Chapter 16: A New Beginning
The boardroom felt colder than usual.
Morning light came through the tall windows and fell across the table. The heater was running, but the room still felt cold and quiet.
Milan had only left the day before.
Niels could still remember him standing on the pitch, waving to the fans. The chants, the hugs and the final goodbye were still fresh in his mind.
Now Milan was gone, and the room felt different without him.
Niels sat at one end of the table. He wasn't sitting in the chairman's seat. Not yet.
Across from him were the chairman, the finance director, the head of recruitment and the club lawyer. A folder sat on the table in front of them. Inside were the details of Niels's new contract, including his salary, bonuses and other terms.
The chairman leaned forward.
"Niels, congratulations. We're officially offering you the position of Head Coach. The contract will be for eighteen months, with the option to extend it if things go well."
Niels gave a small smile.
"Thank you, sir. I'm honored. I'll do everything I can to continue what Milan started."
Niels knew what the new job meant. He wasn't just taking over from Milan. He was taking on everything that came with the position.
Milan had spent years building the team and earning the respect of everyone at the club. Now Niels would have to make his own decisions, deal with the results and prove that he was ready.
The finance director pushed the contract towards him.
"There isn't much time to settle in," he said. "The league continues every week, and the FA Cup third round is coming up. You've got Wrexham this weekend. That won't be an easy game."
"I know," Niels replied. He sat up a little straighter. "I know what's expected of me."
The chairman nodded.
"Good. Then let's get this signed."
Niels picked up the pen and started going through the papers.
One signature.
Then another.
With every page, it felt more real.
This was his job now.
This is his team and his responsibility.
Niels didn't go home after the meeting.
He didn't feel like going back to his flat. It would be quiet, and he knew the dishes from yesterday would still be in the kitchen.
Instead, he stayed at Broadfield Stadium.
He walked around the building for a while, just like Milan used to do after late matches. He walked past the dressing rooms, where he could still smell the sweat and muscle rub. He passed the gym and noticed a medicine ball sitting in the corner.
Everything looked the same, but somehow it felt different without Milan there.
Eventually, Niels walked out onto the pitch.
The morning was still cold, and frost covered parts of the grass. The sun was coming up, but the stadium was empty.
Niels took out his phone and called Milan.
Milan answered after two rings.
"Didn't expect you to call this early," he said.
"I signed the contract," Niels replied. He couldn't hide the smile in his voice.
There was a short pause.
"Good," Milan said. "So it's official now."
Neither of them spoke for a few seconds.
"I keep expecting you to walk through the door," Niels said. "It still feels like this is your team and I'm just looking after it for you."
Milan laughed quietly.
"It stopped being my team when the players started coming to you for answers. You've already been doing the job."
Niels looked across the empty pitch and moved some loose grass with his boot.
"What if I'm not good enough?"
"You won't get everything right," Milan said. "Nobody does. You'll make mistakes, and you'll learn from them. The players won't follow you because you're trying to be me. They'll follow you because you're Niels."
Niels took a breath.
"Thanks. For everything."
"You don't need to thank me. And if you completely mess things up, I'll come back just to remind you about it."
Niels laughed.
"Fair enough."
"Go get them, coach."
The call ended.
Niels put his phone back in his pocket and looked out at the pitch.
It was quiet.
But for the first time, it felt like his.
Training the next morning felt a little different.
Nobody was upset, but things were quieter than usual. The music was still playing from someone's speaker, probably Dev's, but nobody was paying much attention to it.
Niels got to the stadium early. Maybe earlier than he needed to. He walked around the pitch for a while, looking at the dugout and taking everything in.
Luka was the first player to arrive. He had a ball with him.
"You alright, boss?"
"As good as I can be."
Luka nodded. "That's a start."
Dev arrived soon after, wearing his hoodie and headphones. He didn't say much. Reece came in a little later, as usual, quiet and focused.
When everyone finally gathered on the pitch, Niels looked around at them.
He knew they were waiting to see what he would say.
"I'm not Milan," he said. "And I'm not going to try to be him. But I learned a lot from him, and I know what he built here."
He paused.
"I believe in what he built. More importantly, I believe in you."
Nobody said anything.
Luka looked at him and nodded.
Reece stood a little straighter.
Dev took off his hoodie and put his headphones away.
Niels smiled slightly.
"Alright," he said. "Let's get to work."
Training was difficult that morning.
Some of the runs were out of time, passes went wrong and the players were getting frustrated. During one drill, Dev tried to play a through-ball but sent it well past the cones.
Niels walked over.
"You're trying too hard," he said. "Relax and take your time."
Dev nodded, still looking annoyed.
On the next attempt, he got it right. He played a perfect pass through the middle of the defence, and Liam let out a quick whistle.
The tools Milan had set up were still being used. The scouting reports, player stats and fitness tracking were all there on Niels's tablet.
But Niels wasn't looking at it as much as before.
He was starting to notice other things.
He watched the way Reece moved before making a sprint. He noticed how Liam kept checking on the younger players during training.
Those small things told him more than some of the numbers did.
Later, Niels called Nate over. The young winger had spent the last few weeks on the bench.
Niels checked his system and saw the same things he had noticed before. Nate had a lot of potential and was suited to playing as an inverted winger, but his confidence was still a problem.
"I'm starting you on the left on Friday," Niels said.
Nate looked surprised.
"Really?"
"Really. Wrexham won't be expecting it."
Nate smiled.
"You've worked hard for this," Niels said. "So don't go out there thinking you have something to prove. Just play your game."
Nate nodded.
"Got it."
He walked back towards the others looking more confident than he had a few minutes earlier.
Niels watched him go.
That felt good.
By late afternoon, everyone had gone home.
Niels stayed at the stadium and watched the ground staff work on the pitch. The sun was going down, and the whole place had turned a soft golden colour.
He sat in the dugout, in the seat Milan used to sit in, and enjoyed the quiet.
After a while, he heard someone coming.
It was Reece. He was carrying two protein shakes.
"Thought you might still be here," Reece said, handing one to him.
Niels took it.
"Thanks."
They sat there for a while without saying much.
Then Reece spoke.
"He believed in you. We do too."
Niels looked at him.
"Thanks, Reece."
Reece nodded and left.
Niels stayed in the dugout alone.
He took out his phone and opened his notes. After thinking for a moment, he typed:
Milan built the family.
Now I have to raise it.
He read it a few times before saving the note.
Then he put his phone away and stood up.
This was his team now.
And tomorrow would be the start of something new.