Alex chuckled as he stared at the sea of reporters in front of him. Somehow, the experience made things seem more real to him. He really went back in time—it wasn't a dream. The murmurs of shifting chairs, the occasional click of a camera, and the general buzz of anticipation filled the air. The press room lights beamed down harshly, warming his forehead just enough to remind him he was on display.
He sat straighter, taking it all in. The bright lights, the muted tones of the journalists' clothing, the shuffling of notepads, and the tiny emblem of U.S. Lecce pinned to his chest—it was surreal. This wasn't Manchester or Madrid. It was Lecce, fighting for survival, and here he was, sitting in front of all these people, expected to have all the answers.
While Alex was having these thoughts, one of the reporters stood up and started asking a question.
"Good morning Alex, my name is Luca Benedetti from the Italian Sports Daily," the reporter began, leaning slightly forward as he held the mic closer. "Uh... well, you've had an illustrious playing career, from Manchester United to Real Madrid to Inter Milan. It's sort of a new environment for you here with a club like U.S. Lecce, who are currently so close to the relegation zone. What is your immediate goal for the club? Is it merely surviving relegation, or maybe you might be going for something bigger?"
Alex smiled when he heard the first question. It was a mild one—something like a warm-up before the dogs got ready. He tilted his head slightly, buying himself a second to consider the best response. The way the reporter phrased it gave him an easy route, and he took it.
"Luca, right?"
The reporter nodded.
"Well, the goal is to win matches. That's all there is. Win matches, get points and progress up the table, you know," Alex said with a shrug. He looked casual, but his tone held conviction. "Whether we're fighting relegation or looking for a mid-table finish or going for European spots or challenging for the title, the goal is always to win games and get points."
Luca nodded slowly, as though digesting the answer but not quite satisfied yet.
"With what you've said about the goal being to win games, are there maybe certain games where you would approach with a different mindset, maybe games against stronger oppositions?" Luca asked again, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Alex chuckled a bit when he heard the question. He was basically asking Alex if he thought his team was good enough to compete with all the teams in the league. Alex knew that if his answer was positive, Luca would probably follow up with a question about Lecce's current league position—an indirect jab at the former coach.
"Yes, I think the mentality is the same no matter who we play against," Alex answered. "Even if everyone else would say that we're underdogs, we have to believe. Having the right mentality is the first step to winning a football match."
"With-"
"Thank you, another person please," Alex said, cutting Luca off before he could finish his follow-up. He gestured toward another reporter who stood up immediately, ready to ask their question. He didn't want the press conference to turn into a blame game.
"Hello Alex, welcome to the club."
"Thank you," Alex nodded.
"My name is Giulia Moretti from Lecce Fan Radio," Giulia said. "You've only had a few days with the team. How much do you realistically think that you can change in the short time between you starting the job and the match tomorrow?"
Alex scratched his nose a bit, considering the question carefully. That was a tough one. He didn't want to overpromise. The room quieted again, the kind of silence that meant everyone was listening closely.
"Well for now, there's nothing much that I can change... I maybe tweaked the tactics a little bit, maybe a new formation, but there's really nothing more that I can do given the small amount of time," he admitted honestly. "I think that one has to remember that it's the same team that's been playing all season that's going into this match against Cagliari—not some super team."
Giulia nodded but didn't let the moment pass.
"Are you then insinuating that your team isn't good enough for the standards of this league?" she asked again, her voice slightly sharper.
"No. That's not what I'm saying. You asked me if I could change much, and I said not much can be changed in such a short period of time. I'm just a coach, I'm not Harry Potter," Alex said sharply. "Next person please."
If there was one thing Alex hated more than a journalist asking stressful questions, it was a journalist twisting his words. If he didn't have all the experience from before, she would've put him in a tight corner. He remained calm, though. Composed. Experienced.
"Hello Alex, my name is Alessandro Ferretti from The Sportsman Journal," Alessandro said as he rose from his seat. He had a curious glint in his eye. "I've heard some rumors that you're switching to a back three system. That's quite a departure from Lecce's usual style. Can you confirm?"
"Yes. I will be coaching them in a back three," Alex replied, not hesitating.
"Are you worried about backlash from the fans, you know, going away from Lecce's traditional football identity?"
"A wise man once said insanity is trying the same thing and expecting different results," Alex said. "Lecce's traditional football identity has them going back and forth between Serie A and Serie B, and now it has them very close to the relegation zone. Maybe if we want that to change, then we have to change something."
Alessandro seemed satisfied with Alex's answer because he sat down. Another journalist stood up and introduced himself.
"Hello Alex, Patrick. My name is Raphael Farias. My question is actually for Patrick," Raphael said, shifting his attention. "Well, we've heard so many rumors about Manchester United having you within their sights. What can you say about that?"
"For now, I'm focused on Lecce and nothing else," Dorgu said. He was a bit surprised when he heard that the journalist wanted to talk to him but he recovered very quickly. "In fact, for the duration that I'm here, I've never heard about Manchester United or any other club."
Alex smiled when he heard Dorgu's answer.
Spoken like a true politician.
He was growing to like Dorgu more and more.
He answered a few more questions from the journalists before leaving the press room. The forwards had waited behind for some extra training as usual, but Alex dismissed them. They were going to need all their energy for the match against Cagliari.