Alex Walker sat cross-legged on the edge of his new apartment's modest sofa, a cup of espresso growing cold on the coffee table in front of him. The apartment wasn't much, but it was enough—a far cry from the penthouse suites he'd stayed in during his playing days in Madrid and Manchester, but also a world away from the cold, damp loneliness of his final days in England. Lecce, with its orange-tinged sunsets and palm-lined streets, had its charm.
The living room was small but neat, painted in beige and white with Mediterranean touches: a wrought iron coffee table, ceramic tiles on the floor, and a framed photograph of the city's old town hanging above a modest flat-screen TV. His luggage still sat by the entrance, half-unpacked, with a few shirts hanging on the back of one dining chair. On the far end of the room, a sliding glass door led out to a tiny balcony where one could see the tiled rooftops and church domes of Lecce's historic center. The hum of scooters and distant conversations floated up like a reminder that life outside kept moving.
But in Alex's world, time felt frozen. Tomorrow was his first match in charge.
He rubbed his palms together nervously, then leaned back into the sofa, eyes flickering to the notifications that only he could see. The system was currently calculating match probabilities.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[Match Prediction Model Activated]
[Match: Cagliari vs Lecce]
[Venue: Unipol Domus, Cagliari]
[Date: 26th November 2024]
[Win Probability:]
[Cagliari: 41%]
[Draw: 32%]
[Lecce: 27%]
[Key Factors:]
[Home advantage for Cagliari]
[Lecce tactical shift untested]
[Lecce low morale but high athleticism]
[Cagliari's strong pressing in central zones]
Alex exhaled slowly as he read the percentages. Cagliari were slight favorites. Not overwhelming—but enough to plant a seed of doubt. That old anxiety crept in, slithering past his confidence like a whisper. He had lived through nights like this before, when he played in Champions League finals or walked into El Clasico showdowns, but this felt different. This wasn't about winning trophies.
This was about proving he still belonged.
He shut his eyes and let the silence of the room embrace him. For a while, he didn't think—he just breathed. Then he stood up, went to the balcony, and looked out over Lecce. The warm yellow lights of the city cast soft glows against the cobbled streets, and somewhere down below, a dog barked. He was alone, but he didn't feel lonely. He just felt… alive.
***
The locker room at the Unipol Domus had a strange energy that morning—somewhere between nervousness and quiet resolve. The Lecce players sat at their benches, boots laced, kits pressed, waiting for the words that would decide their fate.
Alex stood at the center, clipboard in one hand, the other resting on his hip. He was dressed simply: a dark polo tucked into black slacks, the club badge sewn proudly into his chest. The players looked up at him, some with curiosity, others with mild skepticism. This was still new for them. For all of them.
He cleared his throat.
"Alright," he began. "Let's talk."
He turned to the whiteboard and started placing magnetic name tags onto a simple 3-4-1-2 diagram.
"Früchtl in goal," he announced. "Back three: Pongracic on the right, Baschirotto in the center, Touba on the left."
No murmurs. Just silent nods.
"Wingbacks: Gallo on the right. Patrick—" he turned to Dorgu with a faint smile, "—on the left."
Dorgu nodded back, focused.
"Double pivot in midfield: Ramadani and Berisha. I need energy and discipline. Just keep it simple, nothing fancy."
He paused, giving each of them a moment to absorb the instructions.
"In front of them, Pierotti. You'll float. Link play, press early, find space. Got it?"
"Yes, mister."
"Up top: Kaba and Rebic. Kaba, I want you to drag their line wide. Stretch it. Ante, you're my target man. Win those duels. If it's ugly, so be it. Just win them."
It would've been better to use Krstovic and Banda as the starting two, but he was trying to prove a point... he had no place for players like them in his team;
He turned back around to face the entire room.
"Look, I'm not going to pretend I'm a miracle worker. You've had me for, what, three days?"
A few of them chuckled.
"But I've seen enough. You're not a broken team. You're just a team without structure. Without a plan. That ends today. You follow the shape, cover for each other, and stay compact—we can take something from this game. Maybe even win it."
He walked across the room slowly, letting his words settle.
"They think we're the underdogs. Hell, even the numbers think we're going to lose. But football isn't about percentages. It's about moments. Fight for those moments. Win them. And I promise you, we'll walk out of here with something to show."
He stopped in front of Dorgu and gave his shoulder a pat.
"Make them regret ever doubting you."
Then to Baschirotto, "Lead the line. You're the heartbeat."
Finally, to the whole squad: "This is Lecce. We don't bow down to anyone."
A low rumble of agreement passed through the room. Some players started tapping their shinguards. Gloves were tightened. Boots stamped into the floor. There was tension, yes—but something more, too. Unity.
The assistant coach peeked through the door.
"Time to go."
Alex gave a final nod. "Let's walk."
The tunnel was narrow, dimly lit, and smelled faintly of sweat and grass. On the other side, the roar of Cagliari's fans echoed like thunder, a constant wall of noise waiting to swallow them whole.
The Lecce players lined up, shoulders squared. Across from them, Cagliari's squad looked relaxed, confident. But that was fine.
Let them underestimate.
Alex stood behind his players, hands in his pockets, heart pounding like a drum. And yet, there was something comforting about it. Something familiar. This was his element.
He gave one last look up toward the sky beyond the stadium roof.
Let's begin.