Chapter 69: Chapter 68: First-Team Reality
Wednesday, August 4th, 2022 - Training Ground
Demien arrived at the training complex early the next morning, his body feeling better after a full rest day, and the facility was already buzzing with activity as players filtered in through the main entrance. The energy was different from pre-season—sharper, more focused, with the knowledge that league football was only days away and every training session now mattered for selection.
The first team was scheduled to train together this morning with the focus shifting entirely to preparing for Sampdoria, and as Demien walked through the corridors toward the dressing room he could hear voices and laughter echoing from inside.
He pushed through the door and found most of the squad already there in various stages of changing, and the atmosphere immediately shifted when someone near the entrance shouted "There he is! Stamford Bridge’s new star!"
Malinovskiy was grinning while pulling on his training shirt. "Tuchel couldn’t stop talking about you apparently. Should we start calling you ’that Demien boy’ now?"
"Shut up," Demien said while trying not to smile as he walked to his locker, but the teasing was good-natured and he knew it.
The door opened again and the entire room’s attention shifted as Ademola Lookman walked in for the first time as an official first-team member, having finally completed his medical and signed his contract that morning. The English winger looked slightly nervous despite being twenty-four and having played professional football for years, the reality of joining a new club in a foreign country showing in his body language.
"Ayo!" Zapata called out while being the first to approach, the Colombian striker extending his hand with a welcoming smile. "Welcome to Atalanta, brother."
The rest of the squad followed immediately, players clapping Lookman on the back and introducing themselves in a mixture of English and Italian, creating that inclusive atmosphere that made new signings feel like they belonged from day one. Højlund grabbed him in a friendly headlock while laughing, de Roon shook his hand formally as captain, and Malinovskiy immediately started asking about life in the Premier League.
"Alright, alright, let him breathe," Gasperini’s voice cut through the noise as the coach walked in with his clipboard. "Ademola, good to have you with us officially. You’ll train with the group today and get familiar with how we play. Everyone else, get changed and on the pitch in five minutes."
Training that morning was sharp and intense, focused on defensive shape against Sampdoria’s expected 4-3-3 formation and how to exploit the spaces when transitioning from defense to attack. Gasperini was vocal throughout, correcting positioning and demanding faster decision-making, while Lookman integrated smoothly into the drills despite being new to the system.
The session lasted nearly two and a half hours, ending with small-sided possession games that left everyone breathing hard. As players walked off toward the facility, Gasperini called out for everyone to gather.
"The first team squad list is posted in the dressing room," he announced while standing with his arms crossed. "Those registered can participate in all Serie A matches this season. Check it now."
Demien pushed through the door with several others and found the printed sheet already pinned to the board—the official 24-man Serie A squad for the 2022/23 season.
ATALANTA BC – PRIMA SQUADRA (2022/23)
Goalkeepers (Portieri)
GK Juan Musso
GK Marco Sportiello
GK Francesco Rossi
Defenders (Difensori)
CB
Rafael TolóiCB Berat Djimsiti
CB Giorgio Scalvini
CB José Palomino
RB Hans Hateboer
RB/LB Joakim Mæhle
RB Davide Zappacosta
LB Matteo Ruggeri
RB Brandon Soppy
CB Caleb Okoli
CB Moretti
Midfielders (Centrocampisti)
CDM Marten de Roon
CM Éderson
CM Teun Koopmeiners
CAM Mario Pašalić
CAM Ruslan Malinovskyi
CAM/RW Aleksei Miranchuk
CM/AM Demien Walter
Forwards (Attaccanti)
ST Duván Zapata
ST Luis Muriel
ST Rasmus
LW Jérémie Boga
LW/RW Ademola Lookman
His name was there. Listed among the midfielders in the official Serie A squad.
Relief mixed with pride in his chest—being in the 24-man squad meant he could actually play Serie A matches when called upon, not stuck in the U23 system like many other young players.
The system pinged quietly in his mind.
「MISSION COMPLETE」
「Today’s Training Session Accomplished」
「Reward: 10 TP」
「Current Balance: 284 TP | 15 SP | 66 MP」
He dismissed it quickly while focusing on the board, and Moretti appeared beside him with a grin. "We both made it. First team squad for the whole season."
"Yeah," Demien agreed while his voice carried genuine satisfaction. "Can’t complain about that."
