The San Siro dressing room was a sanctuary of joyous, exhausted relief.
The players, caked in mud and sweat, were draped over the benches, a beautiful, chaotic mess of blue and black.
"I am officially retiring from my career as a mosquito," Julián Álvarez announced to the room, peeling off his sweaty jersey. "My work is done. The enemy has been annoyed. I will now be accepting applications for my next tactical role. I am thinking of being a 'surprise high-five' or perhaps a 'confusingly placed water bottle'."
"I'll vote for the water bottle," Lautaro Martínez called out from the physio's table, where he was getting his ankle wrapped in a mountain of ice.
He had a proud, pained grin on his face. "It's definitely less annoying than you are."
"But is it as effective?" Julián shot back, and the room erupted in laughter.
Coach Chivu walked in, a single, satisfied nod on his face.
