Chapter 33 – The Weight of the Badge
The regional team's first gathering took place in Setúbal, two hours south of Lisbon. A smaller coastal town known for fishing, salt, and, now, football.
They met at a training complex nestled between hills and sea. Six players from Jota's academy arrived together, stepping out of the bus into unfamiliar territory. Around them, clusters of boys from Porto, Braga, and Algarve academies stood in tight circles—talking, stretching, already forming tribes.
Jota carried no fear, but his senses were heightened.
New players.
New dynamics.
New competition.
Coach Nuno didn't come. This was a different staff. Different voices. Jota felt that absence like a missing heartbeat.
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The first session was simple: warm-ups, five-a-side, positional play.
But everything felt faster.
Not just the passes—but the thinking. Decisions were made in fractions. Jota missed his first touch. Misread a run. Got intercepted.
By minute fifteen, sweat stung his eyes.
