Chapter 20 : Training

Nico's daily routine was nothing short of extraordinary, and Maria and Marius were witnessing it firsthand. 

That morning, he had woken up at exactly 4:30 AM, just as he always did. While most teenagers were still deep in sleep, Nico had already begun his disciplined regimen. He started his day with yoga, stretching his body for half an hour, focusing on his flexibility, breathing, and balance. This was something he had incorporated into his routine years ago, knowing that agility and injury prevention were just as important as strength in football. 

After yoga, he stepped out of the house and began his one-hour jogging session. The cold morning air brushed against his face as he ran through the quiet neighborhood, his strides smooth and controlled. This wasn't just for endurance—it was also a form of mental discipline, a test of his will to push forward even when his body begged for rest. 

By the time he returned to the villa, the family was just waking up. His black hair was damp with sweat, his training shirt clung to his skin, revealing his lean but incredibly toned physique. He walked into the dining area, greeted them with a polite "Good morning," and went straight to the kitchen to pick up his breakfast. 

Unlike the others, who enjoyed a normal family meal, Nico's food was prepared by a professional nutritionist he had hired in London. Every morning and night, his meals were delivered, measured precisely to support his training demands. There was no room for cheat days or casual indulgences—no pastries, no sweets, not even a simple cup of hot chocolate. He hadn't touched sugar since he was eight years old. 

After finishing his carefully planned breakfast, he didn't rest. Instead, he went straight to the villa's private gym, a space that had everything he needed to build his strength. 

For an hour, he worked on his core and leg muscles, knowing that the Premier League was physically demanding. He needed to be stronger, faster, and more resilient. He did planks, Russian twists, and hanging leg raises for his core. Then, he moved on to lower-body strength training—weighted squats, leg presses, and explosive jumps to increase his power and balance. 

Once the gym session was done, he wiped the sweat from his face and changed into fresh training gear before heading out to the villa's private football pitch. 

There, he started his free-kick practice. 

Maria and Marius had woken up by now and were sitting on a bench near the field, watching silently as Nico trained. 

Every shot he took was mesmerizing. The ball left his foot with perfect precision, swerving unpredictably in the air before smashing into the top corners of the net. Again and again, without fail. 

Marius, still staring at Nico's flawless technique, turned to Maria and whispered, "Now I understand why he's so good at 15." 

Maria, keeping her eyes on Nico, asked, "What do you mean?" 

Marius exhaled. "He's unbelievably hardworking. He wakes up at 4:30 AM, does yoga for half an hour, jogs for another hour, eats only food provided by his nutritionist, hasn't had sweets since he was eight, then spends an hour in the gym working on his core and legs before coming here to train his free kicks." He paused for a second before adding, "And this is just his morning routine." 

Maria's eyes widened slightly as she processed that. "That's insane…" she muttered. 

She looked back at Nico, who was adjusting the ball for another shot, completely locked into his training. He had barely taken a break since arriving on the pitch. Every shot was just as precise as the last. 

Marius leaned back on the bench, shaking his head in disbelief. "People think talent is enough, but look at him. He doesn't waste a single second. He's training before anyone else is even awake." 

Maria nodded, crossing her arms. "Yeah… most kids our age are sleeping in, playing video games, or just hanging out. He's out here building himself into a machine." 

At that moment, Nico lined up for another free kick. This time, he struck the ball with effortless technique, sending it swerving dramatically through the air before curling into the top right corner. 

It was the kind of shot that would leave goalkeepers helpless. 

Marius couldn't help but chuckle. "No wonder he dominated the Segunda División at 14. If he keeps this up… I can't even imagine how good he'll be in a few years." 

Maria smirked. "Forget a few years. He's already a nightmare for defenders now." 

They both fell silent, continuing to watch as Nico, utterly focused, chased perfection with every shot.

___________________

After finishing his morning training session, Nico walked back into the house, his muscles feeling the familiar burn of hard work. He headed straight to his room, took a refreshing cold shower to relax his body, and changed into a fresh set of clothes. With his duffel bag packed, he grabbed his boots and training gear before making his way downstairs.

Guardiola was already waiting for him, dressed in his usual smart but casual attire. "Ready?" he asked with a small smile.

Nico nodded. "Always."

They stepped outside, got into the car, and drove towards Manchester City's training facility—City Football Academy.

As they approached the state-of-the-art complex, Nico took in the sight of the modern training grounds. Even in 2015, the facility was one of the best in the world, equipped with cutting-edge technology, pristine pitches, and elite-level resources to develop top-tier footballers.

