The morning sun had barely crept over the Lecce skyline when Alex Walker pulled into the parking lot of the training ground. His car engine clicked softly as it cooled, the frost still clinging to the edges of the windshield. He stepped out into the crisp air, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. A slight breeze kissed his face, carrying the distinct scent of damp grass and the lingering chill of an Italian winter morning.
Despite the cold, Alex felt something he hadn't in a while... momentum.
Maybe it was the meeting with the president and sporting director the day before. Maybe it was the clarity of purpose that followed. For the first time in months, it felt like the wheel was turning in his direction. Slowly, sure. But turning.
The training facility was already alive with quiet movement. Groundskeepers pushed carts across the fields, white lines were being re-painted, and staff moved in and out of offices with coffees in hand. It was the calm before the storm, the subtle rhythm of a club waking up.
Alex made his way through the familiar corridors, nodding at staff, offering clipped but polite greetings. In truth, his mind was already ahead, on training, on Monza, on what pieces he had to fix and which ones he needed to reshape altogether.
He stepped into the coaching office, where Marco, his assistant, was hunched over a clipboard. His glasses rested low on his nose, and he looked up the moment Alex entered.
"Morning, boss," Marco greeted, pushing the glasses up and tapping the pen against the board.
Alex nodded, shrugging off his coat and hanging it over the back of a chair. "Morning. How're we looking?"
Marco glanced back down at the clipboard. "Well, one thing worth mentioning. Got a call from the Under-21s last night. Said they've got two boys they want us to take a look at, might be ready to step up, even if just for training."
Alex perked up. "Names?"
"Samuele Di Bello and Karim Ouattara. Di Bello's a midfielder, box-to-box type, decent engine, pretty tidy on the ball. Smart runs. Ouattara's a left-back. Fast, aggressive, maybe too aggressive at times, but he's got raw potential. Coaches say he's been fearless."
Alex leaned back in his chair, letting that settle for a moment. "Alright. Let's bring them in. No harm giving them a taste. If they sink, they sink. If they swim…"
Marco finished the thought with a smirk. "Then we've got options."
Alex liked that. Options. The more he had, the more levers he could pull when the game demanded it.
The two stood, gathering their things. Alex glanced out the window toward the training pitch where players were starting to arrive. Most of them were in tracksuits, headphones on, yawns still escaping between sips of espresso or water. A few clutched their phones, watching highlights, messages from agents, families, or something less innocent. Alex had seen it all before.
"Let's get to it," he said.
They walked together out onto the grass. The ground was soft beneath his shoes, still holding onto last night's moisture. The scent of the turf hit him, the kind of earthy, nostalgic smell that always reminded him of his younger days. Lacing boots before the sun came up, aching quads, adrenaline coursing through stiff legs. Back then, it was all about the dream.
Now, it was about keeping the dream alive, for everyone else.
The players were stretching, the atmosphere casual but focused. Jokes flew back and forth. Someone played music from a Bluetooth speaker, Italian hip hop mixed with a splash of Afrobeats. Alex let them be for a few minutes before clapping his hands to bring them in.
"Alright, listen up," he called, voice carrying just enough to turn heads. "This weekend, we've got Monza. Relegation rival. Another fight. And you all know what's at stake."
Some of the players nodded. Others shifted slightly, the mood turning serious.
"They're going to come hungry. Desperate, even. They'll press hard, look to take the initiative. So we prepare like we mean it. Like we expect to win. Not hope. Expect."
A few heads lifted at that. Krstović, standing near the front, gave a short nod. Banda, just behind him, cracked his neck and muttered something under his breath. Good. The fire was there.
And then, like clockwork, the familiar chime echoed faintly in Alex's mind. A soft ping that no one else could hear. His eyes flicked briefly upward as the System unfolded in front of him, translucent and clean.
[Opponent Analysis: AC Monza]
[Formation: 3-4-1-2 / Variation: 4-2-3-1 in possession]
[Strengths:]
[Midfield control in settled play]
[Wingback overlaps and cutbacks]
[Aerial presence from set pieces]
[Weaknesses:]
[Vulnerable to quick transitions]
[Struggles with pressing-resistant players]
[Defensive line lacks pace on recovery]
[Recommended Strategy: 3-4-3 gegenpressing counter-attack]
[Focus: Trap central mids, attack wide channels, force turnovers in the middle third]
The data flickered for a second before disappearing. Alex didn't need more. He'd seen what he needed. His mind immediately began to reconfigure the day's session.
A gegenpressing strategy fit. Monza liked to build slow, methodical. That made them predictable when pressured the right way. He needed intensity, traps in midfield, quick switches to wide areas, and forwards that attacked space like their lives depended on it.
Today wouldn't be for finesse. Today would be for sweat and grit.
He split the players into groups, directing them into passing drills with quick recovery patterns. While they warmed up, he drifted to the sideline where Samuele Di Bello and Karim Ouattara had just arrived, both in Lecce training gear, both looking equal parts nervous and excited.
Alex approached them, offering a small but encouraging smile.
"Welcome, boys. Heard good things. Let's see what you've got."
Di Bello straightened, a flicker of pride in his eyes. Ouattara simply nodded, jaw tight with focus. Neither spoke much, but Alex didn't mind that. He wasn't looking for speeches. He was looking for players who'd bite into challenges and chase lost causes.
As the session progressed, Alex moved like a conductor through his orchestra, shouting adjustments, praising sharp plays, correcting laziness with clipped commands. He made his way to Di Bello during a break and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Good movement, but don't ball-watch after your pass. You're not a passenger. Keep finding pockets."
Then to Ouattara after a particularly aggressive tackle: "Nice bite. But remember, if you miss that, they're in behind. Control the chaos."
The kid nodded, chest heaving. His cleats were covered in dirt. That was a good sign.
By the time the drills transitioned into tactical simulations, Alex had seen enough to know that both youngsters had something. Whether that 'something' would be enough remained to be seen, but the seed was there.
An hour later, after a final small-sided match emphasizing transitional play and pressing triggers, Alex blew the whistle and let most of the squad head in. Boots thudded against the concrete as they disappeared into the facility, laughter and banter trailing behind them.
But not everyone got off easy.
"Forwards," Alex called, pointing at the group already beginning to drift away. "Hold back. Extra finishing, as usual. You know the drill."
There were half-hearted groans, the kind that signaled exhaustion more than protest. Banda rolled his eyes but stayed put. Krstović grabbed a bottle of water and jogged back toward the top of the box. Even the youngest of the frontmen, still wide-eyed and trying to prove himself, looked determined to stay.
Alex set up the drills himself. Cones placed with precision. Two-touch limits. Finish in three seconds or less. Rebounds count. No tap-ins.
One by one, they took their turns, shots flying in, some crisp, others rushed. Alex watched each with a trained eye, not just for technique, but for attitude. Who adjusted after a miss? Who scowled? Who chased the loose ball like it was a game-winner?
By the end of the session, sweat drenched shirts, and legs had grown heavy. But no one complained. Not out loud.
Alex stepped back, satisfied.
"Good. That's the level I want. Hit the showers."
As they filed off the pitch, he stayed behind for a moment, letting the sun warm his face. The pitch was empty now. Just cones and scattered balls, the echoes of a hard-fought session hanging in the air.