"Huh? What are you talking about? Didn’t you see the list?"
Lukas stopped in the middle of zipping his training bag and looked up at Ansgar, "What do you an by that?" he asked as his eyes widened in expectation.
"Check the group chat."
Lukas removed his phone from his pocket and showed it to Ansgar. "I am not in the group chat yet."
"Yo, Luke! Congrats, man. You’re traveling with us!" Larsson scread as he entered the locker room.
"Really? Let see," Lukas’s heart skipped a beat as he tried to remain composed.
He took the phone from Larsson and looked through the ssage.
Matchday Travel – FC St. Pauli vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Date: Saturday, 20:30 KO
Departure: Friday, 16:00 – Team Bus from Deutsche Bank Park to Frankfurt Airport
Hotel: The Fontenay, Hamburg
Dress Code: Club tracksuit
Traveling Squad:
1. Trapp (G)
2. Kaua Santos (G)
3. Dahoud
4. Koch
5. tanovic
6. Götze
7. Larsson
8. Skhiri
9. Marmoush
10. Ekitiké
11. Chaïbi
12. Tuta
13. Uzun
14. Aaronson
15. Hasebe
16. Knauff
17. Theate
18. Nkounkou
19. Collins
20. Kristensen
21. Brandt
Lukas’s eyes widened as he saw his na at the end of the list, but he calmly sat down on the bench. He knew he was good enough to play in the Bundesliga but never expected coach Topmöller to give him a chance this early on.
"Congrats, Luke. You deserve it." A few players congratulated him on making the match squad.
Kevin Trapp, the captain, walked up to Lukas and patted him on the shoulder. "With coach Dino, it’s your performance on the training ground and on the pitch that determines whether you’re in the squad or not. Keep performing how you always have in training, and be ready to co on and play your part when called upon, and you will always be included in the squad."
"Thanks, Kev. I will be ready."
"That’s good. I have just added you to the group chat. I rembered to do it before, but it slipped my mind."
"No problem. Thanks."
The group dispersed as Larsson and Ansgar went to the shower while Kevin walked to his locker.
Lukas watched the group chat in disbelief. He had officially made a matchday squad for a team competing for a Champions League spot just six months after he was dropped by a second-tier team’s academy.
He walked down to the lobby and called Javi imdiately. The call connected after just one ring.
"Hello, Luke. How is training. Are you coming ho now?"
"Dad... I made the match squad!"
"...."
"Hello? Dad?" Lukas could only hear footsteps from the other end of the phone, then closing and locking of a door.
"Oh my goodness, Luke! That’s unbelievable!" Javi scread after he presumably got to a quiet area at the university.
"Yes, I couldn’t believe it either."
"I’m so happy for you, son. So the match’s tomorrow right? Are you traveling with them tomorrow morning? Or today? How does it work in the first team?"
"The bus will leave at 4pm today. So we have enough ti to rest, recover, and practice before the match tomorrow."
"Okay... Uhmm... Let’s see... What do you need? I’ll rush ho and get it all and bring to you."
"It’s alright, dad. I have everything I need over at my dormitory at Riederwald. It’s just a 10-minute ride from here. I’ll go get it."
"Okay. That’s good. I’ll see you at the stadium tomorrow."
"You wanna co? I don’t even know if I’ll get any playing ti, though."
"I wouldn’t miss your debut match for the world."
Lukas smiled as he breathed a silent sigh of relief, "Okay, I’ll send you the e-ticket."
* * *
About five hours later.
A black team bus pulled up directly onto the tarmac beside the waiting aircraft, the players began to stir from their naps and idle chats. There was no rush, no crowded terminal, no need to wrestle with strangers over boarding groups. This wasn’t a comrcial flight — it was their flight.
The jet bore no club crest on the outside, but the mont they stepped onto the mobile stairs and into the cabin, the Eintracht Frankfurt atmosphere wrapped around them like a second kit. The subtle hum of the engines blended with the quiet shuffle of boots and duffel bags as the squad filed in, many already wearing noise-cancelling headphones and travel tracksuits bearing the eagle crest.
Lukas placed his little luggage in the top compartnt and lay down on a vacant seat beside a window just by the left wing of the aircraft. The seat was almost fully reclined with more leg-room and space than a standard business class seat.
