32 Via Ferraris, Turin.

  Didier Deschamps paused at the entrance of the elegant and dignified building, taking a moment before stepping inside.

  It was the first time he had returo Juventus' headquarters in more than two months.

  Sihat crushing 5-0 defeat to Napoli, the aftermath had been brutal. After the match, Juventus' sp director, Alessio Secco, publicly criticized Deschamps, and siheioweewo had soured. Deschamps hadn't set foot in the Juventus office since.

  Today marked his first return.

  If it weren't for Jean-Cude Bnc's repeated invitations and phone calls, he might not have e at all.

  "e on in, Didier. They're waiting for you," Bnc greeted him at the door.

  This fellow Fren had go of his way to give Deschamps face, personally ing out to receive him.

  Deschamps nodded aered the building.

  ...

  The a of Juventus had gathered today at the headquarters for one purpose: to crify the club's goals for the season aablish strategies for moving forward, as well as to y the groundwork for wiransfer preparations.

  Many fans mistakenly believe that transfers are only iated during the transfer window, but iy, they are often finalized long in advance, sometimes even six months before a pyer switches clubs.

  This was especially true for star pyers, where the process often involved plex iations, including the transfer of ercial sponsorship tracts.

  Deschamps, as a legendary figure of the club, had stepped up in Juventus' time of crisis. His decision to take the helm during such a tumultuous period earned him respect from many within the club.

  But not from Alessio Secco.

  Secco had often expressed support for Deschamps in front of the media, g the club was deeply grateful to him. But anyone paying attentiohat there was serious tensioween Secco, Bnd Deschamps.

  Today's meeting was attended by all the top brass of Juventus, including Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, the club's chairman, who wasn't particurly hands-on in daily operations.

  As the club's general manager, Bnc opehe meeting by rep oeam's business operations for the season.

  Given Juventus' relegation to Serie B, revenues from ticket sales, matchday ine, and other revereams had plummeted, even as many operational expenses had remained unged. This created financial strain, though the club had mao stay aflely due to the €80 million they spent iransfer market, which acted as a stopgap.

  But everyone khat relying on trao bahe books was unsustainable.

  The club's immediate priority was to return to Serie A as quickly as possible, to once again join the ranks of Europe's giants and recover lost ine ideally, even increase it.

  To make matters worse, the Fiat Group, which financially backed Juventus, had faced difficulties i years. The team could no longer t on signifit financial support from Fiat. They had to rely on themselves.

  Bnc, who had a background as aor at L'équipe and had siransitioned into managing rge sp events such as the Winter Olympics, Dakar Rally, Tour de France, and French Open, was an astute businessmaly, he had been w on Juventus' adium project, although that remained a closely guarded secret within the club.

  Following Bnc's business report, Secco, as the sp director responsible for the team's on-field matters, took the floor.

  He gave a summary of the team's performance sihe *Calciopoli* sdal, g it had been acceptable, but he wasn't satisfied. In his view, the team hadn't fully showcased Juventus' strength.

  "We should have been more dominant, more ving in Serie B," Secco said.

  He didn't directly name Deschamps, but it was clear who he was critig.

  The cracks in Juventus' leadership were being more apparent. Secco represehe old guard of Juventus, while Bnd Deschamps symbolized the club's new dire under Fiat's vision. Both sides had yet to openly front each other, but tensions were building.

  Bnd Deschamps had grown aced to Secco's veiled criticisms by now.

  At the end of Secco's speech, he made it clear that the club didn't pn to sign any new pyers during the winter break. The teical team had determihat the current squad was more than capable of handling the challenges of Serie B.

  There would be ransfers. But Seahat the team py better and deliver more ving performances.

  "I hope everyone uands that we are Juventus. Being in Serie B is only temporary. oal isn't just promotion. We want to be champions. We are aiming to return to Serie A as champions!"

  Even though Juventus had started the season with a nine-poiion, Secco's words set the bar high.

  At the moment, Napoli sat atop the table, with Juventus two points behind. Fact in the nine-poiion, Juventus trailed Napoli by 11 points and would drop to fourth if those points were ated for.

  Secco then turned his attention to the uping match against Napoli at the weekend. He described the return to the San Paolo Stadium as a ce to recim pride.

