Nobody responded.
Pep's voice remained calm, but there was no softness in it. "We have lost our last two matches. We cannot lose today. We cannot draw today. We must win." He let the words sit in the silence for a moment before looking around again. "I will accept nothing less than the perfect result."
Nobody moved. Nobody even reached for a drink. After several more seconds, Pep gave a small nod and said, "The starting lineup is ready."
He turned toward Pep Lijnders, who stepped forward carrying two sheets of paper and handed them to Bernardo Silva. Bernardo glanced over the list, drew in a breath and began reading through the names while the room listened in silence. Rodri was starting. Haaland was starting. Doku, Bernardo and Foden were starting. Then Lukas heard his own name, and for a second the room seemed to narrow around that single fact.
He was starting the Manchester derby.
