In This Life I Became a Coach-Chapter 69: Shifting Focus

Tuesday’s training session began under clear skies, with the Mediterranean sun already warming the air despite the early hour. Demien stood at the center of Pitch One, observing as the players cycled through their warm-up routines. The Nice derby was behind them—analyzed, processed and lessons learned—and now attention shifted to the next challenge: Marseille. This was the oldest rivalry in French football, a match that held greater significance than most.

"Drogba’s movement is different from what we faced against Nice," Demien said as the coaches gathered around the tactical board. Magnetic pieces representing Marseille’s formation were arranged in their familiar 3-5-2 shape. "He drops deeper and then spins. He is faster than Laslandes and stronger in the air."

Michel nodded, joting down notes on his clipboard. "And Flamini’s energy in midfield—"

"Will be neutralized if we control the tempo." Demien interjected, shifting one of the magnets representing Alonso slightly deeper. "He chases. We’ll make him chase shadows."

The session transitioned from warm-up to tactical drills. Demien had the training team mimic Marseille’s patterns—the direct play to Drogba, the overlapping runs from dos Santos, and the late arrivals from Meriem in the pocket between lines. Every potential threat identified, analyzed, and countered.

D’Alessandro and Alonso worked in tandem, refining the patterns that had thrived against Nice. Their understanding deepened with each session—when one moved, the other adjusted, demonstrating an instinctive recognition of space that couldn’t be taught.

"More pressure on the first receiver," Demien called out as Rothen closed down too slowly during a transition exercise. "Marseille will exploit the middle if we give them time. Force them wide."

The players absorbed the instructions without complaint, adapting their movements to meet the specific challenges Marseille would present. This was the foundation of Demien’s approach—tailored preparations for each opponent, with tactical flexibility grounded in a consistent philosophical framework.

After the main session, Demien worked separately with the attacking unit. Morientes, Prso, and Adebayor took turns positioning against a simulated three-man defense, learning the movements that would create space against Hemdani and Méïté.

"They defend in a line, not in partnerships," Demien explained. "When you check short, one defender follows you, creating a gap for the second runner."

Morientes executed the movement flawlessly—dropping off, drawing the defender, and releasing the ball just as Prso attacked the space behind. The timing was impeccable, and the execution was clean.

"Good," Demien said. "Remember that pattern. It will be there on Saturday."

As the players headed to the recovery area, Demien noticed Giuly lingering on the pitch, practicing free kicks from the edge of the area. The captain’s focus never wavered, and his standards remained high. That was why he wore the armband.

Demien approached quietly, observing without interrupting as Giuly placed another ball, measured his run-up, and struck it cleanly into the top corner.

"You’ll get one of those on Saturday," Demien said.

Giuly glanced over, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Barthez knows me too well. We played together for France."

"Then put it where he doesn’t expect."

A grin flickered across Giuly’s face. "That’s the plan."

They walked together toward the facility, their conversation shifting to Marseille’s approach, withGiuly sharing insights from previous encounters. This was the advantage of having experienced players—tactical intelligence that complemented the coach’s analysis.

Inside, the recovery area buzzed with activity. Players rotated through ice baths, massage tables, and stretching stations. Adebayor winced as he lowered himself into the ice, muttering something that made D’Alessandro laugh. Meanwhile, Rodriguez and Squillaci compared notes on a tablet, studying a video of Drogba’s movements.

Demien moved through the space, exchanging brief words with the medical staff and checking on recovery protocols. The sports science methods he had implemented—many advanced for 2003—were yielding results: injury rates were down, recovery times improved, and performance metrics were trending upward.

Stone appeared as Demien reviewed training data with the fitness coach. "Media schedule for Marseille," he said, handing over a folder. "Press conference Friday, usual time."

"Who’s joining me?" Demien asked.

"Giuly, if that works for you."

Demien nodded. The captain was always solid with the media—focused, professional, and never giving unnecessary ammunition to opponents.

"Also," Stone continued, lowering his voice slightly, "there’s been increased interest from Spanish media about D’Alessandro. They are questioning why he’s not getting attention from bigger clubs." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

"Let them talk."

"They’re suggesting it’s only a matter of time before Barcelona or Madrid make a move."

Demien’s expression remained unchanged. "Focus on Marseille. The rest is noise."

The week progressed with methodical precision. Wednesday’s session emphasized defensive structure—containing Drogba, tracking Meriem’s movement, and maintaining shape against Marseille’s direct transitions. Thursday brought more specific preparation—set pieces, pressing triggers, and final-third combinations.

