The All-Around Center Forward

"Domineering!"

"Wow! I've never lost a final, that's so cool!"

"But it seems he really hasn't lost! Whether it's the Champions League or other finals, Suker seems to have never lost!"

Kovacic, Brozović, and Suker's other young fans were all holding newspapers, incredibly excited.

Watching their idol show off, and it was a show-off that made their blood boil.

In contrast, Rakitić, Dujmović, and others nearby merely curled their lips.

"Show-off! He's hogging all the glory!"

"But that statement is so impactful! Germany must be having a headache!"

Regardless of whether he was showing off or not, after reviewing Suker's final statistics and performance, no one could laugh.

Just like Löw now.

At first, he was also amused.

Never lost a final!

He was too arrogant!

But when he reviewed Suker's various statistics, especially his final statistics, he fell silent.

Suker wasn't arrogant!

That guy really hadn't lost a final!

It could be said that Suker's winning percentage in finals was 100%!

Of course, for the National Team, there was only one European Cup final.

But at the club level, in so many Champions League and various cup finals, whenever Suker reached the final, he never lost.

This indeed put a lot of psychological pressure on Germany.

No matter how arrogant it sounded, it was a fact, and that meant they needed to be even more careful and cautious, and also be mentally prepared.

Phew~~~~

Löw exhaled. This time, he would completely restrict Suker and prevent the situation in the group stage where Suker alone tore apart their flanks.

At the Croatia training base, Bešić and Van Stoyak also looked at the active Suker on the training ground.

After reaching the final, Suker's State seemed to become even more explosive.

Facing a final, everyone experiences different changes.

Some people get nervous, some get excited.

And Suker belonged to the latter!

From his training State, that guy seemed to have endless energy, performing exceptionally well in training, and this excitement didn't affect his rationality.

His passing was still very sensible, stable when it needed to be, and intense when it needed to be.

Suker was Croatia's core player, and almost everyone in the team looked to Suker.

Suker's State would, to a large extent, also affect Croatia.

If Suker's State was not good, the Croatian players would feel more internal pressure, becoming anxious and indecisive.

If Suker's State was excellent, they would become excited and thrilled, after all, if their main player was so amazing, they had to keep up.

Because of this, under Suker's inspiration, the entire Croatia's State actually improved another notch.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Bešić clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"That's it for today!"

Bešić announced the end of training.

Their State was already well-maintained; further practice would only consume energy unnecessarily. To prepare for the final, they needed to ensure their State, but also not expend too much energy.

"After showering, you all go to the physiotherapy room for a massage and relaxation. Tomorrow is the final, so you need to get enough rest today!"

The transition time from the semi-final to the final was only three days.

On the first day, Croatia moved to Kyiv and had a brief tactical lesson.

On the second day, they made adjustments based on the tactical lesson.

On the third day, Final Day!

The players were also well aware of this, so after showering, they successively went to the physiotherapy room for massages and relaxation, preparing for the final.

After relaxing, they went to the cafeteria for dinner.

This time, they consumed more food. By tomorrow, which was the match day, to ensure their State, they would need to constantly ensure their stomachs wouldn't be burdened, so they would eat relatively less.

"Germany will definitely fight us to the death tomorrow!"

"It's obvious, they lost to us in the last European Cup, plus this is the final, they will definitely fight with all their might!"

"The confrontation will be very intense, won't it!"

"So we should ensure our State even more, and not make mistakes before Germany does!"

Everyone chatted while eating.

Suker, however, was focused on eating, head down.

"I'm very curious, how does Suker maintain his State? As soon as it's a final, that guy's State seems to go up a notch!"

After Rakitić spoke, everyone turned their heads.

Suker finished all the food on his plate, wiped his lips, and said, "It's simple! Eat well, sleep well!"

"What kind of State maintenance method is that?" Rakitić complained.

Suker sneered, "Can you guarantee that you can eat well and sleep well before the final?"

It was very difficult to sleep soundly before a final.

Under the influence of the surroundings and psychological factors, more or less, they would be disturbed, leading to limitations in their performance during the match.

Even with 100% ability, being able to perform at 70%-80% in a match was already a very good State, let alone 100%.

Suker couldn't guarantee that either.

But after using the State Recovery Card in the second half, Suker might enter this 100% State, though it was uncertain.

And these prerequisites were eating well and sleeping well.

Only by eating enough and getting enough rest could they perform in the match.

Listening to Suker's explanation, Rakitić, Srna, and others pondered.

The next second, they stopped talking and focused on eating.

First, start with eating well!

As for sleeping well, it couldn't be guaranteed!

After all, no one could be as carefree as Suker, who could fall asleep as soon as he lay down.

In the evening, Suker was lying in bed, video calling with Betty and Sukic.

"Dad! Tomorrow we're going to the final venue to cheer you on!"

Sukic said excitedly.

Suker looked up at the time; "It's eight o'clock!"

Sukic's tone faltered, and he drooped his head, saying, "Okay~~ I'm going to sleep!"

