The air at the training ground was cool and crisp, but the mood was anything but.
We were a few days away from our Coppa Italia match against Roma, and the energy was electric. It was the kind of charged atmosphere where every pass felt a little sharper, every shot a little more powerful. Coach Chivu had us running through drills focused on quick transitions and precision shooting, and the intensity was palpable.
"Good! Good! Push the tempo!" he yelled from the sidelines, his voice cutting through the thud of the balls and the chatter of the players.
I was in a small group with Julián Álvarez and Cole Palmer, working on a finishing drill. We'd take turns, each of us trying to place a shot into the corners of the goal while the keeper, Emil Audero, tried to guess where it was going. I watched as Julián, with his quick feet and powerful strike, blasted one past the keeper.
"Nice one, Julián!" I called out, giving him a thumbs-up.
"Thanks, Leo. You next."
