"Tomislav Dujmović!"
"He was Suker's teammate back at Dinamo Zagreb, and now he plays for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. Things haven't been going too well for him lately, and this is Suker's way of showing support for his friend."
"We also wish Dujmović can deliver an outstanding performance, just like Suker!"
"A couple of days ago, Mario Mandžukić from Borussia Dortmund did a similar gesture after scoring."
"And so did Luka Modrić of Manchester United and Danijel Pranjić of Southampton, who both showed their support after the match."
"Though they're no longer teammates at Dinamo Zagreb, their deep bond still drives them to encourage their friend."
"They're truly a group of great guys!"
As the commentator wrapped up, Suker shouted into the camera from the corner flag:"Go, Tomi! Don't be afraid—show some confidence!"
With that, he turned and joined his teammates in celebration.
This had been a plan decided by Suker and his friends.
Dujmović's situation was genuinely unfortunate.
He needed the support.
They didn't know if it would help, but at least it could bring some comfort.
2005/06 Coppa Italia, Round of 16 First Leg: AC Milan 4–1 Brescia
After securing the victory, AC Milan would now turn their attention to the league.
When Suker returned home, he received a message from Dujmović.
[Thank you]
The message was brief, but heartfelt.
Dujmović would never say such words face to face, but the gesture from Suker and the others truly touched him.
Suker smiled, typed a reply, and hit send.
[Love you, bro!]
Moments later, his phone began vibrating nonstop.
One message after another came flooding in.
Suker muted his phone and slipped it into his pocket, then turned to Kaka:"Turn right ahead, let's stop by the supermarket."
Kaka's eyes lit up. "Roger that!"
As they shopped for groceries, Suker pushed the cart while Kaka followed along, occasionally tossing his favorite snacks in.
"What about curry for dinner?"
"Pasta?"
"Seafood paella! I love seafood paella!"
Suker glanced back. "What did you usually eat before I got here?"
Kaka replied, "The training ground cafeteria, but the food's just so-so. I don't like it."
"You say that, and you'll make Aunt Meni sad," Suker chuckled.
Kaka sighed, "Aunt Meni's a kind woman, but... her cooking really isn't great."
Suddenly, Suker pulled out a red box.
"Congratulations on your marriage!"
Kaka froze for a second, then looked at the box and scratched his head sheepishly. "Thanks!"
He had gotten married quietly.
Due to time constraints, he had a quick wedding during the winter break.
He opened the red gift box and found a red coral jewelry set—clearly expensive.
"How's married life treating you?"
Suker asked casually as he kept shopping.
Kaka smiled blissfully. "Marrying the girl I love... it's the best feeling."
"Oh right, Caroline is coming soon. She told me to invite you guys over. She's a great cook—you're in for a treat."
Suker nodded absentmindedly.
They bought a pile of groceries and returned to the villa. Suker headed into the kitchen to cook while Kaka slumped onto the couch and watched TV.
Suker made seafood paella, served with his signature soy-based sauce. Kaka dug in enthusiastically.
"Make sure you wash the dishes afterward!" Suker said as he plopped onto the couch.
Kaka gave a thumbs-up without looking up.
While Kaka ate, Suker opened his system panel.
[Name: Suker][Height: 179 cm][Weight: 71 kg][Speed: 88 +7][Agility: 89][Strength: 83][Explosiveness: 95]
[Diamond Card (Special): Inzaghi's Awareness][Platinum Card (Special): Marcelo's Ball Control][Yellow Card (Special): Boschenovic's Interception][Red Card (Special): Andrei's Cannon Shot]
Page Three
[Black Card (Skill): Son Heung-min's Left Foot] – [92%]
Lately, progress in drawing new cards had slowed.
Son's left foot was the only recent gain—but it was a skill card, so it didn't take up a slot. That was a win.
Based on the nature of the card, Son's skill was something trained—not innate talent.
More importantly, Suker's height was inching toward 180 cm.
That was what made him happiest.
And because of these developments, Suker now had his sights set on a Platinum Card in heading or finishing.
On heading:
He already had strong dribbling and drawing fouls. That could lead to header opportunities.Even if the first few don't go in, repeated pressure could break the defense.