Betty took the phone, and Modrić also came over.

"How are you two preparing?"

Modrić smiled; "Not bad, we'll bring back another championship for you tomorrow!"

Suker also smiled; "Leave it to us!"

Betty smiled happily.

"A championship isn't that easy to get, but I believe in you. It's getting late, so you should go to bed early too."

"Okay, I understand."

Suker hung up the phone and turned to look at Modrić.

"What now?"

Modrić shrugged; "How should I know?"

Tomorrow's match was at 9 PM. To prepare for the match, they couldn't go to bed too early, lest their bodies weren't activated by then and they felt sleepy instead.

Knock, knock, knock!

A knock on the door sounded.

After Suker opened the door, Srna, Dujmović, Mandžukić, Vukojević, and others crowded in.

"We're bored, let's chat."

"We chat every day, there's nothing left to talk about!"

Mandžukić looked at Dujmović; "Then let's use you as a topic, you have a lot of flaws!"

"Why not talk about you! Do you have fewer flaws? Forever a runner-up?"

"I don't talk to people who haven't played in the Champions League!"

"I played earlier than you!"

"Were you on the field? Did you score a goal?"

Mandžukić and Dujmović started bickering again.

"It's always the same few lines, why can't these two ever stop arguing?" Suker couldn't help but complain.

Mandžukić and Dujmović constantly bickered, and the more they argued, the better friends they became.

Last time, those two went on vacation together. After two days, Dujmović annoyed Mandžukić so much that he left.

Another day passed, Dujmović initiative went to find him, and the two reconciled, setting off together again to return to the vacation spot. After three more days, they argued again and went their separate ways.

Those two always argued and always got angry.

But they didn't hold grudges!

The longest record of the two ignoring each other due to an argument was four days!

And that was in a particularly fierce argument.

Suker and the others had watched these two argue from the very beginning until now. At first, they would try to mediate, but now they simply ignored them.

"However, it's going to be hard not to make mistakes in tomorrow's match, right?" Rakitić turned to Srna and said, "Especially since our defensive line is very young!"

Srna pondered for a moment and said, "The defensive midfield position definitely needs to help out, but we will also stabilize as much as possible. As long as we don't let Germany charge too aggressively, we can still hold on."

Germany's high pressing was also difficult to deal with.

To put it simply, Croatia and Germany were very similar in their situations; both excelled at playing hard-nosed football.

Advancing attacks with a stable formation.

For this reason, both teams' front lines would actively push forward, constantly putting pressure on the opponent, and at the same time, causing the opponent to make mistakes.

"It's just about who makes a mistake first. Before us, let them bear greater pressure!"

Suker said casually, "Leave it to me!"

Everyone nodded.

They still trusted Suker very much.

"However, this time, Germany won't let you play comfortably!" Srna pursed his lips. "They learned their lesson in the group stage. This time, they definitely won't ease up on restricting you!"

Suker shrugged; "What does it matter if they ease up or not? I've always played this way."

For Suker, being targeted was the norm.

Suker hadn't experienced a game where his restrictions were eased, like in the group stage, since he became famous.

And this time, Löw would absolutely not use that kind of play again.

So, the final would be a head-on clash!

Unbeknownst to them, the time had reached around 11 o'clock, and only then did Suker signal for everyone to go back to sleep.

Modrić was still not sleepy; he wanted to talk to Suker some more.

But Suker…

Hoo~~~~

Listening to the steady breathing, Modrić's face was full of helplessness.

How could he be as calm as Suker, sleeping so soundly on the eve of the final?

Go, Croatia!

Go, Croatia!

Go, Croatia!

Victory belongs to Germany!

Victory belongs to Germany!

Victory belongs to Germany!

From noon onwards, the streets of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, were filled with the street-partying activities of the two finalists' fans.

They weaved through the streets and alleys of Kyiv, forming formations and continuously engaging in street parties.

Third-party fans along the way also cheered and shouted at them, all of which made the European Cup atmosphere even more exciting.

The stage for the European Cup final, the Kyiv Olympic Stadium, was already packed with people.

Although the match wouldn't start until evening, the stadium had already been taken over by a large number of tourists and fans.

The stadium was filled with various European Cup elements.

Giant football-shaped hydrogen balloons floated high in the sky.

Flags appeared on both sides of the roads, and there were even fans wearing the jerseys of various National Teams, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere.

"They're here!"

Suddenly, someone shouted, and the crowd instantly swarmed towards the roadside.

On the road, separated by barriers, a Croatia bus slowly drove into the stadium's underground garage.

In an instant, the cheers suddenly intensified.

For these fans, even though they hadn't seen any of the stars, they knew that the Croatia players were inside this bus.

The bus arrived at the underground garage, and the Croatia players got off, entering the locker room through a secure passage.

The afternoon pitch walk was the last warm-up before the match.

Once this session ended, their next arrival at the stadium would be for the final itself.

