The days blurred into a rhythm of sweat, drills, and exhaustion.
Every morning, Mateo woke before dawn.Every day, he trained until his body screamed for rest.Every night, he collapsed into bed, his mind replaying every touch, every pass, every mistake — and every small victory.
Slowly — almost imperceptibly — he grew sharper.
It wasn't just Mateo who noticed.
On the sidelines, Coach Klaus Dietrich watched carefully.
At first, the boy had been raw — untamed energy with flashes of brilliance.
But now?
Something was changing.
Especially his passing.
Where before his passes had been decent but unremarkable, now they came with:
Better timing.
Cleaner trajectories.
Sharper vision.
The improvement was too sudden to be normal.
"Strange," Dietrich thought, scratching his chin during one of the sessions.
"From average to above standard in barely two weeks."
He made a note in his mind.
It was as if the boy's brain, once unlocked, absorbed lessons faster than normal.
"Maybe it's because he had no formal training before," he mused.
"No bad habits to unlearn.No rigid patterns.Just raw instinct adapting at high speed."
It was dangerous — because it meant Mateo could either rise incredibly fast…
…or collapse just as quickly under pressure.
But Dietrich liked dangerous players — if they learned to control their flame.
During one of the afternoon sessions, after an intense possession drill, Dietrich called all the players together.
His voice, as always, was sharp and commanding.
"Listen up," he barked.
The players formed a half-circle around him, catching their breath.
"In three days, we will play a friendly match against Bayer Leverkusen's U17 squad."
Murmurs spread among the boys.
Leverkusen was no small opponent.
They were one of Bayern's fiercest youth competitors —famous for producing talents quickly and feeding them to the Bundesliga.
Dietrich continued:
"This is an opportunity.An opportunity to prove you deserve the jersey you wear."
He scanned the group with cold, calculating eyes.
"Only those who show true dedication, hunger, and performance during the next sessions will earn a spot in the match squad."
"There are no guaranteed places.I don't care about names, backgrounds, or reputations.Only what you show on the field matters."
He paused, letting his words settle deep into their minds.
"Train as if your future depends on it.Because it does."
As the players dispersed, buzzing with nervous excitement, Mateo felt his heart hammering inside his chest.
This was it.
His first real chance to wear Bayern's colors in battle.To face real competition.To show — not just to himself, but to the world — that he belonged.