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Abstract

We propose a new way of breaking the Goldstone symmetry in composite Higgs
models, restoring the global symmetry in the mixings between the elementary and
composite fermions by completing the former to full representations of this
symmetry. The Goldstone symmetry is in turn broken softly by vector-like mass
terms in the {\it elementary} sector only. The resulting softened explicit
breaking allows for a light Higgs boson, as found at the LHC, and a heavy top
quark, without the need of light top partners around the Goldstone scale $f
\sim {\rm TeV} \ll m_{\rm comp.}$, which remain elusive at the LHC, while we
recover the standard scenario in the limit of infinite vector-like masses.