[Football] Wanted: A Top-Class Center Forward

[Medium-length story. Free while serialized, then it will go behind a paywall when complete.]

[Currently revising the early chapters.]

Croatian striker Ivica Blazevich spent years plotting to bring down the cancer in domestic football that had framed him, only to have his boyfriend retract his testimony in court and ruin everything.

Branded a traitor, set up and kicked off the national team, then driven abroad by a torrent of abuse, everyone thought Ivica would fade away and become nobody.

Four years later, with the Qatar World Cup approaching, he's the new king of the Bernabeu, a world-class striker worth over a hundred million.

Everyone back home is waiting anxiously. The Croatian Football Federation posts a job opening online: "Guaranteed superstar status, unlimited shots. Please carry us to victory."

Back in the checkered shirt,

this time, revenge, the championship, and Luka,

he wants them all.

Reader's guide:

*Pairing: Modric.

A second chance at love. The romance and football plots are evenly split, and the romance is pure and sweet. The male lead can't bear to say a single harsh word to Luka.

*The story takes place in a parallel universe, and the timeline is messy. The story is set in the 2021-22 season, but Real Madrid players are based on the squad when I started writing, in early 2024. (It is what it is, just bear with me.) Ages have been deliberately blurred, and I've made him ten years younger, so please don't compare this to reality.

*There are lots of original details. This takes place in a parallel universe, and the winners of various awards have been changed significantly. I'll make any changes needed.

*No cheats, and they will lose matches. But every regret will be made right.

*Respect every team and every player. Love and peace.

Theme: Keep running as long as the final whistle hasn't blown