Success made people greedy.
Football especially.
Three weeks earlier, Miraflores supporters only wanted survival.
Now?
People discussed mid-table finishes openly.
Some fans even joked about playoff dreams online.
Football insanity had returned to the city.
And insanity always came with pressure.
Inside the boardroom, the atmosphere changed too.
President Mateo Villalba smiled more now. Sponsors suddenly returned calls faster. Attendance numbers improved weekly.
Money followed momentum.
But Malik barely noticed any of it.
Because he noticed something else instead.
Fatigue.
Real fatigue.
Training intensity had transformed the team physically…
but the squad depth was terrible.
Three midfielders already carried minor muscle injuries. Raúl needed constant recovery management. Adrian played nearly every minute now.
The squad was stretching dangerously thin.
Malik brought it up immediately during board meetings.
"We'll need reinforcements in January."
Sergio Molina frowned instantly.
"Already?"
"Our depth is not sustainable."
Elena supported him quietly.
"He's right."
But Sergio looked irritated.
"Let's survive first before discussing spending."
Malik stayed calm externally.
Internally? That answer annoyed him.
Because this wasn't ambition.
It was maintenance.
And football punished clubs that confused the two.
Meanwhile, the media obsession around him became absurd.
Tactical podcasts discussed "Amari Ball." Football pages analyzed Miraflores pressing structures. Journalists constantly waited outside training grounds now.
Even opposing managers started mentioning him regularly.
Some respectfully.
Others less so.
One veteran coach dismissed him publicly:
"Intensity is easy. Longevity is difficult."
Malik saw the clip once.
Then ignored it.
Because right now…
He cared more about the sprint data in front of him.
And the sprint data looked dangerous.
That weekend, Miraflores drew 2–2 away after conceding late.
The players looked devastated afterward.
Not because they lost.
Because they expected to win.
That mentality shift alone shocked Malik slightly.
The standards were changing faster than expected.
And standards changed football clubs permanently.
Late that night, Elena entered Malik's office.
"You should go home."
Malik barely looked up from the tactical screen.
"Soon."
"You said that two hours ago."
Silence.
Then she noticed the injury reports scattered across his desk.
Three highlighted names.
She sighed quietly.
"You think the squad is close to breaking."
Malik finally leaned back.
"No."
A pause.
"I think they're already breaking."