The Friday morning sky hung low over La Turbie, its grey stretch neither threatening rain nor promising sun, simply watching with an air of quiet anticipation. Demien stood at the center of the tactical room, his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes fixed intently on the projection screen where Nice's formation glowed in sharp white lines against a black backdrop.
"Cobos and Pamarot," he said, his finger pointing to the gap between Nice's center-backs. "Their lack of communication creates a vulnerability that doesn't show up on paper." His voice was low and measured, but his words carried a sense of excitement.
The coaching staff sat in a semicircle around him, Michel closest, his notepad balanced on one knee, his pen hovering over a half-filled page. The analyst, Baptiste, clicked to the next slide, revealing heat maps from Nice's last three matches.
