Chapter 18: Smoke and Mirrors
Chapter 18: Smoke and Mirrors
The press room had that usual stale scent of old coffee and artificial calm.
Niels sat upright, suit crisp, hands folded on the table. The Crawley Town crest repeated behind him, flanked by sponsor logos that looked more hopeful than prestigious.
It was his first press conference as head coach. And the spotlight burned hotter than he expected.
A reporter from Sussex Sports leaned forward.
"Coach Marjan, congratulations. But let's address the obvious—Milan's departure was sudden. You're twenty-five. Some say this job came too soon. Do you feel ready?"
Niels nodded slightly, voice calm but firm.
"I don't take this responsibility lightly. I grew under Milan. Learned from him. But we aren't trying to replace anyone. We're building forward. With the same core, the same belief."
A few pens scribbled. One recorder blinked red.
A regional outlet jumped in. "Some fans worry that the club's rushing things. That you're too inexperienced. What do you say to them?"
"I say judge us by how we train. How we fight. Not by assumptions. We've already shown who we are on the pitch."