Monday, October 17, 2022

Centro Bortolotti Training Complex, Zingonia

9:47 AM

The recovery session began with familiar routine as players moved through dynamic stretching near the main pitch, and the morning air carried autumn's bite while Demien worked through hamstring stretches beside Koopmeiners who was scrolling through his phone between sets.

Gasperini stood near the center circle with his assistants, watching without commentary as the squad loosened muscles that still carried Sunday's fatigue from the Roma draw, and when he blew his whistle once the group transitioned smoothly into light jogging around the perimeter.

Demien fell into step beside Lookman, and the English winger's pace was deliberately slow as his calves worked through the stiffness that came from ninety minutes of sprinting, and neither spoke while their breathing stayed even and controlled.

After fifteen minutes of activation work, the session shifted to possession drills in tight grids, and Gasperini organized them into groups of eight with two defenders in the middle, and the objective was simple circulation rather than penetration because recovery sessions prioritized touch and rhythm over tactical sharpness.

Demien received the ball from De Roon and played it one-touch to Pasalic before moving into space, and the pattern repeated with minimal thought required as his body remembered the movements through years of repetition, and when the drill ended after twenty minutes his legs felt marginally better though still not fresh.

The system interface materialized briefly in his peripheral vision as the group walked toward the water station.

「TRAINING SESSION COMPLETE」

「Quality: Recovery」

「REWARD: 10 TP」

「Current Balance: 359 MP | 248 TP | 2 SP」

The notification faded quickly, and Demien grabbed a bottle from the cooler while Tolói was already heading toward the locker room because recovery days ended earlier than full sessions, and the squad began dispersing with some heading for massage appointments and others planning gym work.

Inside the locker room, the atmosphere was relaxed as players changed out of training gear while conversations drifted between weekend plans and upcoming fixtures, and Demien pulled off his shirt while sitting on the bench between Lookman and Koopmeiners.

"Fiorentina next week," Hateboer said from across the room while unlacing his boots, and his Danish accent carried casual interest rather than emphasis. "Away match. Always tough there."

"Their stadium's loud," Tolói added while pulling on a clean shirt, and the Italian defender's expression showed familiarity with the Artemio Franchi. "Passionate fans. They'll make it difficult."

De Roon glanced over at Demien while toweling sweat from his face, and the captain's voice carried measured curiosity as he spoke. "You're from Florence, yeah? Must be strange going back."

Demien nodded once while pulling on his hoodie, and his tone stayed neutral as he replied. "Yeah. Lived there most of my life."

"You played in their academy?" Koopmeiners asked from beside him, and the Dutch midfielder's question came without judgment, just straightforward interest.

"Three years," Demien confirmed, and he kept his voice even while reaching for his bag. "U15 through U17."

Lookman leaned forward slightly, and his English accent made the question sound more casual than it was. "What happened? Why'd you leave?"

"They released me." The words came simply, without bitterness or elaboration, and Demien stood to grab his training bag from the hook above his locker. "Said I wasn't good enough."

The room went quiet for half a second before Hateboer laughed once, and the sound carried disbelief rather than mockery. "Not good enough? You're starting for Atalanta in Serie A at eighteen. They must feel stupid now."

"Probably," Demien said, and a small smile crossed his face despite the memory's weight. "But that's football."

De Roon stood and walked over while pulling his captain's armband from his training shorts, and he stopped in front of Demien with his arms crossed and his expression serious but not heavy. "First time back since they released you?"

"First time playing against the first team," Demien clarified, and he zipped his bag closed while meeting the captain's eyes. "Played against their U23s in a friendly during preseason."

"How'd that go?"

"Won three-two. Scored twice."

Koopmeiners grinned from his seat. "Of course you did."

De Roon's hand landed on Demien's shoulder, and the captain's grip was firm as his voice carried quiet conviction. "Listen. It's just another match. Don't make it bigger than it is. They're sixth in the table, we're third. We go there, we play our game, we take three points. Simple."

"They've got quality though," Pasalic interjected from near the showers, and the Croatian midfielder was pulling on slides while his wet hair dripped onto his towel. "Jović's on eight goals already. Their midfield presses well. It won't be easy."

"Nothing's easy in this league," Tolói said while standing to leave, and his voice carried the authority of someone who'd played Serie A for years. "But we're better than them. We prove it on Sunday."

Lookman stood and stretched his arms above his head, and when he spoke his tone was lighter but still pointed. "Just don't freeze up because it's your old club. They rejected you, yeah? So remind them why that was a mistake. Score a goal, create chances, show them what they're missing."

"Exactly," Hateboer agreed while slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Best revenge is performing. Let your football do the talking."

Demien nodded while absorbing the words, and the weight of Sunday felt slightly lighter knowing his teammates understood the context without making it dramatic, and when he grabbed his keys from the locker the conversation shifted naturally to lunch plans and afternoon schedules.

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Centro Bortolotti Training Complex

10:15 AM

Tuesday's session carried more structure as Gasperini organized tactical work focused on Fiorentina's pressing patterns, and the intensity increased from Monday's recovery pace while still remaining controlled rather than exhausting.

The squad gathered at midfield while Gasperini stood before a portable tactical board, and his marker moved across the white surface as he drew Fiorentina's 4-3-3 formation with quick precise strokes.

"They press in a mid-block," Gasperini began, and his voice carried instructional clarity without excessive emphasis. "Their front three sits deeper than Napoli's, waiting for triggers rather than hunting the ball aggressively. When we play into certain zones, they spring."

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