EINTRACHT FRANKFURT 3 - FC AUGSBURG 2
Time: 86:52
"Push up! Push up, you cowards!" Lukas shouted.
He waved his arms wildly at his players, but they were barely moving.
They were exhausted and mentally broken. He could see it in the way they dragged their feet across the wet grass. The players had completely stopped believing in him weeks ago.
Lukas knew the tactical theory perfectly, but he lacked the commanding presence to manage the massive egos of veteran players.
He was losing the dressing room, the match, and his career all at once...
Desperation makes people do foolish things, and Lukas was completely desperate. His personal goal had always been simple: save his childhood club from relegation to honor his late father, who had been a lifelong fan.
He couldn't just stand there and watch that dream die. He had to do something drastic.
With the clock ticking mercilessly toward the ninetieth minute, Lukas turned to his bench. He pointed a shaking finger at three substitutes at once.
"You, you, and you! Get your tracksuits off right now!" Lukas barked.
He was making a triple substitution, an incredibly risky move in the dying minutes of a match. He forcefully pulled off his two exhausted defensive midfielders and his reliable right-back. In their place, he brought on three fresh, attack-minded players.
Lukas furiously tapped on his tactical clipboard, shoving it into their faces.
"We are switching to a 3-3-4 formation! I don't care about the midfield or the defense anymore. Go all out! Just get into the penalty box and score!"
The new players sprinted onto the pitch, looking utterly confused by the chaotic, desperate instructions.
Lukas paced the touchline, screaming himself hoarse. For a brief, shining second, it actually looked like the gamble might pay off.
Augsburg pushed forward in a massive wave of pressure. The ball fell to his young winger on the edge of the box, who pulled his foot back to shoot.
The winger slipped on the rain-soaked grass.
A Frankfurt defender easily stole the ball and immediately launched a long, clearing pass over the top. Because Lukas had completely emptied his midfield to throw players forward, there was absolutely no one left to stop the counter-attack.
Two Frankfurt forwards sprinted toward the Augsburg goalkeeper, completely unopposed.
Lukas could only watch in silent horror as the Frankfurt striker drew the goalkeeper out, before casually passing the ball across the penalty area to his teammate.
The teammate tapped it effortlessly into the empty net.
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT 4 - FC AUGSBURG 2
Time: 89:15
Lukas stumbled backward and collapsed heavily onto his seat in the dugout, burying his face in his cold, wet hands. He had completely ruined it. His frantic tactical switch hadn't saved them; it had only humiliated them further.
He had failed his players, his city, and his father's memory. He had just officially relegated the team he loved. He could hear the tens of thousands of opposing fans singing songs specifically to mock him.
The rain matched the crushing sadness sitting in his chest. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would be fired first thing in the morning.
As the referee blew the final whistle a few minutes later, confirming Augsburg's relegation, the world around Lukas seemed to numbingly slow down.
The cheering of the crowd faded into a dull, distant buzz. He stood up, preparing to walk onto the pitch to apologize to his devastated players.
But just as he took his first step out of the dugout, a sharp chime echoed directly inside his brain.
Suddenly, a massive, glowing blue interface materialized out of thin air, hovering right in front of his face.
[Initialization of The Football Manager System... Complete.]
[Welcome, Manager. Your journey to the top of the football world begins now!]
Lukas stared at the floating text, his mouth hanging wide open.
"What in the world..." he whispered.
The main screen vanished, and suddenly, smaller blue boxes popped up over the heads of every single player on the pitch.
He looked at his exhausted captain, Thomas, who was sitting on the grass with his head bowed in shame.
Floating directly above the veteran's head was a detailed panel:
Player: Thomas Müller
Age: 34
Overall Rating: 68/100
Potential: 68/100
Stamina: 4%
Hidden Trait: Natural Leader
Lukas gasped, taking a step back. He turned his head and looked at his young, flashy winger who had slipped before the final goal.
Player: Felix Bauer
Age: 19
Overall Rating: 72/100
Potential: 89/100 (Wonderkid)
Hidden Trait: Glass Ankles
"No way..." Lukas muttered, "I can see everything. Their exact stats, their private feelings... their hidden potential."
He looked around the massive stadium in total awe. He could see the exact sprint speed ratings of the Frankfurt players celebrating in the distance. He could see the precise passing accuracy stats of his own weeping midfielders.
The incredibly complex world of human emotions and physical limitations had just been reduced to clean, easily readable numbers!
DING!
[Survive the emergency board meeting tomorrow morning and convince the furious club owners to keep you as manager for the second division campaign.]
[Reward: 1x Bronze Player Scouting Ticket, 500 Manager Points.]
Lukas slowly lowered his hands to his sides.