Arghana set foot at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto, with a mix of emotions.
This city was not just a destination, but a battleground. The next six days would determine everything.
FC Porto, a club known for its aggressive scouting, never took player evaluations lightly.
Many great stars had been born here, and now, it was Arghana's turn to prove himself.
After going through the procedures, he followed the club's instructions.
The journey took him to FC Porto's training complex in Olival, a modern facility with the club's signature blue accents that radiated professionalism.
At the gate, a tall man with glasses was waiting for him.
Vítor Martins, the club's head scout, looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Six days.
We want to see how you train, your attitude on the field, your tactical understanding, technique, and finally, an intra-squad match."
Arghana nodded. No pleasantries. No warm welcome.
Just a statement of facts. He would have to work hard or go home empty-handed.
===
After receiving his room key, he walked toward the players' dormitory for the trialists.
The atmosphere felt different.
Most of the trial participants were from Portugal and Latin America, speaking Portuguese and Spanish, languages foreign to him.
He chose to remain silent, observing the other players who were already familiar with each other.
He placed his bag in the corner of his bed and sat down for a moment.
Some of the players chatted, laughed, and shared their experiences.
Arghana didn't join in. Not because he was unwilling, but because of the obvious language barrier.
It wasn't the first time he'd felt like an outsider, but still, there was an uncomfortable feeling that crept in.
However, on the field, language was not a barrier.
There, what spoke was ability and mentality. Arghana knew he only had six days to prove himself.
That night, he sat on his bed, his back leaning against the cold wall.
The three other players in the room spoke in Portuguese and Spanish, a small world that felt so far from him.
When he tried to speak in English, he only received confused stares and head shakes.
He chose silence, simply nodding politely when their gazes met.
He pulled out his phone, plugged in his earphones, and played a video of Park Ji-sung.
He observed every movement—how Park moved without the ball, pressured opponents, and turned defense into attack in the blink of an eye.
A few times, he switched to clips of other players, big stars with spectacular techniques.
But still, he returned to Park Ji-sung.
On the other side of the room, a young Brazilian player glanced at Arghana's phone screen.
In his mind, a silent mockery passed by.
Park Ji-sung? He looks up to him?
For him, football was art, a dance that delighted the eye, not just hard work and endless stamina.
The kids from his place dreamed of becoming Ronaldinho, Neymar, or Riquelme—players who made the ball dance at their feet.
An Asian player just as tall as Park Ji-sung? Not a threat.
But he didn't realize something. Arghana didn't care about that view.
Park Ji-sung symbolized something bigger than the aesthetics of the game.
He was proof that hard work could become a dangerous weapon.
And tomorrow, on the field, Arghana would prove it.
===
The first day of the trial in Porto began.
As soon as he stepped onto the training field, Arghana could feel the difference in the atmosphere.
The other trialists seemed superior—faster, more agile, more technical.
They were confident in controlling the ball and reading the game.
Among them, Arghana felt like a child just beginning to understand the complexities of football.
But there was one thing that set him apart.
Tenacity.
He wasn't the fastest, nor the most advanced in "first touch," but he was always there.
Running tirelessly, closing space, pressing opponents, trying to steal the ball.
To most of the other players, it looked like wild movement that wasn't effective.
However, for Arghana, this was his identity. "Headless chicken,"
that's what his teammates at Go Ahead Eagles had once called him.
And now, in Porto, that nickname still hadn't disappeared.
The Porto coaching staff on the sidelines could only shake their heads.
His movements were too wild, expending too much energy on unnecessary things.
But occasionally, there was a move that made them reconsider.
A clean tackle that won the ball, a sprint that made the opponent lose time and space.
The hard work, although chaotic, was starting to have an impact.
While the other players enjoyed their break after training, Arghana stayed on the field.
He repeated the training methods Dr. Annelies had given him, going into his focus phase, trying to understand the videos of Park Ji-sung he watched every night.
He began to connect theory with practice, reviewing Park Ji-sung's pressing movements, understanding how the pattern of movement without the ball could be a weapon for someone like him.
These five days of training became an endless cycle—morning training with the team, private sessions in the afternoon, then back into focus mode.
Finally, the day of the final match arrived.
The trial players were now facing Porto's youth team, some reserve players, and a few first-team players who were recovering their fitness.
For the Porto management, this was the last chance to assess them in a real match. For Arghana, this was everything.
It was no longer just about surviving the trial.
This was the final fight to prove that the hard work and patience he had shown over the past five days were not in vain.