Emperor of Football: Julien De Rocca

Chapter 630 - 630: Chapter-629 The Media

Training concluded at 11:30 AM as Klopp's whistle pierced the air.Clap, clap, clap!

Applause erupted immediately, supporters showing appreciation for the players' efforts and the access they'd been granted.

The players responded appropriately. They slowed to a walk, waving toward the crowd, offering the acknowledgment that fans craved. Some bent to stretch cooling muscles. Others accepted water bottles and towels from training staff.

But the journalists weren't waiting politely. They'd been patient for hours—now it was their turn.

Dozens of media representatives surged toward the designated interview area, equipment in hand, all of them focused on the same targets: De Bruyne, Van Dijk, and Piszczek.

The new signings were the story. Everything else was background noise.

De Bruyne found himself cornered first with a semi-circle of recording devices and cameras pointed at his face.

"Kevin," a journalist began, jumping straight to the key question, "can you talk about what it feels like to join Liverpool? Is the integration proceeding as you'd hoped?"

De Bruyne wiped sweat from his forehead, gathering his thoughts before responding.

"Honestly, this is a dream come true for me. I've been a Liverpool fan since I was a kid—always imagined what it would feel like to wear this red shirt, to play at Anfield in front of the Kop. Now that it's actually happening, the feeling is... it's indescribable."

His gaze drifted toward Julien, who was chatting with Gerrard near the tunnel entrance.

"And getting to play alongside Julien again makes it even more special. We had perfect chemistry at Bastia—we understand each other's rhythms, know each other's habits. We don't need much time to recapture that. And the other lads have been brilliant too.

Everyone's been helping me settle, communicating during training, making sure I understand the tactical details. The manager's philosophy fits my playing style perfectly. Everything's coming together really smoothly."

When asked about his objectives for the future, De Bruyne's tone became more determined and focused.

"I'm enjoying every moment of this. Can't wait for proper competitive matches to start. My goal is simple: I want to recreate what Julien and I built at Bastia, but at a higher level. We won trophies there—now we want to win trophies at Liverpool. This club deserves more silverware, more success. I'll give absolutely everything I have to help deliver that."

Across the interview area, Van Dijk faced his own interrogation.

"Virgil, this is your first time playing in the Premier League. Do you feel pressure about that?"

Van Dijk nodded without hesitation. "Of course there's pressure. The Premier League is faster than what I've experienced before, more physical, more intense. It's a different challenge from the French Ligue or even European competition. But pressure can be productive—it pushes you to improve faster."

He paused, then added.

"I'm fortunate that the club is giving me massive support. My teammates have been proactive about sharing advice—Agger's been telling me about the specific characteristics of Premier League strikers, what to watch for, how they'll try to exploit space. The manager also has been setting up targeted training exercises to help me adapt quickly."

Van Dijk's expression showed confidence. " Right now, I'm working every day to familiarize myself with the league's rhythm. What I'm looking forward to most is my Premier League debut. I want to prove myself on the pitch as soon as possible and use my defending to help protect the team."

Next, reporters turned to Piszczek.

The journalist questioning him had clearly done research—his question was more varied than in standard interviews.

"Łukasz, a lot of people are calling your move from Bundesliga to Premier League a risk at your age. How do you respond to that?"

Facing the question, Piszczek grinned.

"It is a risk," he admitted cheerfully. "The Premier League and Bundesliga have different tactical cultures, different refereeing standards. I'll need to adjust quickly to stay competitive. But I've never been afraid of challenges. Actually, I enjoy this feeling of pushing outside your comfort zone, testing yourself in new environments. I'm willing to put in whatever work is necessary to make this risk pay off."

The inevitable Klopp question came next.

"Jürgen invited me here personally," Piszczek explained, his tone was warm. "We spent wonderful years together at Borussia Dortmund. I understand his tactical philosophy, which should help me integrate much faster than I could somewhere else."

His expression became more serious. "Liverpool is a great club. The fans' passion is genuinely moving—I could feel it during training today. My teammates have already given me so much help. I'll do everything possible to match the team's rhythm quickly and start contributing as soon as I'm needed."

Beyond the new signings, the media also held some of the well-known stars.

Steven Gerrard, as captain, gave his standard interview, hitting all the expected notes about team unity, season objectives, and united ambition.

Suárez did the same, his responses were slightly more colorful but still carefully adjusted to avoid controversy.

These were the polished media performers, the veterans who'd done hundreds of these interviews and knew exactly how to steer them: be positive, support your teammates, express confidence without arrogance, give nothing away.

Julien, meanwhile, had slipped away from the interview area.

He'd never been comfortable with media attention and found the performative nature of press conferences and formal interviews slightly exhausting. The club understood this about him so they never forced him into uncomfortable situations unless absolutely necessary.

So after Gerrard headed off to face the cameras, Julien walked in the opposite direction toward the fans.

For him, this was extremely more natural than cautious responses to journalists' questions. These were the people who actually mattered—the ones who paid hard-earned money to watch Liverpool play, who traveled hundreds of miles to attend matches, whose emotional well-being was genuinely affected by results.

Connecting with them felt right in a way that media obligations never did.

"JULIEN! JULIEN! JULIEN!"

