Klopp, true to his word, took Mateo off in the 65th minute, replacing him with the hard-working Schieber. As Mateo walked off the pitch, the entire stadium rose to its feet, their applause a thunderous, deafening tribute to the boy who had come to them as a broken, rejected teenager and was now on the verge of becoming a champion.
He took his place on the bench, his heart full, his body aching, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He watched the final twenty-five minutes of the match, a spectator of the celebration that was unfolding around him. The fans were singing, the players were smiling, the dream was becoming a reality.
The final whistle was met with a roar of pure, unadulterated joy. The players, the fans, the coach, they were all united in a single, glorious moment of celebration. They had done it. They were champions.
