Chapter 6: The First Locker Room
June 9, 2017 – FC Barcelona First Team Facility
The hum of the overhead lights echoed faintly in the locker room.
No cameras. No press. Just a row of world-class players seated on the benches—curious, skeptical, tired of experiments.
Lionel Messi leaned back with arms folded.
Busquets sat with his usual quiet composure.
Piqué was mid-sip from a bottle of water, eyes locked on the new coach.
Jordi Alba, Rakitic, Denis Suárez, Paco Alcácer, Luis Suárez, and others waited.
And at the center of it all stood Noah Marlowe, wearing the official crest, the AI Tactical System tablet in hand, and the weight of an entire club's rebirth on his shoulders.
"Let's get this straight," Noah began. "I'm not here to change Barça's identity. I'm here to restore it."
He paused, scanning the room.
"This team was built on intelligence. Movement. Ball control. Risk through rhythm. Somewhere along the way, you were told to play safe. Now I'm here to correct that."
He tapped the tablet. The system flickered to life.
[Squad Evaluation Loaded – Tactical Compatibility Scan Complete]
System Readout – Internal (Visible Only to Noah)
High Tactical Fit:
Lionel Messi
Sergio Busquets
Andrés Iniesta
Gerard Piqué
Marc-André ter Stegen
Jordi Alba
Samuel Umtiti
Sergi Roberto
Luis Suárez
Conditional Tactical Fit:
Ivan Rakitic (slower tempo, positional discipline required)
Denis Suárez (technique good, decision-making inconsistent)
Paco Alcácer (limited role in false-9 system)
Aleix Vidal (depth only)
Low Tactical Fit – Recommended for Transfer:
Arda Turan – poor off-ball movement, low press resistance
André Gomes – lacks decision speed, slows tempo
Lucas Digne – decent physically, doesn't understand third-man runs
Rafinha – inconsistent engine, injury risk
Douglas – not viable for rotation
Thomas Vermaelen – injury-prone, past his peak
[Luis Suárez Analysis:]
Strengths: Elite finishing, aggressive runs, positional chemistry with Messi
Weaknesses: Declining acceleration, press resistance under fatigue
Recommended Role: Target-man pivot + decoy rotations
Status: Retain, modify usage
Back in the Room
"Some of you are perfect fits for the system I'm building," Noah continued. "Some of you will need to evolve. And a few of you…" He paused. "Will need to move on."
Whispers moved through the room.
"I don't believe in wasting talent. But I won't waste time either. We are not going to sign players just to fill gaps. No panic buys. No overpriced hype."
Piqué raised a hand. "So what exactly is your system?"
Noah smiled faintly. "I call it Controlled Chaos. A mix of fluid diamond transitions, high-tempo ball recovery, and unpredictable front-three rotations."
He turned the screen.
[Sample Shape: 3-2-2-3 False-Wing Diamond]
Key roles:
Messi: Right-sided free pivot
Iniesta: Roaming link between midfield triangles
Busquets: Central anchor + tactical reset point
Ter Stegen: Sweeper distributor
Suárez: Pivot decoy / finisher in half-space rotations
The formation warped and rotated onscreen like a living organism.
"You won't defend zones. You'll own zones. We control every blade of grass—or we bleed."
Private Scene – Office Later That Day
In his office, Noah sat across from technical director Robert Fernández, reviewing the final squad list.
"These are the players I want transferred or loaned out," Noah said. "Not because they're bad—but because they don't fit where we're going."
Robert nodded, eyes on the list: Arda, Gomes, Digne, Rafinha, Douglas, Vermaelen.
"What about Suárez?" Robert asked.
"He stays. But we stop running him into the ground. Use him as a gravity well—draw defenders to him, let Messi and the mids cut through the chaos."
"And replacements?"
"Minimal. Pedri is coming early. La Masia will continue developing its talents at the youth level — no early promotions. I'm not touching the 13- or 14-year-olds."
Robert nodded again. "Good. We've got some sparks down there, but they're kids. Keep them in La Masia."
"Exactly. And for external scouting, we'll track Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz — smart profiles, but nothing rushed."
"And the board?"
"Tell them this: I'm not buying names. I'm building a system. Let Madrid chase stars. We'll create legends."
Final Moment – Training Pitch at Night
The pitch was lit like a stage. Noah stood near midfield as his assistant coaches unpacked cones for tomorrow's tactical session.
The AI Tactical System glowed beside him.
[Tactical Purge Phase: COMPLETE]
Squad Balance: 88% System Fit
Transfer Efficiency: +15.2% Projected Budget Recovery
The road ahead wouldn't be easy.
But the foundation was finally set.
No more wasted signings. No more lost years. Barça begins here.