Chapter 97 – Cold and Clear
The training pitch stretched out before Thiago, its pristine grass glistening with morning frost. His breath came in visible puffs as he stretched near the sideline, the cold air stinging his lungs with each inhale. The thermal leggings under his training gear helped, but nothing could stop the chill from creeping into his bones. He rubbed his gloved hands together, watching the other players jog through warm-up drills—their movements sharp, their voices carrying across the field in a mix of German and accented English.
Then he heard it—a voice cutting through the crisp air.
"Oi, Thiago! There you are!"
Jürgen Klopp strode toward him with the energy of a man who’d been awake since dawn. Up close, the manager was taller than Thiago expected, his broad shoulders filling out a thick winter coat zipped to his chin. His beanie sat slightly askew, tufts of unkempt hair sticking out from beneath it. The lenses of his glasses caught the pale morning light as he closed the distance, his boots crunching on the frost-covered ground.
"Sorry I couldn’t be here yesterday," Klopp said, reaching out to clasp Thiago’s hand in a firm grip before pulling him into a quick, back-thumping hug. The scent of coffee and wintergreen chewing gum clung to him. "Had to sit through meetings in Munich. Boardroom nonsense. Not as fun as freezing our arses off out here, eh?"
Thiago smiled, still adjusting to the man’s presence. "No problem, Coach."
Klopp waved a hand dismissively. "None of that ’Coach’ business unless we’re in front of the cameras. Around here, I’m just Jürgen." He grinned, the lines around his eyes deepening. "Or ’Hey, you’ if you’re feeling particularly German."
Thiago huffed a quiet laugh, his nerves easing slightly.
Klopp clapped him on the shoulder and steered him toward the training pitch, their boots leaving dark prints in the frost. "Listen," he said, his tone shifting into something more serious. "I’ve watched your tapes. That final against Corinthians. Some academy matches too." He stopped walking and turned to face Thiago fully. "You’ve got talent—real talent—but I don’t want you thinking you need to prove everything today. That’s not how we work here."