The crowd erupted as he approached, the volume was increasing with every step. Fans surged toward the barrier fence, waving shirts, scarves, programs—anything that could be signed.

Julien slowed his pace and showed a warm relaxing smile. He waved back, acknowledging the energy being directed at him.

His attention was first caught by a young fan holding a hand-made poster that read: "JULIEN - THE BASTIA LEGEND CONTINUES."

The sign was clearly homemade but beautiful.

Obviously, a French fan who'd followed him from Ligue 1.

Julien walked directly to him, accepted the pen the young man offered, and signed the poster carefully. Then he asked the fan's name.

"Anthony," came the slightly breathless reply.

Julien added a personal message next to his signature: "To Anthony - Always love football."

Anthony looked like he might cry. He kept repeating "merci, merci" in French, those words were tumbling over each other in his excitement.

Julien just smiled, gave the young man's shoulder a friendly pat, and moved on.

As Julien continued working his way along the barrier, signing autographs and exchanging brief words with fans, his attention snagged on one particular sign in the crowd.

A young man probably still in university wearing a Liverpool shirt. He was holding a elaborate sign, standing on his toes trying to see over the taller supporters in front of him.

「ロッカ皇帝へ — ようこそアンフィールド」

(To Emperor Rocca — Welcome to Anfield)

Below it, in smaller English letters were:

"From Tokyo. Thank you for Bastia."

Julien pointed at him.

The young man's eyes widened in confusion as everyone around him turned to look. He glanced behind himself; certain the gesture must be for someone else. When he realized Julien was definitely pointing at him, he pointed at his own chest, mouthing: "Me?"

Julien nodded, gesturing for him to come forward.

The crowd understanding immediately what was happening parted creating a pathway for the young supporter to reach the barrier.

"Hello," Julien said as the young man reached the fence. "You made this?"

The supporter froze for a moment, then burst into tears. His voice shook as he responded in accented English: "Yes! Yes! Julien—I made it, I'm from Japan, Tokyo. I flew here specifically to watch you and the team play."

He paused, looked down at the ground. "But I arrived too late. The FA Cup tickets for the Oldham match were sold out. I could only buy a training session ticket to watch you practice. I really wanted to see you play with the new signings in an actual match."

He pulled up his training ticket from his robes, the paper edges were creased from.

The crowd had gone quiet, everyone was listening. Ted spoke up from nearby: "This kid's been here since early morning. Told us he took a sixteen-hour flight to get here."

Julien nodded slowly, processing this information. Then he smiled.

"Thank you," he said simply. "Coming this far to support us—that means more than you know. That's incredibly precious."

He paused, then his smile widened into a grin. "Tell you what—I'll keep your training ticket as a souvenir. And in exchange, I'll get you an actual match ticket for the Oldham game four days from now. Fair trade?"

The young man's head snapped up; his eyes widened to as big as saucers. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Completely serious," Julien confirmed. He turned to a nearby Liverpool staff member, gave quick instructions about arranging the ticket.

Then he looked back at the young fan. "You'll be sitting in the home supporters' section. Right there with the rest of us, cheering Liverpool on."

The young man looked like his knees might give out. He bowed repeatedly: "Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll definitely be there!"

"What's your name?" Julien asked.

"Saito Eren! My name is Saito Eren! I'm a university student in Tokyo!"

Julien nodded, then moved on to continue interacting with other fans.

Around them, the crowd buzzed with excited chatter. Several supporters were looking at Saito Eren with undisguised envy.

"Lucky bastard," someone muttered good-naturedly. "Trades a training ticket for an actual match ticket. And it'll be one of the club's allocated seats too—probably amazing positioning."

"That kid won the lottery today," another agreed.

Having resolved Saito Eren's disappointment, Julien continued along the barrier fence.

An elderly woman pushed forward, her wrinkled hands were shaking slightly as she held out a Liverpool shirt. When she spoke, her voice trembled with age and emotion.

"Julien, my husband was a Liverpool die-hard. Passed away last year. Never got to see you join the club. This was his shirt. Would you sign it? I want to take it to him, show him what Liverpool's become."

Julien solemnly took the jersey, signed his name, and then gently patted the old woman's hand.

"Please don't worry," he said softly. "We'll work as hard as we possibly can in every match. We won't let down anyone who supports this club."

The woman's eyes filled with tears. She squeezed his hand, nodded, unable to speak.

For the next fifteen minutes, Julien continued his rounds. Every fan who'd brought something to sign received attention. He offered to take photos with groups. When people wanted high-fives, he reached across the barrier to clasp their hands properly.

"Julien, you're brilliant! We believe in you!" one fan yelled.

"Thank you," Julien called back. "Thank you all of you. With your support here, we have even more motivation."

As the interaction wound down and team staff began ushering players toward the facilities, Julien caught Saito Eren's eye one final time. He made a "fighting" gesture with his fist.

The young fan pumped his fist enthusiastically in return, his entire face was radiating joy.

Ted who was still watching from his spot at the barrier shouted above the crowd noise: "You always make us feel happy and valued! That's why we love you!"

Julien smiled, waved one last time to the entire crowd, then turned and jogged toward the training complex.

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