Stepping out of the car, Nico exhaled, taking in the fresh Manchester air.

This was it.

His first day at Manchester City had officially begun.

________

As Nico and Guardiola stepped onto the pristine training grounds of City Football Academy, Nico's sharp emerald-green eyes scanned the field, recognizing several familiar faces from his past life.

There was Kevin De Bruyne, the Belgian maestro who would go on to define an era of playmaking. David Silva, the Spanish magician whose vision and technical ability were second to none. Sergio Agüero, one of the deadliest strikers in football history, was chatting with Raheem Sterling, the explosive winger who had recently joined from Liverpool. Vincent Kompany, the rock-solid captain and leader of the squad, stood near the defenders, exuding authority. A younger Leroy Sané and Fernandinho were also present, stretching and preparing for the session.

Seeing them up close brought a strange feeling of nostalgia to Nico. In his past life, he had played against and alongside some of these players. Now, at just 15 years old, he was about to train with them.

Guardiola clapped his hands, gathering the squad's attention. The murmurs among the players quieted as they turned towards their manager.

"Alright, everyone," Guardiola began, his sharp gaze sweeping across the team. "I want to introduce a new player. You might have already heard his name—Nico Cruyff."

A few players exchanged glances, some nodding in recognition. They had seen his performances for Real Betis in the Segunda División—winning the title, becoming the top scorer, top assister, and best player of the season at just 15. Some had even watched clips of his stunning free kicks and technical skills.

Guardiola gestured toward Nico. "He's young, but don't let that fool you. He's here because he has the talent to play at the highest level. Treat him as you would any other teammate."

Nico stepped forward, his expression calm yet confident. "It's an honor to be here," he said. "I'll do my best to contribute to the team."

There was a moment of silence before Agüero smirked. "Let's see what you've got, kid."

De Bruyne nodded in agreement. "Welcome to City."

With the introductions out of the way, Guardiola clapped his hands again. "Alright, enough talk. Let's get to work!"

As the players began warming up, Vincent Kompany, the captain and defensive pillar of Manchester City, smirked and stepped forward.

"Alright, kid," he said playfully, cracking his neck. "Let's see if you can get past me."

The other players, sensing something interesting, quickly gathered around, forming a loose circle to watch. Some were curious, while others—like David Silva and Agüero—wore amused grins. They had seen young talents before, but Nico was different. A 15-year-old signing for City and already training with the first team? They wanted to see if the hype was real.

Nico took a deep breath, his emerald-green eyes locked onto Kompany. He dribbled forward, swaying slightly left and right, testing the waters. The Belgian defender remained solid, his stance low, prepared for any trick.

As Nico got closer, he made a sharp feint to the right, shifting his body weight convincingly. Kompany reacted, stepping in to block his path—but just as he did, Nico performed a perfect Cruyff Turn, spinning away in the opposite direction.

Kompany recovered quickly, shifting his body to cut off Nico's escape. The other players let out murmurs of appreciation—getting past Vincent Kompany was no easy feat.

But Nico wasn't done. This time, he feinted left, baiting Kompany into another reaction before executing a flawless La Croqueta, sliding the ball quickly from his right foot to his left, slipping through the narrow gap.

As Kompany turned to adjust, Nico immediately followed it up with another Cruyff Turn—this time nutmegging the captain.

A collective "Ohhh!" erupted from the players watching.

Kompany spun around, his expression somewhere between impressed and annoyed. But Nico wasn't finished yet. Without breaking stride, he took a touch, setting himself up, and from 30 meters out, he struck the ball cleanly.

The shot curled beautifully, flying past the helpless goalkeeper and nestling perfectly into the top right corner of the net.

The training ground erupted with cheers, whistles, and applause.

Agüero let out a loud laugh, clapping his hands. "Okay, okay! That was ridiculous."

De Bruyne shook his head, grinning. "That was unreal."

Even Kompany, despite being nutmegged in front of the entire squad, chuckled and nodded at Nico. "Alright, kid. I'll give you that one. But next time, I'm not letting you through."

Nico just smiled. "We'll see."

After Nico's stunning dribble and long-range goal against Kompany, the players were left in awe. Some exchanged impressed glances, while others murmured among themselves.

"Damn, he's got some serious skills," Kevin De Bruyne commented, nudging David Silva.

Raheem Sterling chuckled. "We might actually have a 15-year-old starting for us this season."

