Amsterdam – Ajax Training Complex, De Toekomst
The walls of the conference room were lined with club legends—photographs of Cruyff mid-pirouette, Van Basten's volley frozen in time, Bergkamp gliding past defenders as if the ball were magnetized to his feet. But today, the focus wasn't the past.
It was the future.
Martin Jol stood at the head of the long oak table, his broad frame casting a shadow over the match report spread before him. The Dutchman had only recently taken over as Ajax's head coach, his gravelly voice still fresh in the ears of the assembled staff. Though preseason was weeks away, the air in the room crackled with urgency. His index finger tapped twice against the table, a sharp *tap-tap* cutting through the low murmur of conversation.
"Alright," Jol said, his voice carrying the weight of a man used to command. "Let's talk about the Brazilian kid."
