I came back from my holiday with clarity and urgency.

We had four full weeks together. I planned them carefully. The first week was simple in concept but brutal in execution: intensity. Physical load, duels, repetition, fatigue. I wanted to see who still leaned forward when their legs were heavy. Then came three weeks of tactical focus — structure, spacing, automatisms, defensive balance. Not theory, but habits. The kind you rely on when the game turns uncomfortable.

While I was away, I kept thinking about Colombia at the start of my first season. Not the results — the way it built us. The hours together. The confidence that comes from repetition. So I arranged three friendlies against lower-division opposition. Not for ego. For rhythm.

11–0.
9–0.
6–0.

On paper, easy games. But the score never interested me. What mattered was sharpness, positioning, reaction after losing the ball. We looked cleaner. Quicker. More connected. Still, the truth only arrives when the league does.

After the final friendly, I sat down with Daniel Vega.

The first topic was inevitable. De La Fuente. Daniel had accepted an offer from Al-Khaleej — $4.5 million. De La Fuente has been one of the pillars of my first two seasons. A leader. A reference point. But this year, we’ve seen the dip. He’s approaching 31, and this may have been the last window where his value matched his history. These are the decisions that hurt emotionally but make sense strategically.

We spoke next about Thiago Pérez.

Eighteen, in the Reserve team. Performing with personality and consistency. I asked the hard questions — is he ready, or is he promising? Can he fail and respond? I left that conversation confident. This is how clubs grow. He will be given the chance to replace De La Fuente long term.

Then came the uncomfortable part.

Diego Enríquez.
Daniel González.

Both arrived with expectations. Both struggled. We agreed to take them out of the firing line. Not as punishment, as protection. Meza and Figueredo will step in for the next few weeks. Sometimes a player doesn’t need confidence injected, he needs pressure removed.

We discussed the market. Names. Profiles. Possibilities. And then we agreed on something important: stability. After four weeks of rebuilding bonds, introducing more change could fracture what we’ve just started to fix. We will hold.

Before we finished, Daniel smiled and admitted one more thing.

Two youth signings.

Guillermo Molina, 15, arrives from Santamarina on a free with sell-on clauses. An attacking player. Aggressive. Determined. Can dribble, can finish — but also has flair and technique.

Ivo Agmon, also 15, signed for $3,800 from General Paz Juniors. A winger with a strong baseline: quick, relentless, fearless on the ball. His dribbling is exceptional. Two inexpensive bets on the future. Exactly how I like it.

Then came the real test.

Clausura. Away at Belgrano.

I was nervous. Truly. For the first time in a long time. Too many changes. Too many questions. Too much work invested for it to collapse again.

But it didn’t.

We dominated from start to finish. Controlled the ball. Controlled the spaces. Caicedo scored just before half-time, and Chiquichano came off the bench to seal it with twenty minutes left. 2–0. Clean sheet.

Rare this season. Precious.

So now I ask the question I couldn’t allow myself to ask before:

Is this the beginning of a turnaround?
Or just a calm moment before another storm?

I don’t have the answer yet. But for the first time in a while, I feel the direction again.

And sometimes, that’s where change begins.