Fernando leaned forward, curious. "Alright, kid, we've seen your clips. But what's your real specialty?"

Nico, unfazed by the attention, shrugged and answered simply, "I'm really good at free kicks."

The players immediately started murmuring again. They had seen the highlights of his bending free kicks at Betis, but seeing them in person was different.

Yaya Touré, standing nearby with his arms crossed, grinned as he stepped forward. "Really good, huh?" he said, rolling his shoulders. "I'm the first-choice free kick taker here, you know?"

Nico just nodded.

Yaya continued, "Let's play a game. Ten free kicks each. If you beat me, I'll step back and let you take the first ones in matches."

The players reacted with excitement, some cheering and some whistling at the challenge.

"Man's got confidence," Gaël Clichy laughed.

Sergio Agüero smirked. "This should be fun."

Joe Hart, already making his way toward the goal, stretched his arms and turned back. "I'll be in goal for this. Let's see what you've got, kid."

As everyone gathered to watch, Nico nodded, stepping toward the ball. His heart wasn't pounding with nerves—he had done this a thousand times before.

Now, it was time to show them.

________

As Nico placed the ball down 30 meters from goal, the players fell silent, watching closely. He took a few steps back, exhaled calmly, and then ran up to strike the ball. 

The moment his foot connected, the ball soared through the air in an unpredictable, erratic motion—veering slightly left, then right—before curling viciously into the upper left corner. Joe Hart, despite his experience and reflexes, could only stretch desperately, his fingertips grazing nothing but air as the ball struck the net. 

"Damn," Sterling muttered under his breath. 

"Fluke?" Fernandinho raised an eyebrow, trying to downplay it. 

But Nico wasn't done. He calmly set up another ball and struck it again. This time, it curled into the top right corner with pinpoint precision, leaving Hart diving helplessly once more. 

The third, fourth, and fifth free kicks followed the same pattern—each one perfectly placed, each one unstoppable. 

Joe Hart got up after the fifth and put his hands on his hips. "Alright, this is getting ridiculous," he muttered, shaking his head. 

The sixth shot. Perfect. The seventh. Perfect. The eighth. Perfect. 

By the ninth, the players had gone from murmuring to outright shouting in disbelief. 

"Every single one?! No way!" Kevin De Bruyne exclaimed. 

David Silva just crossed his arms, smiling in amusement. 

As Nico placed the tenth ball down, a playful smirk appeared on his lips. He had already won, but he decided to finish in style. This time, instead of aiming directly for the corner, he went for a knuckle shot. The ball soared before sharply dipping at the last second, smacking the underside of the crossbar and bouncing in. 

The entire squad erupted in noise. 

"No, no, no, this is unreal!" Clichy laughed. 

Sterling was grinning ear to ear. "We've got a cheat code on our team." 

Yaya Touré, who had been watching with a growing smile, sighed dramatically and put his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. You win, kid. From now on, I'm the second-choice free kick taker." 

The players burst out laughing, while Guardiola stood with his arms crossed, nodding approvingly. He had seen a lot in his career, but even he had to admit—this was something special.

___________

After the intense free-kick session, Guardiola called Nico over, motioning for him to join him on the sidelines. The other players continued their drills, but a few of them—especially the midfielders like De Bruyne, David Silva, and Fernandinho—kept an ear out, curious about what their manager would say to the young prodigy.

"Alright, Nico," Guardiola started, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're talented, no doubt about that. But here at City, we play a very specific way. And I need you to understand every detail of it."

Nico nodded, listening attentively.

Guardiola then brought him over to a tactics board near the dugout. He picked up a marker and started drawing out formations, transitions, and movement patterns.

"We dominate possession," he began. "The ball moves faster than the player. Quick passing, intelligent positioning, and constant movement off the ball. That's how we dismantle teams. I don't want players running with the ball too much—except in the final third when it's necessary."

Nico followed every movement of the marker with sharp eyes.

"You already have the intelligence and vision," Guardiola continued, "but in the Premier League, pressing is aggressive. I need you to be comfortable playing one-touch and two-touch football under pressure. The moment you receive the ball, you should already know your next two options. No hesitation."

He then shifted the discussion to City's defensive structure.

"When we lose possession, we press instantly. Five seconds—we win it back. That's the rule. If not, we drop into our compact shape and control space. You played in La Liga, so you know positional play, but here in England, teams play at a much higher tempo. You will be pressed relentlessly."

Nico absorbed everything, already visualizing how he could fit into the system.