My Ultimate Gacha System-Chapter 291 - 280: Recovery to Bologna
Sunday, April 16, 2023
Isabella’s Apartment - Florence
6:00 AM
The alarm rang for half a second before Demien’s hand found the phone and shut it off, and beside him Sophia shifted slightly while her hair fell across her cheek and her eyes stayed closed.
He sat on the edge of the bed and let the quiet settle around him while his feet touched the floor, and he stood after ten seconds before pulling a training top over his head and grabbing his bag from where it sat on the chair near the door.
Downstairs the balloons from the night before hung low over the dining table and one had drifted toward the window where it pressed against the glass, and his mother was already in the kitchen with coffee poured into a mug that sat on the counter.
No long conversation happened, and Isabella just reminded him to eat something while gesturing toward bread and fruit on the table.
He nodded and took an apple before checking his phone for the time.
**6:47 AM**
Outside the street was quiet because Sunday morning in Florence meant most people were still sleeping, and the engine started when he turned the key and he pulled away from the curb while navigating toward where the team bus would meet him.
**Florence - Team Meeting Point**
**7:23 AM**
The bus was already there when he arrived and a few players stood nearby with hands in pockets, and De Roon looked up briefly when Demien approached and nodded once without speaking.
Koopmeiners finished a phone call and pocketed his phone before moving toward the bus entrance, and other players began boarding in quiet order while bags were loaded into the storage compartment below.
Inside the bus the mood was subdued and no music played from anyone’s speakers, and some players leaned back against their seats with eyes closed while others stared forward at nothing specific.
A physio moved down the aisle asking about soreness from the Fiorentina match and stopping beside players who indicated issues, and brief exchanges happened in low voices that didn’t carry beyond immediate proximity.
The bus pulled away from Florence at 7:35 AM and began the drive back toward Bergamo.
**Centro Bortolotti Training Complex**
**9:41 AM**
At Zingonia the gates opened and the squad walked straight into the recovery facility without stopping in the main building, and starters headed inside toward where equipment was already prepared.
Stationary bikes lined one wall and ice baths sat prepared in the corner with steam rising slightly from the cold water, and towels were stacked on benches while physios moved through the space making final checks.
Muscles were tight from three days of accumulated tension and ninety minutes against Fiorentina, and the recovery protocol was standard but necessary.
Demien moved to an open bike and began pedaling slowly with controlled rhythm while his legs worked through the motion without resistance set too high, and across from him Tolói lowered himself into cold water and exhaled sharply when the temperature hit his skin.
Outside through the open door the sound of the non-starters running short drills on the secondary pitch carried faintly—quick passes and sharp calls that indicated normal training work for players who hadn’t featured yesterday.
Gasperini walked through the room once and his presence made everyone aware without him needing to speak loudly, and when he reached the center he stopped and his voice carried clearly.
"No drama. We respond."
No one answered and the statement didn’t require acknowledgment, and Gasperini continued walking before exiting through the far door.
The session ended quietly forty minutes later and players moved toward the showers.
**Centro Bortolotti - Afternoon**
**2:17 PM**
That afternoon screens inside the gym replayed highlights from the Fiorentina match and Adriano’s assist played in slow motion before cutting to Demien’s equalizing goal, and the table graphic appeared beneath it showing Milan fourth with 64 points and Atalanta fifth with 63 points.
The Coppa Italia semifinal graphic flashed briefly at the bottom of the screen showing the second leg date.
**April 26 - Bologna vs Atalanta**
**Coppa Italia Semifinal - Second Leg**
Three days from now.
Players who remained at the facility watched briefly before moving on to individual work, and conversations stayed minimal because everyone understood what Wednesday meant.
**Monday, April 24, 2023**
**Centro Bortolotti Training Complex**
**Video Room**
**10:02 AM**
The video room was darker than usual when the squad gathered and chairs were arranged in rows facing the large screen, and clips from the first leg played showing Bologna’s defensive shape and Atalanta’s attacking patterns.
One sequence showed missed spacing where the midfield had stretched too wide and left gaps centrally, and another showed a late runner from Bologna’s midfield who hadn’t been tracked properly during a counter-attack.
A third clip showed a moment where Atalanta had pressed too early and Bologna had bypassed the pressure with one pass that created danger, and chairs shifted slightly while pens tapped lightly against notebooks as players made notes.
Gasperini stood near the screen with a remote in his hand and his voice stayed measured.
"Bologna will press higher at home. Their crowd will push them forward in the first fifteen minutes. We don’t react to that pressure by abandoning structure. We absorb it and wait for the moment to counter."
The screen changed to show tactical diagrams. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
"Midfield stays compact. Five yards tighter than the first leg. When they press, we don’t try to play through it immediately. We circulate backward if needed and wait for them to overcommit."
Nobody spoke and the presentation continued for another ten minutes before Gasperini dismissed them toward the pitch.
**Training Pitch**
**10:47 AM**
On the pitch the session was short but sharp and shape work came first with cones marking out the defensive structure that would be used, and defensive triggers were rehearsed repeatedly—when to step, when to hold, when to press as a unit.
Demien stayed compact beside De Roon and adjusted angles instead of chasing the ball during pressing sequences, and the emphasis was on collective movement rather than individual efforts.
Tempo increased for fifteen minutes and quick transitions were practiced with immediate recovery runs required after losing possession, and bodies moved faster while communication stayed constant.
Gasperini stopped play once and his whistle cut through the movement.
"First fifteen minutes decide this," he said while players stood still and listened. "They score early and belief comes back. We survive those fifteen minutes and their confidence drops. Simple."
The session resumed and continued for another twenty minutes before ending, and Gasperini ended it before fatigue could set in because Tuesday would be lighter and Wednesday needed fresh legs.
**Tuesday, April 25, 2023**
**Centro Bortolotti Training Complex**
**Morning Session**
Tuesday’s session was deliberately light with emphasis on maintaining sharpness without building fatigue, and tactical walkthroughs happened at reduced intensity while set pieces were practiced without opposition.
The afternoon was rest and players dispersed early with instructions to sleep properly and eat correctly.
**Wednesday, April 26, 2023**
**Centro Bortolotti Training Complex**
**12:34 PM**
Suitcases lined the hallway of the training center and players boarded the bus in silence, and some scrolled through phones while others stared forward without focusing on anything specific.
The drive to the airport was short and took twenty minutes through Bergamo’s afternoon traffic, and at the airport the plane was already waiting on the tarmac.
On the plane conversation stayed minimal and headphones went on immediately while eyes closed and the flight took off toward Bologna, and landing happened forty-five minutes later.
The opponent’s city was overcast when they descended and clouds sat low over the buildings.
**Bologna - Team Hotel**
**3:47 PM**
At the hotel security waited outside the entrance and a few supporters stood near the barriers with scarves, and cameras flashed once as players stepped down from the bus before moving quickly inside.
The lobby was quiet and check-in happened efficiently while room keys were handed out by staff who knew the routine, and dinner was scheduled for 6:30 PM with a short walk planned afterward.
Demien entered his room and placed his bag on the chair near the window before walking across the carpet to look down at the street below where cars moved past and pedestrians walked along sidewalks.
Tomorrow decided everything.
