By the time Izan arrived at training in the afternoon, Paterna was already alive with intensity.
The sun hung high over the complex, casting long shadows across the pristine training pitch.
Valencia's players were gathered in small groups, stretching, chatting, or listening intently to the coaches.
Everything about the atmosphere felt different today. The usual relaxed energy had been replaced by something sharper—more focused.
The Copa del Rey final was days away, and everyone knew it.
Izan stepped onto the pitch, dressed in his training kit, feeling the shift immediately.
Conversations were brief, and the laughter that usually filled warm-ups was more controlled.
Even the staff moved with a heightened sense of urgency, setting up cones, mannequins, and goalposts with precision.
As Izan jogged to join his teammates, a few of them acknowledged him with nods and smirks.
