⚽ Football Reborn: The Manager from the Future
Chapter 23 – Internal Pressure: Bellingham vs. Haaland Begins
The sound of boots against turf echoed through the Darlington training complex. It was early—too early for scheduled drills—but the pitch lights were already on, and two shadows were locked in a clash of intensity.
Jude Bellingham was pressing high, his stance wide and arms pumping, trying to intercept the ball.
Erling Haaland stood like a boulder, pivoted hard, and shrugged Jude off with the ease of a charging bull.
"Come on, you going to press or pose?" Haaland barked.
Jude didn't back down.
"I'm not here to babysit your ego, Viking. Pass the ball or stop wasting our time."
The room around them was quiet—until a whistle cut the tension.
It was Messi, holding a stopwatch and shaking his head.
"That's enough," he said calmly in Spanish-accented English. "You're not here to fight. You're here to build."
But Ethan, watching from the glass-walled control room above, already saw the fracture forming.
🧠 AI ALERT
"Sub-squad harmony below optimal threshold. Psychological tension: 71% and rising."
Risk: Ego Conflict – Bellingham (Alpha strategist) vs Haaland (Dominant striker)
Prediction: If unaddressed, fracture leads to full-team instability within 40 days.
Greg stood beside Ethan, arms crossed. "We knew this might happen. They're both used to being the center."
"They were never meant to be on the same team," Ethan murmured. "In the original timeline, they competed for dominance in every league."
He tapped a command on the interface.
A 3D tactical simulation unfolded—Jude at the heart of midfield, orchestrating with near telepathic vision. Haaland up front, demanding vertical service and expecting instant delivery.
When it worked, it was beautiful.
But the margin for error was microscopic.
When Jude hesitated, Haaland lost momentum. When Haaland drifted too high, Jude's verticals were wasted.
They were stars in different orbits—close, but colliding.
Ethan called a closed meeting in the film room. No coaches. No Ronaldo. No Neymar. Just the two prodigies and him.
Jude leaned back in his chair, eyes cool. "This isn't about ego. It's about rhythm. He's playing off instinct—I'm playing chess."
Haaland scoffed. "You think too much. Football's about hunger. You hesitate, and it's over."
Ethan sat down, folding his hands.
"You're both right."
They turned.
"But that doesn't matter. Because the Syndicate is betting that your clash will break this project."
He tapped the table. The AI displayed simulation footage—unedited raw clips where Jude ignored Haaland's run, or Haaland refused to drop for buildup.
Then, it shifted to projected Syndicate counter-plays: engineered teams that would double-mark Jude, isolate Haaland, and force them to blame each other.
"You think this is just a football philosophy difference?" Ethan asked. "This is psychological warfare. You're not fighting each other. You're being played."
Silence.
Then Jude leaned forward.
"So what do you want us to do?"
"Adapt," Ethan said. "Together. Haaland, drop into space and let Jude feed you from deep. Jude, release faster, even when he's overrun. You're not fighting for touches. You're fighting for the system."
Haaland rubbed the back of his neck. "And if we still hate each other?"
Ethan smiled. "Then hate the same enemy more."
The next day, the drills resumed.
This time, Messi and Ronaldo ran the session, focusing on timing, vision, and trust.
At first, it was rocky.
Haaland's hold-up play clashed with Jude's rhythm. But little by little, it clicked.
By the end of the scrimmage, Jude hit a lofted pass from deep midfield. Haaland checked his run, chest-trapped, and buried it low with one touch.
No celebration. No high-five.
But eye contact.
That was enough—for now.
That night, as the players rested and the AI recalibrated, Ethan sat in the data room reviewing updates.
⚠️ INTERFERENCE ATTEMPT DETECTED
Source: External neural signal, bounced from unknown server
Attempted breach: Emotional resonance modulation (target: Bellingham)
Status: Blocked
Origin: Unconfirmed – Possible Syndicate "Whisper" Unit
The Syndicate had tried to manipulate Jude's emotions digitally. Subtle, powerful tech from the future—a way to turn a player's mind against itself.
Ethan stared at the screen.
"This wasn't just natural tension," he muttered. "They're already inside our heads."
He tapped the AI console.
"Activate Firewall Protocol Beta. Full player neural defense."
✅ Confirmed.
Firewall activated. Players monitored for synthetic influence.
As the sun rose over Darlington, Jude and Haaland were already on the training pitch—this time passing in silence. Each touch sharp. Each movement synced.
They still didn't smile.
But their movements no longer clashed.
They combined.
And somewhere deep in the Syndicate's data center, a red light blinked.
They had failed to divide the team—for now.
But the next play wouldn't be so subtle.
They were preparing to attack the AI itself.