BVB (3 - 1) VFB – 31st Minute
"That's right. Remember to never panic. The only thing you should follow are the instructions. That's how you win." Sebastian whispers to himself.
(8 months ago)
"Good morning team. I'd like to introduce your new coach starting today."
"Morning. I'm Sebastian Geppert. I'll be your coach from now on. I'd like to address a few rules before we move on to anything else.
One, I expect you all to follow every instruction I give.
Two, if you fail to follow these instructions, you will be dropped from the team.
Understood?"
"Yes, coach!"
"We'll be doing rondos. The players with the ball will only touch it once. The ones defending must close passing lanes while pressing.
And if you don't do either, you'll run laps around the field. Keep in mind that the more laps you run, the higher your chances of ending up on the bench. The five worst players will have their contracts terminated.
Think of this training session as your way to survive."
The players are startled and glance at each other in confusion.
Training begins. The rondo starts. Players are told to only touch the ball once.
One of the defenders doesn't press properly but still wins the ball.
Sebastian blows his whistle and walks over. "You—out!"
"But I won the ball."
"Did I ask?" He points to the field. "Go!"
The player walks off, sighing. The session continues. More players are sent to run laps.
Eventually, every player has run at least once. After training ends, the coach gathers them.
"Look around at your teammates. Some of them might not be here tomorrow." He pauses and looks at everyone. "And for those who will be, we'll be testing your physical and endurance next session."
Five players are called into the coach's office and dropped from the team. Most come out crying—they'd been with the club since they were young.
In the next session, fewer players showed up. The atmosphere was tense and uncertain.
"Today we'll be testing your endurance and other physical attributes through a series of tests. If you don't meet the physical requirements, you'll be let go."
Training was intense. Every player held their own at first.
But as time passed, some slowed down and lost concentration. After the session, medical tests were conducted due to the intensity.
More players were released. The squad was trimmed down to 12. From 22 players, only 11 remained.
The final group was called into a meeting.
"Good afternoon, boys. I want to congratulate you all for getting through the training I've put you through. It was necessary.
Over the next few days, new players will be joining you."
A sigh of relief ripples through the group.
"By the way, next week will be your final test—a match against Bayern Munich. If you're able to play the system, you've made the team."
The players exchange uneasy glances.
The coach leaves. His assistant follows.
"Sir, are you sure this is good for them? They've looked really stressed lately."
"Exactly. It's moments like these that create mentally strong players. It all depends on how much you want to survive."
In the locker room, players change into their training gear.
"You think this is normal?"
"Nothing about this is normal, man. But what choice do we have?"
They sigh.
"Not gonna lie... I kind of like this coach. If this makes me better, then so be it."
(Present Day)
"You've all gone through every ounce of pressure a young player can face. One goal shouldn't be enough to knock you off your game."
Dortmund holds their shape, controlling possession with tight one-touch passing.
"A team that plays within a good system will always beat players like them," Sebastian smiles. "We're definitely winning this game."
Speidel gets the ball out wide and passes to the attacking midfielder. He sends it forward to Che—but Dortmund doesn't budge from their high line.
The linesman raises his flag. Che is offside.
Stuttgart players react with frustration toward Che.
"Why are they looking at me like that?" Che mutters.
He sees that the players around him have basically given up. Their energy is gone—it feels like the whole team is sinking.
"Come on guys. Focus! Focus!"
He tries to motivate them, but his words fall flat. Dortmund resumes control, passing the ball around like it's second nature.
It's starting to feel like they're toying with Stuttgart.