The final whistle blew, and CD Almazora had done the unthinkable.
3–1.
Against the league leaders.
The players collapsed onto the pitch, exhausted but euphoric. Fans who had come expecting a funeral were now singing in disbelief. Ethan stood motionless on the touchline, soaking in the chaos. He had seen this moment a thousand times in simulations—but never in real life.
Inside the locker room, the atmosphere was electric. Miguel, the captain, clapped Ethan on the back.
"Coach… I don't know what that system was, but it worked. You made us believe."
Ethan nodded, hiding the storm of emotions inside. He wasn't just managing tactics—he was rewriting fate.
The next morning, Spanish football Twitter was ablaze.
"CD Almazora's gegenpressing masterclass—who is Elias Reyes?" "Is this the birth of a tactical revolution in Segunda B?" "False nine in the third division? Madness or genius?"
Ethan scrolled through the headlines, heart racing. He knew what was coming. The media would dig into Elias Reyes's past. They'd find a promising midfielder turned coach. But they wouldn't find Ethan Reyes—the gamer who had died in Manila.
He had to stay ahead of the curve.
At the training ground, Ethan introduced video analysis sessions, GPS tracking, and positional drills that mirrored elite academies. The players were skeptical at first, but the win had earned him credibility.
Meanwhile, scouts from bigger clubs began showing up at matches. Not for the players—but for the manager.
Ethan wasn't ready to leave. Not yet.
He had a vision: take CD Almazora to the top. Not just promotion. Domination.
But football was a cruel game. And the next opponent was coached by a man Ethan remembered well—a tactical purist who would not be caught off guard.
The chess match was about to begin.