The invitation to train with the first team was not a gentle promotion; it was an immersion into a crucible that would either forge him into something extraordinary or reduce him to ash.
At sixteen, Mateo became the youngest player in the club's storied history to be granted this status, a milestone that felt less like an achievement and more like a challenge of immense gravity.
The decision, a unanimous verdict from the first-team coach, the sporting director, and the club president, was a declaration of faith, but one that came with the crushing weight of expectation that had broken lesser talents.
The first-team training complex was a different universe entirely. Where the reserve team facilities had been impressive, this was a temple to perfection. Every blade of grass was measured and maintained to exact specifications.
