be absurd. We'll just take it match by match and see what happens."
"You don't sound as hungry as previous seasons."
"I'm hungry to play good football and win matches. But I'm not obsessed with trophies anymore. I'm twenty-eight with a sixteen-month-old son. My priorities have evolved."
"Does that mean you're considering retirement soon?"
"Not soon. But sooner than people expect. I'm not playing until I'm forty. Probably until thirty-three or thirty-four. Then I want to be present for my family."
The honesty was shocking. Most players hid their retirement plans. But Ethan was different now. Transparent. Authentic.
August 30th - Champions League Draw
UEFA held the Champions League draw for the 2028-29 season. The new format continued—eight different opponents in the group stage.
Barcelona's Draw:
Real Madrid (Away) - El Clásico in the Champions League Liverpool (Home) Bayern Munich (Away) - Again Atlético Madrid (Home) AC Milan (Away) Arsenal (Home) PSG (Away) Porto (Home)
Another brutal draw. But Barcelona was used to it by now.
The most interesting fixture: Real Madrid away in the Champions League. Barcelona vs Madrid. Ethan vs Mbappé. In Europe's biggest club competition.
The media went insane:
Marca: "El Clásico in Champions League! Loki vs Mbappé for European Glory"
AS: "The Match That Will Break the Internet"
L'Équipe: "Two French Legends, One Spanish Rivalry, History on the Line"
The match was scheduled for October 23rd at the Santiago Bernabéu. Two months away. But already the most anticipated match of the season.
September 2028 - Finding Rhythm
The season began routinely. Barcelona won their first five La Liga matches. Drew one. Sitting top of the table.
But something was different. The team felt less urgent. Less desperate. They'd already achieved everything. Now they were just... playing.
Ethan's stats reflected this:
6 goals in 7 matches (down from usual 10+ at this stage) More rest (played 60 minutes in three matches) More family time
And he was happier. Genuinely happier than he'd been in years.
One evening in mid-September, Sofia found him in Lucas's room, watching their son sleep.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.
"About how fast he's growing. Sixteen months old already. Soon he'll be two. Then five. Then ten. And I don't want to miss any of it."
"So don't."
"It's not that simple."
"It is that simple. You're Ethan Loki. You've won everything. You don't owe football anything anymore. If you want to retire at thirty, retire at thirty. If you want to play until thirty-five, do that. But do it on your terms, not because of pressure or expectations."
She was right. As always.
Three moves ahead was becoming clearer:
Move one: Finish this season. Maybe win La Liga. Maybe Copa del Rey. Champions League would be a bonus.
Move two: World Cup 2030 in North America. One last chance to win as captain. Go out on top internationally.
Move three: Retire from club football at thirty-two or thirty-three. Five more years maximum. Then be a full-time father.
The timeline was forming. And for the first time, Ethan felt at peace with it.
End of Chapter 80 -