Back to Work at Zoudenbalch

The morning sun peeked through thin gray clouds as Amani trotted onto the senior training pitch at Zoudenbalch. His legs felt a little heavy from last night's heroics, but his heart was light.

Around him, the FC Utrecht first-team squad moved at an easy pace – a light recovery session after the big win.

Coach Jan Wouters stood in the center circle, hands tucked into his jacket, watching his players with a discerning eye. Despite the 6-2 thrashing of VVV-Venlo the day before, Utrecht still sat 11th in the Eredivisie table with five matches remaining.

There was pride in the win, but no one was celebrating like the season was fixed. Wouters had made that clear from the outset.

"Alright, listen up," Wouters called, gathering the players in a loose circle. Amani found himself between two towering teammates, craning his neck to see the coach. Wouters' voice was gruff but upbeat.