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[Monday, 07/10/2019, 10:00, DFB Campus,]
Rakim followed Coach Manuel Baum through the sleek corridors of the DFB Campus. Every step echoed faintly against the polished floors, and the faint hum of activity filled the air. Screens on the walls displayed training schedules, fitness metrics, and inspirational clips of Germany's iconic World Cup moments. Rakim caught himself pausing briefly at a clip of Mario Götze's decisive goal in the 2014 World Cup final. The roar of the crowd still sent shivers down his spine.
He had gotten to watch the tournament in this life, and his dad had even taken them to watch the finals live in Maracanã. So, he was able to see this legendary moment live as 22-year-old Mario Götze became the king of the world. He could still remember the look of joy on his father's face when his home country lifted the cup. Despite having lived most of his adult life in America he still considered Germany his home and was happy to see them succeed.
"You'll get your orientation shortly," Baum said as they entered a modern lounge area, where a handful of young players were seated. They had completed their morning training and had some time off which they used to relax. Some were engaged in animated discussions, while others leaned back, earphones in, scrolling on their phones.
"You might know this lad but let me formally introduce you to Rakim Rex from Leverkusen's senior team and your new teammate for the Poland campaign," Baum announced, drawing their attention. "He's young but his talent is self-evident, honestly we're lucky the USA didn't want him."
The lounge went quiet as the players turned their attention to Rakim. He could feel their eyes scanning him, assessing whether the hype around him was real. For a moment, no one spoke, until a tall player with a confident grin and sharp cheekbones stepped forward.
"Youssoufa Moukoko," the boy introduced himself, extending his hand. "Welcome to the squad. Leverkusen, huh? Guess that means you know Florian already."
Rakim dabbed him up appreciating the warm welcome from him. "Yeah, Florian and I have trained together quite a few times, can't wait to play an official match together."
Following his words he spotted the blonde boy in question fully engaged in a game of mortal combat on the Play Station. "Huh yeah I know Rakim he's ok, just don't let him cut inside," He offhandedly commented after one of the nearby guys asked him a question. From how he was engrossed in trying to finish off Armel's character, he wouldn't be surprised if the guy hadn't noticed them coming in.
Rakim smirked at Florian's offhand comment, his competitive spirit already stirring. "Don't let me cut inside? You better hope I don't show you in training," he called out, loud enough to grab Florian's attention.
Florian glanced over, a sly grin forming on his face as he delivered a final blow to Armel's character on the screen. "We'll see about that. Just don't cry when I nutmeg you," he quipped, the playful jab drawing laughter from some of the players around them.
Coach Baum clapped his hands to regain focus. "Alright, that's enough for now. Rakim, I'll leave you to settle in and get to know the boys. You've got a lot of work ahead, so don't get too comfortable." He turned to the rest of the team. "Afternoon training starts at 14:00 sharp. Don't be late."
As Baum left, Youssoufa motioned for Rakim to follow him to an empty seat. "Come on, you've got to meet the rest of the crew. And don't worry about Florian; he's all talk unless it's Mortal Kombat."
[Monday, 07/10/2019, 13:30, DFB Campus Training Grounds]
Rakim stood at the edge of the pristine training pitch, tying the laces on his Black and gold Ace 11's. They had been tweaked to his liking by the Apex's R&D, with the boot that was previously a size 10.5, now being closer to a 10.75 perfectly hugging his feet. The sock was even heightened slightly following his request giving him his ankle more security.
Around him, the other players were stretching and warming up, their chatter blending with the sound of crisp autumn leaves rustling in the breeze. The air was filled with the faint scent of fresh grass and the distant hum of passing cars. They weren't the only ones on the training ground as national teams of all ages could be seen training in the complex.
Assistant coach Marcus Sorg blew his whistle, signalling the start of the session. "Alright, boys, let's get moving! Start with light passing drills. Keep it sharp, keep it clean."
Rakim partnered with Wirtz, the two quickly falling into a rhythm. The ball zipped back and forth between them, their touches precise and accurate. Wirtz grinned after one particularly deft pass. "You excited to be here? Wasn't sure if you were serious when you said you might play for Germany,"
"Yeah, didn't think the dual citizenship application would go through so quickly, guess being a footballer has its perks," Rakim responded as he crisply sent the ball back to the Wirtz waiting feet.
As the session progressed, the drills intensified. Rakim's group rotated through tactical exercises, focusing on maintaining possession under pressure. Coach Baum observed from the sidelines, barking instructions when players faltered. Rakim's sharp movements and ability to read the game quickly drew attention.
Most of the drills were more focused on formation drills, passing games and transition exercises. Unlike in Leverkusen where they trained to get better the exercises were focused on improving their chemistry and enhancing their teamwork. Realizing this from the get-go, Rakim focused on taking as much information as possible and delivering exactly what they asked for.
Even when asked to play in different positions from his familiar wing he didn't complain and simply completed what was asked. "Rex shows great awareness, but his defensive ability is just passable," Coach Baum observed from the sidelines as Rakim was moved to playing in midfield.
"He is a pure attacking player, having the average defensive ability at Bundes Liiga level is already good enough," Assistant coach Marcus Sorg commented from the side, "Considering the results he produces on the attacking end even if he simply let the opponents by it would still be worth it keeping him on the field."
[Monday, 07/10/2019, 16:00, DFB Campus Recovery Zone]
After the gruelling session, the players were ushered into the recovery zone—a sleek, temperature-controlled room lined with state-of-the-art equipment. Rakim found himself in an ice bath next to Antonis Aidonis, who winced as he submerged himself.
"So," Antonis said, his voice breaking the silence. "What's it like, being blackballed by the U.S. team?"
Not at all expecting the sudden question, Rakim almost slipped out of the ice bath he was sitting in. "You don't ease into things, do you?" he retorted with a wry smile as he took a sip of his water. "It's not so bad, feels like the minor league rejected me only for a team in the majors to sign me. Like I got to face my idol in the biggest club competition in the world."
"Fair enough, it's crazy how you not only got to play against Ronaldo but also beat him," Antonis commented from the side sounding much more impressed. "Is it true that you rejected his kit just because it was a Juventus kit?"