After returning to Manchester from London, all the Manchester City players rested at home for a full day. The next day, they gradually returned to their daily routines as they began preparations for the weekend match.
Everything seemed the same at first—except for one thing: the training.
The difference came with Pintus. Since his arrival, he had grown noticeably stricter during sessions, wearing a serious expression almost all the time.
At first, the players assumed that the new fitness coach was simply raising the overall training standards—nothing more than a tougher methodology he had introduced. However, under Pintus, even side games began to change.
Today felt different.
Each player who made their way to the training pitch greeted the coaches before hurriedly starting their warm-ups. Their previous experiences with Ronaldo and were still fresh in their minds: be late, and you would be punished!
