That evening Marco reached the address where the gathering was planned. The place is remote, without much noise or traffic.
As he walked in, the loud music beats greeted him from a distance. The place was open, with nice weather and atmosphere.
As he walked in, the first one to greet him was Tinga, the co-host of the party. The guy didn't seem to run out of energy the whole day, as he was brimming with energy even now, after that long session.
"Marco," Tinga greeted him with his dread locks tied back into a pony tail, wearing an apron that said "CHURRASQUEIRO MASTER" in bright letters.
And before Marco could respond the brazilian lifted him into a bear hug, lifting him off the feet.
"Tinga, let the boy breathe," Dedê's calm voice came from inside. The veteran left-back appeared, smiling warmly. "Marco. Welcome. Come in."
after he greeted Deda, he scanned the crowd. The place was already filled with familiar and unfamiliar people.
He noticed his team mates, medical staff, even the gatekeeper and bus driver were present here. This was not his first time attending this churrasco party, so Marco wasn't that much surprised.
He noticed Christian Worns, the veteran defender in the corner and found a seat near him. He was eating a piece called Picanha.
"I have been coming to Dede's party for years, but still haven't had enough of this thing. I have been trying hard to figure out the seasoning, but still haven't found any success." the veteran said after greeting him.
"Yeah. I asked about this too. But Dede said this was some family secret." Marco also agreed with the sentiment.
As time passed, more people came through the gate. And the energy here was infectious. Within a short while, every one started to dance to the music, fully appreciating the atmosphere.
For media and fans, their club stars attending parties was considered as a lack of discipline of wasting their talents. But they had to consider that football players are not machines. They are human too. When Marco first attended this party by the insistence of his seniors, he considered this a waste of time too. He could have reviewed his performance, watched a particularly important match or could have relaxed on his own,...
But as time passed and the team started to struggle in the league, all the while the pressure was mounting on top of their shoulder. Only at that time did they realise the role of these casual gatherings.
This seemingly normal party has somehow become the link that strengthened their unity. These sessions held together a squad full of teenagers, veterans, local, foreign players, rejects and cast outs.
And Dede, the ultimate veteran of the squad, who was with the squad from 1998, was particularly careful, not holding this gathering frequently. It shouldn't negatively affect the performance of the squad.
By the time the party was over, Marco noticed the new players like Hummels and Kuba comfortably interacted with all the team mates, taking a big step in integration to the squad.
* * *
In late january, bundesliga resumed after winter break, with squads who have refined their depth and strengthened their competency.
Dortmund's performance after the break has improved somewhat compared to before. With the addition of the young Hummels, the defensive line appeared much more meticulous and calm. The attack and midfield also appeared to be strengthened.
Although their result wasn't perfect, they were much better when compared to the first half of the season.
February 19, 2008.
Marco arrived at training to find the parking lot half-empty, which was a strange occurrence for a tuesday morning.
Inside the facility, the atmosphere was also a bit strange, appearing somewhat volatile and urgent. Players clustered into small groups, talking in whispers. The usual pre-training banter was gone, replaced by tension thick enough to cut.
"Marco!" Worns pulled him aside, "did you hear the news?"
Marco was completely clueless. What news?
Seeing that he was clueless, Worns didn't beat around the bush and directly dropped the bomb.
"Doll's been sacked. Last night."
Marco felt that the world was coming to a stand still. He wasn't particularly shocked or sad hearing the news. On the contrary, his mood was elated.
But outwardly he appeared surprised,"What?"
"There was an emergency board meating yesterday. And it seems that they have already found his replacement. The announcement will be in thirty minutes."
"Do you know who the new manager is?"
Even though, a name was on the tip of his tongue, it was unknown how much of the future will change due to the butterfly influence of his early emergence. Under the fiery gaze of the young player in front of him, Worns uttered the name with clarity:
"Yes. His name is Jurgen Klopp, the former Mainz coach."