John entered his room, first put down his backpack, took out his black hat, put it on his head, and headed to the field. He saw the players gathered waiting for him, but he paused for a moment and sat looking around. At that moment, Frank approached him and said, "Let's go, everyone is waiting."
John said, "Okay, let's go," with heavy steps onto the green rectangle.
Frank: "Guys, welcome the legend with me."
Everyone was silent, as if saying: "A legend? Which legend is he talking about? Is this person really a legend? No one has heard of him."
Everyone actually felt uncertainty—not in the coach, but in the team as a whole. The team was three matches away, and if they lost them all, it would be the end—the end of the team, no, the end of an entity, the end of a family. In the past, the team competed with the strongest major teams in the country. Not just competing—they would win with very respectable results—but in recent years, the team began to collapse, entering a cycle of debts that burdened it so much that it couldn't even pay the players' salaries. This caused many clubs to snatch his stars one by one until the team became without identity, without prestige.
Until last year, when Frank appeared, he loved the team very much, just like John. They had played side by side in the past. Frank came with a plan to save the team from sinking. Even though he brought a good group of players, the results never improved; in fact, they got worse and worse until the team reached the edge of relegation.
Almost all the players were local, but despite their great efforts to save the team, they didn't succeed. This led Frank to repeatedly turn to John last year, but John always refused. Now, however, the circumstances were very different.
In that moment of silence, the legend appeared. After looking at everyone, he said:
"My name is John D. Julian. Years ago, I stood where you are and listened to the coach's words. Honestly, I used to think the coach was saying anything and it would end there. I am not someone who speaks just to speak. But is there anyone among you who can explain to me how, in the last five matches, the team scored only one goal in a match that they lost by a humiliating score? Do you not feel any pride for this city and the team? What it has now is sinking before our eyes from swords. Who will save it if not us, its children? We will sacrifice for its colors. Who remembers where the team played ten years ago? Can anyone tell me?"
No one spoke.
"This is madness!" The players were shocked. "How? But you play with this sense of defeat, you lose matches even before you play them. Listen, men—yes, I said men, I don't want children here—I am addressing the men who will strive to win. I am not asking you for anything impossible. Who tells me this is impossible? Half the season, we are in last place, thirty points behind first place, and we have four points."
Frank said to me, "We will have achieved a miracle if we remain in the amateur division and do not drop to the lower division."
John: "I say to the men who have pride and truly want to make a mark in the future, and a place among the greats, to believe in themselves, their abilities, and their potential to achieve the impossible. Yes, if I work with you, this is the plan we will work on: nothing is impossible, and victory in every match. We will study each match individually. The goal is to exert effort and drive away the defeatist spirit—that's all there is to it, men. We are capable, and every match has its own characteristics. The first thing we will do today is try to break the curse in front of the goal. After that, we will do a very important exercise. Let's go to the goal—everyone shoots, even the goalkeeper. We will not leave the field until I see clear improvement; otherwise, we will spend the night here. Go!"
Frank: "This is John, hahaha, you were amazing, man. Look at their faces, they feel responsibility like I have never seen. This is a promising start—they respect you."
John: "Who is player number 5?"
Frank: "It's Sash, strong-built, known for powerful shots on goal, one of the team's pillars."
John: "Good. What about player number 10?"
Frank: "His name is Sally, Jonathan's son, he was a teammate in high school. He's a good substitute, fast, his weak build helps him with dribbling and accurate shooting."
John: "Okay, I will make some important changes in the team. The goalkeeper concedes too many goals despite his height. What is his name?"
Frank: "His name is Jack."
John: "Goalkeeper, come here."
Jack: "Yes, coach."
John: "Listen, you must always coordinate with the defense. It seems to me that you have problems with the center-back."
Jack: "No, everything is fine."
John: "Listen, I know what I'm saying. We have a match the day after tomorrow, and I don't want any goals allowed. Understood?"
Jack: "I'll try, coach."
John: "No, you won't try. You will prevent any goal. We will focus on sudden attacks in the next match, so there will be swift attacks you must deal with. I've seen some of your saves, you are skilled, but you lose focus at very sensitive moments. Now everything depends on you. I am telling you now that overwhelming attacks will hit you suddenly, so prepare well. Understood?"
Jack: "Understood, coach."
Frank: "The team we face the day after tomorrow beat us in the first match 4-0. They are second in the league and competing for the championship. It will be a very tough match."
John: "Yes, it is, but there's something wrong with this team."
Frank: "What is it?"
John: "They do not work as a team at all. Every player plays as if he is alone. That is the weak point of this team."
Frank: "What's the solution in your opinion?"
John took out his phone and called his wife. "Maria, you need to go to school to bring Mikey."
Maria: "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
John: "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just won't come home today. I'll call you in the evening."
Maria: "Take care of yourself, please don't get carried away by the players."
John: "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Frank: "What's the next step in your mind, John?"
John: "No one will leave this field. Go get dinner and water; we will spend the night here."
Frank: "Huba, the fun has started, hahaha. Okay, I'll be back immediately, coach."
John continued observing the players, searching for the right combination for the team. His first impression of the team was very good—they were good players but lacked passion and love for the team colors. But this was not a problem; John decided to make them not just players—no, he would make them run endlessly until the end.
John went to the storage room, brought a chair, and sat quietly watching. One of the players said: "Coach, what time is it now?"
John: "It's six thirty."
All the players stopped, took the balls and training equipment, and went to where John was sitting. They all stood.
John: "Yes, did I ask you to stop?"
Everyone was silent.
The captain spoke: "Coach, the session ends at six."
John, with a voice full of anger like they had never seen: "Back to training, you scrap! Are you laughing at me or yourselves? What kind of play is this? There will be no leaving this field until you learn how to play football. Is that clear?"
Everyone returned to the field and continued playing for more than three consecutive hours until exhaustion.
Frank appeared and went to John, handing him the house documents. John took the file and saw that Frank had done what he was asked—he had registered the house in Maria's name.
John: "Thank you very much, Frank."
Frank: "No, don't say anything. Look, they've started fighting."
John: "Hey, everyone, class is over for today." Everyone was happy, some started laughing.
John added: "We will sleep here tonight."
Everyone was shocked.