*****
Thursday, August 4th, 2022
Thursday morning arrived with clouds hanging low over Bergamo, the air thick with humidity that made the training kit stick to skin before they’d even started warming up.
Gasperini had set up a full tactical session on the main pitch—mannequins positioned in Sampdoria’s expected 4-3-3 formation, cones marking zones, and the entire squad split into attacking and defending units. Demien found himself in the group tasked with breaking down the low block while wearing the neon yellow training bib.
"Again!" Gasperini’s voice carried across the pitch as he blew his whistle sharply. The play stopped immediately, players freezing in position while the coach strode toward the attacking third with his clipboard. "Demien, where are you?"
Demien raised his hand from his position between two mannequins representing Sampdoria’s defensive midfielders.
"Wrong. You’re hiding behind their pivot." Gasperini physically moved him five yards to the left, positioning him in the half-space between midfield and defense. "Here. This is where you receive. You force their defensive midfielder to make a choice—mark you or hold position. Either way, we create space."
"Yes, Mister."
"Koopmeiners!" Gasperini called out to the Dutch midfielder. "When Demien drops here, you push forward into the space he vacated. Constant rotation. Keep them guessing."
They ran it again. This time when Mæhle had the ball wide left, Demien dropped into the pocket Gasperini had shown him. The pass came immediately, and with one touch he laid it off to Koopmeiners who had surged forward into the vacant space. The ball kept moving—quick, precise, forcing the mannequins and defending players to scramble.
"Better!" Gasperini nodded. "But faster. Sampdoria won’t give you three seconds to think. Move the ball in two touches maximum."
They drilled the same pattern for twenty minutes, adjusting positions and timing until the movement became instinctive. Demien felt his legs burning, his mind processing information faster with each repetition—where to move before the ball arrived, which passing lanes opened up, how to manipulate defenders with his positioning alone.
During the water break, de Roon walked over while Demien was catching his breath.
"You’re learning quick," the Dutch captain said while taking a long drink from his bottle. "Most young players want to dribble or force passes. You’re playing simple."
"Just trying to do what Gasperini wants."
"Keep doing that," de Roon advised. "In Serie A, the simple pass at the right time is worth more than the spectacular one at the wrong time. Trust me—I’ve been here long enough to know."
The afternoon brought recovery work in the gym—ice baths that made Demien’s teeth chatter, massage therapy that found knots in his calves he hadn’t known existed, and an hour of film study where Gasperini broke down Sampdoria’s recent matches frame by frame.
"Watch their right-back here," Gasperini said while pausing the video. "When their winger receives, he pinches inside. That’s the space for our left wing-back to exploit. Mæhle, you see this?"
The Danish wing-back nodded from his seat. "I’ll push high when we have possession on that side."
"Exactly. Demien, your job is to recognize this and switch play quickly. Don’t wait for the pass to develop—see it coming before it happens."
The system pinged quietly as the session concluded.
「MISSION COMPLETE」
「Today’s Training Session Accomplished」
「Reward: 10 TP」
「Current Balance: 294 TP | 15 SP | 66 MP」
That evening Demien returned to the apartment and collapsed on the couch, his body exhausted in that satisfying way that came from intense training. His phone buzzed with a call from Luca.
"You sound tired," Luca said when Demien answered.
"Gasperini’s been working us hard. Tactical session this morning was intense."
"Well, I’ve got news." Luca’s tone shifted to excitement. "Marco just told me—Braga are seriously interested in taking me on loan for the season."
Demien sat up straighter. "Portugal? That’s massive."
"Yeah, but it’s not done yet. Marco says these things take time—he’s got to negotiate with both clubs, then there’s medicals, work permits if needed, international clearance. Could be a few weeks before anything’s actually finalized."
"Still, that’s a good sign. Europa League football potentially."
"Exactly what Marco said. Regular first-team minutes in a good league." Luca paused. "Weird though, right? We came up together through the trial, signed at the same time, and now I might be going to Portugal while you’re in Serie A."
"Different paths to the same place," Demien said. "You’ll get your experience, come back stronger, and push for the first team."
"That’s the plan."
They talked for another twenty minutes about Braga, about Portugal’s league, about how Luca would handle living abroad for the first time, before hanging up with promises to meet for dinner over the weekend if the loan wasn’t finalized yet.