On finishing:
This was a known weakness—something coach Ancelotti had pointed out.It needed fixing.
All of these could be addressed in the Champions League.
That's why the upcoming clash with Bayern Munich was so crucial.
Win matches. Draw cards. Go deeper into the Champions League.That was the goal.
Crash!The sound of dishes clattering from the kitchen.
Suker took a deep breath.
Clink!The sound of a plate shattering on the floor.
He turned around and snapped:"You goddamn idiot! I just replaced that set of plates!"
Kaka was crouched down picking up the shards—with his bare hands.
As expected, he suddenly stood up clutching a bleeding finger.
"Cut myself!"
Suker: "Get out! Just go!"
Kaka scratched his head awkwardly, pleading:"Then about breakfast tomorrow…"
"Eat in the cafeteria!"
Seeing how pissed Suker was, Kaka quickly slunk off.
Leading up to the Champions League, AC Milan was still highly competitive in the league.
They prioritized maintaining player form.
But the second half of the season saw injuries take a toll.
Pirlo, Seedorf, and Inzaghi had all missed games due to injury.
This made Milan play more cautiously.
During this stretch, Milan had back-to-back draws against Lazio and Sampdoria.
In their first eight games of the second half, Milan posted a 5-3-0 record.
They were held to draws by Roma, Lazio, and Sampdoria.
Meanwhile, Juventus posted a 6-2-0 record during the same stretch.
The gap between the two widened again.
Current Standings:
Juventus: 21-3-1 – 1st place 66 points
AC Milan: 19-5-1 – 2nd place 62 points
February 18: Serie A, Round 26 – AC Milan vs. Cagliari at San Siro
Pirlo was still not in the starting lineup.
Many speculated his injury hadn't fully healed, although he was on the bench.
The media questioned whether Pirlo would be fit for the Champions League in three days.
In this match, Seedorf filled Pirlo's role, alongside Gattuso and Ambrosini.
Suker and Kaka played as dual attacking midfielders.
Cagliari lined up with a five-man defense, clearly playing for a draw.
AC Milan had no intention of settling.
At the 67th minute, Suker dropped deep for the ball while glancing at Cagliari's turtle shell of a defense.
They were really dead set on that draw.
No matter how he lured them, they refused to press forward.
But Milan's constant attacks had started to stretch the backline thin.
Suker looked to the sidelines.
Still not bringing out our warhead? What are you waiting for?!
71st minute: Substitution for Milan
Hard-running Gilardino off, Andriy Shevchenko on.
The San Siro crowd erupted in cheers.
Gilardino had worn out the opposition's legs.
Now it was time for the "nuclear warhead" to strike.
"Don't attack solo—press together. They're good at crowd defending in zones," Suker advised.
Shevchenko patted Suker's shoulder with a grin:"Leave it to me."
Suker blinked.
That damn sense of security!
"Suker beats his man on the wing—crosses it in! Shevchenko with the header!! Oh!! He got up so high!"
Shevchenko had nearly leaped over Agostini, but the header went just wide.
Fresh on the field, and he already landed a heavy punch.
"One more!"
Shevchenko was fired up.
Maybe it was the looming Champions League match, or maybe just pure hunger to score—this season, Shevchenko was even more terrifying in front of goal than expected.
"Damn it! We can't stop this Ukrainian!"Cagliari's center-back Canini was flustered.
Suker suddenly sent a direct through pass.
Shevchenko received the ball with Canini pressing behind.
Suker overlapped on the other side.
"Pass it, Andriy!"
"Close down the passing lane!"
Suddenly, Shevchenko squatted and used his backside to shove the defender away, spun, and shot immediately.
It was a decisive strike.
Suker stopped to watch.
The ball hugged the ground and slipped through the keeper's armpit—into the bottom-right corner of the goal.
The Ukrainian nuclear warhead had detonated!
"GOAL!!!!!! A brilliant turn and strike!! Cagliari had no chance against Shevchenko!!"
"The goal was scored by Andriy—Shevchenko!!!!"
WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
San Siro exploded with joy!
A crucial goal that shattered Cagliari's dream of a draw.