Overhead screens displayed the flight route — Frankfurt to Hamburg — and just beside the main galley, the team chef and flight attendant were setting up trays of grilled chicken, rice, and stead vegetables, portioned and seasoned to fit each player’s dietary plan. A few of the staff were sipping espresso from the built-in machine while looking over matchday logistics.
The flight took off after about twenty minutes of settling in.
There were no screaming kids, no long announcents, just the occasional murmur over the intercom: "Estimated arrival in Hamburg in 48 minutes. Team staff, please ensure dical bags are secure."
Lukas lay on his reclined seat, eyes closed, with his noise-cancelling headphones on as he listened to a lo piano concert to relax.
[*Ahhhhhh... What did I miss? What is this sound blessing our ears?*] A very familiar voice sounded in Lukas’s head. It was like the voice of soone who just woke up from a deep sleep.
"Jeez! You scared ," Lukas sat up suddenly his eyes wide open as he looked around.
"What’s the matter?" Ekitike who was sitting in the seat directly in front of Lukas turned and asked.
"Oh it’s nothing, the music suddenly switched to sothing entirely."
"Oh I know that feeling... Spotify playlist, right?"
"Yeahh..." Lukas responded as he lay back down on his chair.
"Where have you been?"
[*I was updating. Didn’t you see the progress bar?*]
"It was on 99% for 10 whole days. Not cool man."
[*Yeahh... That was my bad. I’m back now, though. What’s happened in my absence. Why are you on a flight?*]
"You normally just read my mories and find out."
[*Well, I’ve been bored, so I wanna talk.*]
"We’re on our way to an away match at Hamburg."
[*Oh nice... You made the team. Our Lukas is all grown up now.*]
"Shut up. Is the LTC updated?"
[*Yeah. You can login whenever you want.*]
"Maybe after the ga. I don’t wanna go through the ntal fatigue a session would cause right now."
[*Good choice, ’cause there’s a lot to unpack. A lot was patched with the new update.*]
"I see, I’ll get so rest now. Let’s talk about that later," Lukas responded as he drifted off to a light sleep.
* * *
"Hello and welco to the Millerntor-Stadion in Hamburg, ho of FC St. Pauli and currently packed with 30,000 fans who have co to support their club in the opening ga of the second half of this season. My na is Derek Rae, and I am joined here by Stewart Robson."
"Hi Derek, I’m happy to be here, and we can look forward to an enchanting ga. Eintracht Frankfurt will look to resu the second half of the season with a bang, and St. Pauli will fight tooth and nail to secure sothing. They’re currently in the relegation zone, and ho gas are their best chance to secure sothing. It should be a scintillating watch, Derek."
"You’re right, Stewart. It will be a great ga."
The players headed out down the tunnel — Frankfurt in their away white, red and black kit. While St. Pauli wore their sleek distinctive brown ho kit with a box design.
After the pre-match formalities, "FWEEEE!" The referee blew his whistle to signal the beginning of the match.
In a familiar sitting room with dark sofa and a wedding picture above the TV, João was sitting on the sofa switching through channels,"There’s nothing to watch!" he lanted.
After a minute, sothing caught his eye that made him go back to the previous channel — Marmoush chasing down the ball St. Pauli had just kicked off.
"Might as well watch the ga to see how Lukas’s teammates play," he thought as he got comfortable.
"And it’s kick-off. Happy new year, if you’re just joining us, the Bundesliga is back in action with the first match of 2025. St. Pauli kicks off the match.
St. Pauli using a 3-4-3 formation with Vasilj in goal, Wahl, Smith, and Neth in defence, Boukhalfa joining Saliakas, Irvine, and Treu in the midfield. Sinani and Afolayan down the wings, and Guilavogui up top.
Topmöller deciding to change things up for Eintracht Frankfurt, with a 3-4-1-2 formation with Marmoush and Ekitike leading the line and Götze just behind them as the attacking midfielder. Brown, Skhiri, Larsson, and Collins, in midfield. The defense pairing of Theate, Koch, and Kristensen, with Kevin Trapp, the skipper, in goal.
Of course, the talk on social dia today is the inclusion of 16-year-old Lukas Brandt on the bench."
"What!?" João scread as he jumped up from his seat, "Lukas!?"
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