Perhaps because it was the final, the players were exceptionally serious; no one was messing around or playing around, they were all diligently going through their warm-up.

Suker adapted to the pitch while observing its setup.

As it was a multi-purpose stadium, there was a running track behind the pitch, and the entire field was surrounded by various billboards, with entry and exit points only at the player tunnel exits.

The European Cup final arch had already been erected, and various advertisements covered the floor barriers.

Since it was not a professional football city, there were no sprinklers, requiring dedicated personnel to carry out the watering.

These staff members were also watering while curiously looking at the Croatia players.

They looked like they wanted autographs but didn't dare to ask.

After the pitch walk, the Croatia players boarded the bus and returned to the hotel.

This time, upon returning to the hotel, the overall atmosphere felt different.

Although the staff tried their best to mask the nervous atmosphere, the more they did so, the more they created a sense of an impending major battle.

"Where are the spare jerseys? Bring all the spare jerseys to the first floor!"

"Energy drinks must be prepared. Everyone get moving!"

"Quiet down, don't disturb the resting players!"

The hotel hallway was noisy, a sign of bustling activity.

Meanwhile, inside the hotel room, Suker and the others were silent.

"Are these guys doing this on purpose?" Suker said grumpily.

Srna grinned: "Forget it, try to understand. After all, the last time we won the European Cup, it was Bilić's team. This is the teacher's team, and they're already trying their best to control their nervousness."

Suker shook his head helplessly.

It wasn't unheard of for the coaching staff to have less experience than the players.

But in such cases, the players would usually rebel because the coaching staff couldn't control them.

However, Bešić's team was different.

These people were veterans from the Dinamo Zagreb era, and Suker and the others were all familiar with them, so they wouldn't cause any trouble, but they were indeed making the players a bit nervous.

Mandžukić looked down at his watch.

"Three more hours!"

Suker kicked him: "Don't do a countdown!"

Mandžukić laughed and twisted away, shrugging; "I just wanted to liven up the atmosphere!"

"You're livening up nothing!"

Suker turned to look at Vida and Lovren; both of them looked a bit pale.

Strinić was a little better, but he was also taking deep breaths repeatedly.

Especially after Mandžukić's remark, his whole body tensed up.

Seeing this, Srna also couldn't help but give him a kick.

The final was approaching, and nervousness was understandable, but they had to overcome it.

On this point, Suker and the others couldn't help them; they had to overcome it themselves.

Srna continued to reassure them, helping them to alleviate their nervousness.

Especially for Vida, he had never even played in the Champions League, and he had been a benchwarmer in the Bundesliga, always playing in the Croatian League.

Now, suddenly, the intensity was ramped up to the European Cup final.

And it was against Germany; it would be strange if he wasn't nervous.

Fortunately, Srna had a knack for calming emotions, and under his continuous adjustment, their complexions also gradually recovered.

They chatted while waiting for the departure.

About two hours later, there was a knock on the door.

The conversation of everyone halted, and they all looked towards the door.

Srna opened the door, and Van Stoyak stood at the entrance, saying softly: "Time to go!"

Inhale~~~~ Exhale~~~

In an instant, each Croatia player took a deep breath.

The final was about to begin!

Everyone turned their heads again, looking at Suker in unison.

Suker had already gotten off the bed and stood upright. He took a deep breath and said:

"Alright! We should go. Let's win that damned European Cup!"

With that, Suker said in a deep voice; "Vamos!"

Suker was the first to walk out of the room, followed closely by the Croatia players.

In the hotel lobby on the first floor, a tense atmosphere had already begun to spread.

Even the staff felt nervous, and their breathing didn't feel as smooth.

Ding!

The sound of the elevator arriving.

"They're here!"

The staff members' spirits lifted.

The elevator doors opened, and led by Suker and Srna, the Croatia players emerged one after another.

In an instant, the entire hotel lobby was filled with applause.

"Go for it!"

"It all comes down to tonight!"

"Win the championship!"

"Retain the Champions League!"

"I'm rooting for you!"

"Beat Germany!"

The surrounding staff, Croatia journalists, coaches, and football association officials all applauded, cheering on these Croatia players.

Even the hotel service staff joined in, constantly applauding and shouting.

And in this intense atmosphere, the Croatia players walked out of the hotel, boarded the bus, and prepared to head to the final venue, the Kyiv Olympic Stadium.

At the same time, Germany also departed on time.

The two teams traveled from different locations, along the main roads, towards the stage of the final.

Night had fallen, and the bus, escorted by police cars, had its hazard lights flashing.

The hazard lights blinked in the dark night!

The streets along the way had been cleared, but there were still many fans who had spontaneously gathered there.

The entire road was filled with the cheers of fans.

And the players of both sides were bathed in these cheers as they headed to the final stage!

This was the 2012 European Cup final!

There was only one winner!

There was only one champion!

And there was only one trophy!

Tonight, one side was destined to ascend to the top of Europe, while the other would exit in disappointment!