Chapter 92 – Stepping Forward
The Palmeiras training ground was buzzing with life as usual. Coaches barked instructions from the sidelines, the sound of cleats thudded against the turf, and the occasional sharp whistle echoed across the fields. Thiago stood near the edge of the pitch, water bottle in hand, trying to center his thoughts. The morning sun was already bearing down hard, but the sweat on his back wasn’t just from the heat.
Today was different.
He wasn’t just another teenager trying to fight his way into the first team anymore. He was a player with a future somewhere else—across the ocean, in a country he’d never stepped foot in, under a coach who believed in him more than he sometimes believed in himself.
Dortmund.
The name sounded unreal even when he said it in his head.
He spotted Coach Eneas near one of the goalposts, arms crossed, watching the U-20 squad go through a quick passing drill. Thiago took a breath and walked over, heart thumping faster with each step.
Eneas noticed him right away. "You’re late," he said, not harshly, but with that familiar edge that meant he’d been keeping track.
"I know," Thiago replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry. I just needed some time."
Eneas studied him for a moment, then nodded toward the bench under the shade. "Come. Sit."
They walked over and sat side by side, silence stretching between them for a few seconds. Thiago wasn’t sure how to begin. He tapped the edge of his water bottle, watching the condensation slide down the side.
"I wanted to tell you in person," he said finally. "Dortmund... they’ve submitted the official offer to the club."