Coach Chivu's speech had lit a fire under the team, but it was a controlled burn. The wild, chaotic energy of the Derby win had been forged into a sharp, focused determination. The training session that followed was the most intense they'd had all season. Every pass was crisper, every sprint was faster, every tackle was harder.
But even in the crucible of this newfound intensity, they were still a family. And families laugh.
During a break, as players gulped down water, Julián Álvarez, with a look of deep philosophical concentration, turned to Nicolò Barella.
"Nico," he said seriously. "If you try to fail, and you succeed, which one did you do?"
Barella, who was mid-swig, choked on his water, sputtering and coughing as the absurd question hit him. Lautaro Martínez, overhearing, just groaned and threw a towel at Julián's head. "Will you stop breaking my midfielder's brain? I need him for the weekend!"
