The morning air at Brackel hung thick with dew, clinging to the grass like a second skin as Thiago stepped onto the training pitch. A crisp September chill seeped through his training jacket, raising goosebumps along his arms despite the sun's weak attempt to break through the clouds. The scent of freshly cut grass mixed with the sharp tang of liniment from the physio room nearby.
He wasn't the first to arrive. Mario Götze was already stretching near the touchline, his headphones blasting some indistinct beat as he rolled his shoulders in slow circles. The faint hum of the stadium groundskeepers' lawnmowers provided a steady background drone, blending with the distant chatter of early-bird staff filtering into the facility.
Thiago dropped his bag with a thud near a cluster of cones, the sound drawing Mario's attention. The German teenager slid one earbud down, grinning.
"Morning. Ready to sit on the bench tomorrow?"
