Chapter 6: Rising Tensions
Crawley Town felt different after the FA Cup win against Hereford.
The players looked more confident during training. Their passing was quicker, and they were going into tackles with more energy than before. The 1-0 win had given the team more than just a place in the next round. It had given them hope after a difficult start to the season.
Niels could feel the change too. Even in the cold November weather, he felt more positive.
Luka Radev was asking for the ball more often and playing with confidence. Jamal Osei had become more vocal in midfield, constantly giving instructions to the younger players.
Even Milan seemed happier. He still kept his usual serious expression, but every now and then, Niels noticed him smile as he watched the team train.
The players were talking more, laughing between drills and enjoying themselves. It was a small change, but Niels could see that they were starting to believe they could turn the season around.
However, not everything was fine.
Niels noticed something strange on Tuesday morning.
A light mist covered the training ground, and the cold air made it difficult to see very far. Milan was standing on the pitch, giving instructions as usual.
Then, in the middle of shouting at one of the players, he suddenly stopped.
He put a hand against his chest.
For a second, his face tightened with pain.
Niels stared at him.
Milan took a breath, lowered his hand and continued talking as if nothing had happened.
"Probably the cold," Niels thought.
But he couldn't forget what he had seen.
That evening, most of the players had already left. Their voices slowly disappeared as they headed back, while the grounds staff packed up the equipment.
Niels noticed Milan still standing near the touchline.
He was under the floodlights, looking out at the empty pitch. One hand was pressed against his chest, and his breathing seemed a little uneven.
"Milan, are you alright?" Niels asked.
Milan quickly stood straight and moved his hand away.
"Yeah. I'm fine," he said with a small smile. "Just the cold."
He looked away instead of meeting Niels' eyes.
"Don't worry about me, lad."
Niels wasn't convinced. He wanted to ask more, but the words didn't come out.
Milan had always been there for him. He was the one who had given Niels another chance after his playing career had fallen apart.
"Alright," Niels finally said. "Just take it easy, okay?"
Milan gave a quiet laugh.
"Take it easy? You sound like my wife."
Niels smiled, but the worry was still there.
Something wasn't right with Milan.
The following week, the FA Cup second-round draw was announced. The players gathered around the TV in the canteen, waiting to see who Crawley would face.
When their name came up, they drew an away game against an old Conference rival. The players started talking about the match straight away.
"Alright," Milan said as he walked into the room. His voice was firm, but he didn't sound as strong as usual. "Stop thinking about the cup. We've got a league game to worry about first."
Everyone nodded and got back to work.
Niels, however, couldn't stop watching Milan.
Milan walked over to the wall and leaned against it. There was sweat on his forehead even though the room was cold. For a moment, his hand moved toward his chest before he quickly pulled it away.
Later that day, Niels was on his way to his office to look through some scouting reports when he passed Milan's office.
The door was slightly open.
Niels glanced inside.
Milan was sitting at his desk with his eyes closed. One hand was on his chest, and he was breathing heavily. He seemed to be struggling to catch his breath.
Niels stopped outside the door.
This wasn't just the cold.
Niels knocked on the door.
"Milan?"
Milan opened his eyes and quickly sat up straight.
"Yeah?"
"You sure you're alright?" Niels asked as he stepped inside. "You've been acting strange lately. I'm worried about you, coach."
For a moment, Milan didn't answer. Niels noticed the fear in his eyes, but it was gone almost immediately.
"I'm fine," Milan said. "Just tired. We've had a lot of games lately."
Niels wasn't convinced.
He looked at Milan for a few seconds, but Milan simply waved him off.
"Go on. We've still got a lot to do before Saturday."
Niels hesitated before finally nodding.
"Alright."
He left the office and walked down the hallway. A few seconds later, he heard Milan cough behind him.
It was a bad cough.
Niels stopped for a moment but didn't turn around.
Milan had given him another chance when his own career had fallen apart. Now Niels couldn't ignore what was happening to him.
Over the next few days, things only got worse.
Milan wasn't shouting from the sidelines as much anymore. When he did walk around, he moved slowly and often stopped to catch his breath.
Niels started taking over more of the work. He made small changes to the formation during training, shouted instructions from the sidelines and helped the players when something wasn't working.
The players noticed it too.
They started looking at Milan during training, then quietly talking among themselves.
One night, before an important league game, Milan's voice was almost gone after another bad coughing spell. Niels ended up giving most of the pre-match talk instead.
Nobody said anything about it.
But everyone knew something was wrong.
Friday morning's training session was going normally until Milan suddenly sat down on the bench.
His face looked pale, and there was sweat running down his forehead even though it was cold outside.
Niels immediately walked over.
"Coach, are you alright?"
Milan looked at him and shook his head.
"I'm fine."
His voice was quiet, but he clearly didn't want to talk about it.
The players had stopped what they were doing and were watching them. Milan noticed and picked up his whistle.
"Back to training!"
The whistle blew, and the players slowly got moving again.
When training finished, most of the players left. Niels stayed behind.
Milan was still sitting on the bench, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His head was down, and his breathing was uneven.
Niels stood there for a while, not knowing what to say.
That night, Niels couldn't sleep.
He kept thinking about Milan.
Crawley had finally started playing with confidence. The team was improving, and everyone was beginning to believe that they could have a good season.
But Milan was the person who had helped bring them this far.
What would happen if he couldn't continue?
Niels had always thought of himself as Milan's assistant. He had never seriously considered what would happen if he had to take charge.
Now, for the first time, he found himself thinking about it.
If Milan couldn't be there anymore, could Niels step up and lead the team?
He didn't know.
But he knew he might have to find out sooner than he wanted.