By Friday’s final training, the plan was set, the players were ready. Demien watched from the sideline as they executed a full tactical runthrough—shape perfect, movements coordinated, every player understanding their role within the collective.

This was what distinguished his approach from the original timeline he remembered. It wasn’t just about tactics; it was the depth of preparation and the attention to detail that left nothing to chance.

The press conference was predictably routine. Questions about the rivalry, Marseille’s threats, and Monaco’s European momentum carrying into domestic competition. Demien answered each with measured precision, revealing nothing that might give Marseille with additional motivation.

Saturday arrived with the electric energy that always accompanied this fixture. The Stade Louis II hummed with anticipation hours before kickoff, supporters gathering early, the atmosphere building with each passing minute.

In the locker room, the mood was focused yet controlled. Some players sat silently, already in the zone while others moved restlessly, expelling nervous energy through constant motion. Giuly addressed the team one final time before they headed for the tunnel—his words about pride, history, and the responsibility of representing Monaco in this fixture struck exactly the right tone.

Then they were walking out, the roar of the crowd washing over them as they emerged into the sunlight, red and white against Marseille’s white and blue.

Barthez in goal for the visitors, with Hemdani, Méïté, and Beye across the back. Dos Santos and Ferreira as wing-backs while Flamini and N’Diaye in midfield. Meriem occupied the pocket, and Marlet and Drogba led the line.

The match began with the intensity Demien had anticipated. Marseille pressed high, looking to disrupt Monaco’s rhythm early. Drogba’s physical presence immediately tested Squillaci and Rodriguez, the striker using his body to shield the ball, drawing fouls in dangerous areas.

But Monaco had prepared for this. They absorbed the pressure, maintained their shape, and gradually asserted control of the tempo. Alonso was key, his positioning always providing an outlet, and his distribution effectively breaking Marseille’s press with precise vertical passes.

The first goal came in the twenty-third minute, exactly as practiced—Morientes dropped deep, drawing Méïté with him, then released the ball to D’Alessandro, who had drifted into the vacated space. The Argentine’s touch was perfect, and his vision even better, as he threaded a pass through to Giuly’s diagonal run. The finish, low and hard past Barthez, was clinical.

Marseille responded by pushing their wing-backs higher, attenpting to overload Monaco’s flanks. However, this created the very spaces Demien had identified in his analysis. When N’Diaye lost possession while trying to find dos Santos, Monaco countered with devastating efficiency—Alonso to Rothen, Rothen driving forward before cutting inside and curling a shot that Barthez could only watch as it nestled in the top corner.

At halftime, with Monaco leading 2-0, Demien’s instructions were simple: "They’ll come at us aggressively now. Let them. Then punish the spaces they leave."

The prediction proved accurate. Marseille started the second half with increased urgency, committing more bodies forward. Drogba nearly pulled one back, his header from Meriem’s cross striking the post. But their aggression left them vulnerable, and when Beye was caught upfield in the fifty-eighth minute, Monaco struck again.

This time, it was Rothen leading the counter, driving into space before finding D’Alessandro between the lines. The Argentine’s first touch eliminated Hemdani from the play, and his second released Morientes behind the defense. The striker finished with the composure of a man who had done this countless times before.

Anigo made changes, bringing on Christanval and Batlles in a desperate attempt to shift the momentum, but it made little difference. Monaco’s control was absolute, their understanding of space and time making it seem as though they had an extra player.

The fourth goal, fifteen minutes from time, was the culmination of everything Demien had built—a seventeen-pass move that started with Roma and involved every outfield player before D’Alessandro’s disguised final ball allowed Adebayor, on as a substitute, to slide the finish past a despairing Barthez.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read: Monaco 4, Marseille 0.

It was a statement–not just in the result but in the performance. Complete control. Tactical dominance. The kind of victory that resonated beyond three points.

---

In the locker room, the celebration was measured—satisfaction rather than euphoria. Players exchanged tired high-fives, the physical and mental exertion of executing such a detailed game plan evident in their movements.

"That’s the standard," Giuly said, his armband still on his sleeve, his eyes scaning from teammate to teammate. "Not just today. Every match. Every minute."

Demien allowed them their moment before stepping in. "Recovery starts now," he said. "Athens on Tuesday."

There was no time to dwell on domestic success, not with the Champions League looming. Another test, another opportunity to reshape the timeline he remembered.

As the players dispersed for media duties and recovery protocols, Demien took a moment for himself. In the original timeline, this match had been different—a narrow victory, a struggle. But this performance, this result—it marked a significant deviation. Another thread pulled, another ripple expanding.

The patterns were changing. The future reshaping itself with each decision, each instruction, each victory.

And Athens waited.