Chapter 19: Preparations and Prospects
The morning sun had barely crept over the Lecce skyline when Alex Walker pulled into the parking lot of the training ground. His car engine clicked softly as it cooled, the frost still clinging to the edges of the windshield. He stepped out into the crisp air, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. A slight breeze kissed his face, carrying the distinct scent of damp grass and the lingering chill of an Italian winter morning.
Despite the cold, Alex felt something he hadn’t in a while... momentum.
Maybe it was the meeting with the president and sporting director the day before. Maybe it was the clarity of purpose that followed. For the first time in months, it felt like the wheel was turning in his direction. Slowly, sure. But turning.
The training facility was already alive with quiet movement. Groundskeepers pushed carts across the fields, white lines were being re-painted, and staff moved in and out of offices with coffees in hand. It was the calm before the storm, the subtle rhythm of a club waking up.
Alex made his way through the familiar corridors, nodding at staff, offering clipped but polite greetings. In truth, his mind was already ahead, on training, on Monza, on what pieces he had to fix and which ones he needed to reshape altogether.
He stepped into the coaching office, where Marco, his assistant, was hunched over a clipboard. His glasses rested low on his nose, and he looked up the moment Alex entered.
"Morning, boss," Marco greeted, pushing the glasses up and tapping the pen against the board.
Alex nodded, shrugging off his coat and hanging it over the back of a chair. "Morning. How’re we looking?"
Marco glanced back down at the clipboard. "Well, one thing worth mentioning. Got a call from the Under-21s last night. Said they’ve got two boys they want us to take a look at, might be ready to step up, even if just for training."
Alex perked up. "Names?"
"Samuele Di Bello and Karim Ouattara. Di Bello’s a midfielder, box-to-box type, decent engine, pretty tidy on the ball. Smart runs. Ouattara’s a left-back. Fast, aggressive, maybe too aggressive at times, but he’s got raw potential. Coaches say he’s been fearless."