Chapter 573: A Surprise Meeting!

The players disappeared into the tunnel, leaving the pitch briefly empty as the noise around the DW Stadium settled into the usual half-time murmur.

Up in the upper tier, Leo remained seated, watching his teammates disappear from view.

Carlo sat beside him, his elbows resting against his knees as he stared down at the pitch, and the two kept their silence, at least until Leo leaned back in his seat.

"It’s salvageable."

Carlo glanced at him while Leo looked down at his ankle and flexed it slightly.

"My leg is itching so much too."

"That’s your way of saying you want to be down there?"

"Obviously," Leo replied before he looked back toward the tunnel where some of the substitutes were making their way onto the pitch to get a bit of work in.

"At least a draw."

Carlo nodded, and Leo was quiet for another moment.

"Losing the perfect record last week was annoying enough," he said as he kept his eyes on the balls moving around the pitch.

"Now we’re about to lose the unbeaten one too."

He rubbed his palms together before muttering almost to himself.

"Especially when there’s nothing we can do about it."

A few seats away to his left, Gianna stood and stretched.

"Ok. That’s enough football for me for now. Mia, do you want to go get something during the break?"

Mia looked up.

"Something to eat?"

"Yeah."

Carlo immediately turned around and then patted Gianna’s arm.

"We can get one of the staff to bring it for—"

He tried to say something, but Gianna raised a hand before he could finish.

"I know."

"I just want to get away from watching the game for five minutes."

Carlo blinked.

"Why?"

"Because you’re not playing."

She shrugged.

"And now I’m bored. I only watch because you’re playing in it, but without you playing, I have to refill my energy."

Carlo sighed and shook his head as Mia laughed before getting to her feet.

"I’m coming."

"I need to stretch my legs anyway," Gianna muttered as the two women headed toward the aisle, talking as they went.

Carlo watched them disappear around the corner before looking at Leo, who was already reaching for his phone.

He unlocked it and opened Vittoria’s chat.

How are you feeling?

He hesitated before adding another message.

Do you want me to come home?

He sent it, and then he tapped the side of the phone with his thumb, waiting, but the reply didn’t come immediately.

Instead, a voice came from somewhere behind them.

"Fancy seeing you here."

The Italian was casual enough that Carlo reacted first.

His head snapped around, and Leo’s reaction came a second later.

Both turned, and standing just behind their seats was Marco.

Carlo stared at him, wondering what the man was doing there, but Leo’s eyes moved past the assistant coach.

Then stopped at the two men approaching behind him.

One was immediately recognisable.

Luciano Spalletti.

The other took Leo slightly longer to process, but when it clicked, his eyes widened.

He knew that face, and he could have recognised it anywhere.

"Pirlo?"

Marco smiled, watching Leo’s reaction as the former Azzurri midfielder stepped closer with Spalletti beside him, while Carlo finally seemed to register exactly who had walked into the room.

"What are you doing here?"

At that, Marco laughed.

"We’ve just been around since last week, walking around watching some football."

He nodded toward Pirlo.

"We were at the Emirates for Wigan’s match last week as well as yesterday. But today, we were in Leeds earlier. Watching Gnonto."

Carlo listened as Marco continued.

"The match finished, and they were adamant about getting here early, so I suggested the direct train to Wigan."

"But we may have had a little situation with some fans on the way."

Marco said that and gave Pirlo a sideways look, but the Italian Legend just shrugged.

"They were very enthusiastic, I’ll say."

Pirlo stepped forward and offered his hand, and Carlo took it immediately.

"Carlo Regutti."

"I know," Pirlo smiled.

"You’re one of Italy’s better young talents."

Carlo’s expression immediately became more reserved after seeing Pirlo’s laid-back tone.

"Thank you," he replied before Pirlo released his hand.

"I’m glad you were courageous enough to go on loan."

Carlo nodded.

"I needed to play."

"You did," Pirlo repeated and then glanced toward the pitch.

"If you’d stayed at City, I think your career might have stagnated a little, though it would still have worked out in the end."

Carlo nodded again, almost shyly, as Spalletti stepped into the conversation.

"Well, it’s working out now."

Carlo smiled.

"It is."

Spalletti then looked toward Leo, and as he did, a small smile appeared on his face.

Pirlo followed his gaze.

"You, on the other hand..."

He said it in Italian, his tone light.

"Tu, invece..." (You on the other hand)

Leo understood enough to smile as Pirlo continued.

"Ho visto alcune cose di te, ma in quelle poche partite mi hai impressionato."

I’ve seen a few things about you, but you’ve impressed me in those few games.

Leo took a moment before replying in Italian.

"Grazie. Sono grato che un giocatore come te mi consideri così in alto"

I’m grateful that a player such as yourself holds me in such high regard!"

At that, Pirlo’s eyebrows rose slightly as Leo continued.

"Sto ancora imparando quindi perdonami per eventuali errori."

I am still learning, so forgive me for any errors!

Pirlo laughed and then shook his head.

"No, your Italian is much better than Marco gave you credit for?"

Leo smiled.

"I’m getting lessons from someone."

Pirlo nodded.

"Clearly."

After that, he glanced toward the pitch.

"We came to watch this game too. To assess something."

Carlo looked curious.

"What?"

Pirlo answered simply.

"Come giocano senza Calderon."

How they play without Calderon.

Carlo nodded slowly, and that answer seemed to satisfy him.

After that, Spalletti talked with the duo a bit more before, finally, Marco gestured toward another part of the room, and the three men began walking away together.