The room buzzed with activity, flashes snapping, pens scratching, as the last words left Yamal's mouth.
He sat back in his chair, gaze calm, as though he had shouldered the storm of questions and come out intact.
Beside him, Flick allowed the smallest of smiles to curl across his lips before the moderator finally stepped in, raising his hands.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Thank you, everyone. We'll see you tomorrow."
....
The flashbulbs had barely died down by the time Hansi Flick and Lamine Yamal stepped out of the press room and into the quieter corridor beyond.
The hum of reporters still echoed faintly behind the doors, but here it was just them and the staff of the stadium around, getting things ready for the battle that was to happen the next day.
Flick let out a sudden laugh, light but genuine, shaking his head.
"You handled that well," he said, his German accent curling over the words.