  "That 5-0 defeat in the Coppa Italia is a stain on Juventus' honor, and we must erase that embarrassment with a victory."

  Secco's fiery speech won the approval of chairman Cobolli Gigli.

  The chairman, who had rgely taken a backseat in daily operations, had adopted a faric stance. He was deeply dissatisfied with the team's performahis season, particurly the humiliating loss to Napoli and Juventus' current standing behind them in Serie B.

  "This is uable to the fans!" Gigli decred.

  Usually, Gigli pyed the role of peacemaker between Bnd Secco, but on this issue, his stance was clear. He sided with the fans, demanding that the team regroup aore its dominance.

  And with those words, all the pressure fell squarely on Deschamps' shoulders.

  ...

  "You know, at this point, we 't afford to go all out against Napoli. We simply don't have the resources for that," Deschamps said ter, in the privacy of the general manager's office.

  It was more of a pint than a statement.

  "The people in there don't uand football. One just wants to appease the fans, and the other..." Deschamps trailed off as he saw Bnc looking at him, his expression unreadable.

  He stopped mid-sentence, realizing that even Bnc, despite his support, might not fully grasp the tactical plexities involved.

  "Didier, I support you in almost everything, but for this weekend's match against Napoli, we must win. Another loss would be catastrophic," Bnc said, his tone grave.

  Catastrophic? Did he mean the end of Deschamps' tenure?

  This was the first time Deschamps had felt the real possibility of being sacked siaking the job at Juventus.

  "Do you think we have the strength to beat Napoli?" Deschamps asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

  "Why not?" Bnc responded, not waiting for an answer. "We have Buffon, Nedved, Camoranesi, Del Pieruet, Zayeta, Birindelli, Kovac... Giannichedda, Paro, Zai, all of them were regur starters for top Serie A teams. Chiellini, Marchisio, Marni, Bojinov—all of them are young and incredibly talented. With such a lineup, do you really think we 't beat Napoli?"

  Deschamps was left speechless.

  He didn't know what to say.

  He couldn't tell them that Napoli, under Gao Shen's guidance, ying at an advaactical level he had yet to figure out how to ter. He couldn't admit that while Juventus had stars, Napoli's young pyers were perf at a higher level. He certainly couldn't suggest that despite their famous names, Juventus might not be better than Napoli as a team.

  There were things Deschamps uood but couldn't articute.

  If he said those things out loud, the sequences could be far worse than losing a game or even losing his job.

  Just as earlier in the meeting, when Gigli and Secco had asked him why Juventus, with such a strong squad, couldn't py the same tactical football as Napoli.

  Why couldn't they press high like Napoli did? Why couldn't they py mgressively?

  Deschamps had no answer. Because he couldn't say it was because he didn't know how.

  To many, tactics seemed straightforward: put the pyers in positiohem what to do, how to pass, how to move.

  Napoli presses high? Juventus press high tht? So why wasn't it w?

  If your pyers aren't fit enough, train them harder!

  If they aren't teically good enough, practice more!

  After all, if Napoli's defenders could py out from the bad unch accurate long passes, why couldn't Juventus' pyers?

  If Napoli's pyers could do it, surely Juventus' stars could too?

  And if they couldn't, whose fault was it? The pyers? Or the coach?

  It always es back to the coa European football.

  Deschamps even sehat Bnc, who had always supported him, now believed that a win against Napoli was essential to turn the season around.

  If that's the case, what more was there to say?

  He deeply regretted his decision to take this job.

  But now, no matter what, he was Juventus' head coach. He had to see it through, even if it meant tears at the end.

  "I'll do my best."

  With that, Deschamps walked away, dejected.

  Bnc watched him leave, feeling flicted.

  He uood Deschamps' difficulties, but who didn't face challenges?

  What Juventus o do now is to maintain their stature as a powerhouse aurn to their flory as soon as possible.

  Ohat aura fades, it may take years tain.

  Without that stature, is Juventus still truly Juventus?

  ...

  ...

  As Deschamps left 32 Via Ferraris, in the south of Italy, a long-awaited figure arrived at the gates of the Castel Volturno trainier in Naples.