Luca's phone buzzed at 5:23 AM, dragging him from dreams filled with perfectly weighted passes and Marco's menacing smile. The notification glowed in the darkness of his hostel room: [Daily Quest Updated: Prove Yesterday Wasn't Luck. Objective: Maintain performance standards under increased scrutiny. Reward: Leadership Attributes +1.]
The academy felt different as he approached the gates. Word of yesterday's training match had spread through the youth system like wildfire. Players who'd previously ignored him now watched with calculating eyes, weighing whether he was a threat or an opportunity. The luxury cars still deposited their privileged cargo, but now some of those passengers stared back at him through tinted windows.
"Moretti." Coach Marotta's voice carried a different tone today—less skeptical, more expectant. "You're consistent, I'll give you that. Early again."
"Consistency breeds excellence, Coach."
Marotta studied him with renewed interest. "Yesterday was impressive. Today we see if you can do it when everyone knows what you're capable of."
The changing room atmosphere had shifted like the tide. Where yesterday brought dismissive glances and whispered insults, today carried the weight of grudging acknowledgment. Alessandro sat at his usual locker, but his usual audience had thinned. Several players now gravitated toward Luca's corner, asking casual questions about his training routine, his background, his plans.
"That nutmeg yesterday was sick," said Matteo Ricci, a second-year midfielder who'd never spoken to Luca before. "How did you know the keeper would commit so early?"
Luca laced his boots methodically, remembering Elena's advice about staying humble. "Sometimes you see the opportunity and react. Experience helps."
"Experience?" Alessandro's voice cut across the room like broken glass. "What experience? Getting arrested? Fighting in alleys?"
The room went quiet again, but this time the silence felt different. Less intimidation, more anticipation. Everyone wanted to see how this would play out.
"The kind of experience that teaches you to read people under pressure," Luca replied evenly, not looking up from his boots. "Useful skill in football."
Alessandro's laugh was forced, brittle. "We'll see how useful it is when you're not playing against academy reserves."
"Today's not against reserves," Matteo said quietly. "Word is we're training against the Under-20s. Full internationals, some of them."
The information hit the room like a cold wave. The Under-20s weren't just older—they were professional contracts, development loans to Serie B teams, players who'd already tasted real football beyond the academy walls. For most of the Under-18s, this would be their first taste of what professional football truly demanded.
"There's more," Matteo continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "Marotta's finalizing the squad for the Primavera league opener next week. Against Roma's youth team. Only eighteen can make the match day squad."
The weight of those words settled over the room like lead. Twenty-three players currently trained with the Under-18s. Five would be cut. The mathematics of dreams was always brutal in football.
Luca felt the familiar surge of system analysis as his enhanced awareness processed the changing dynamics around him. Players who'd been friendly moments before now eyed each other with renewed wariness. Alliances shifted invisibly. The comfortable brotherhood of academy life was dissolving into something harder, more competitive.
[Social Dynamics Alert. Squad Politics Activated. Recommendation: Identify key influencers and potential allies while avoiding factional conflicts.]
Alessandro stood abruptly, his movements sharp with barely contained tension. "Eighteen spots. Well, at least we know some are guaranteed." His eyes swept the room, lingering meaningfully on newer faces like Luca and Verratti. "Experience matters in the big games. Not flash. Not luck. Experience."
The message was clear: established players deserved security while newcomers should worry.
Coach Marotta's whistle echoed across the training ground fifteen minutes later, cutting through the morning mist that still clung to the perfect grass. But today the pitch wasn't empty except for the Under-18s. Two dozen older players stretched and jogged at the far end—the Under-20s, their movements carrying the fluid confidence of players who'd already made the transition from academy football to the professional game.
"Gentlemen," Marotta's voice carried across both groups, "today we measure ourselves against a higher standard. The Under-20s have graciously agreed to provide opposition for a full ninety-minute match. Eleven versus eleven. Match intensity. Match consequences."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "The Primavera season begins in six days. Eighteen of you will represent this club against Roma. The rest will continue development with the reserves. Performance today will heavily influence those decisions."
Luca's stomach tightened. Six days. The timeline was brutal, but it also clarified everything. No more gradual integration, no more cautious relationship building. This was sink or swim.
The Under-20s captain, a lean center-back named Salvatore Esposito who'd already made three first-team appearances, jogged over with the casual confidence of someone who'd never doubted his place in football's hierarchy. His handshake with Marotta was brief, professional, the greeting between equals rather than coach and player.
"We'll go easy on the bambini, Coach," Esposito said with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Wouldn't want to damage their confidence before the real season starts."
The comment was loud enough for several Under-18s to hear. Luca watched Alessandro's jaw clench, saw Verratti's shoulders tense. The psychological warfare had begun before the first ball was kicked.
[Opposition Assessment Initiated]
- Physical advantage: Under-20s average 3cm taller, 8kg heavier
- Technical superiority: 2+ years additional professional training
- Mental edge: Experience in high-pressure situations
- Weakness: Potential complacency, unfamiliarity with Under-18 tactics
Marotta divided the Under-18s into their strongest eleven, with the remaining players forming the opposition's bench. Luca found himself starting on the right wing again, but this time Alessandro was positioned as the central attacking midfielder behind striker Marco Santoro. The formation was more aggressive than yesterday—a 4-2-3-1 designed to press high and create chances quickly.
"Listen," Alessandro gathered the starting eleven in a tight circle before warm-ups. For the first time since Luca had known him, the arrogance was tempered with something approaching respect. "Forget yesterday's bullshit. Forget who likes who. These guys think we're children playing dress-up. Today we prove them wrong."
Luca nodded along with the others, but his mind was already working on a different level. The Under-20s were stretching in their own formation—a compact 4-5-1 designed to frustrate and counter-attack. Their body language suggested they expected to control the game through superior physicality and experience. That expectation could become their weakness.