The All-Around Center Forward

The 2012/2013 season was a special one.

There were significant changes in the entire football world; first, Barcelona's tiki-taka football began to face challenges. Since the widespread adoption of tiki-taka, problems with the style have gradually been identified. Barcelona's performance in recent years and Spain's loss in the European Cup have led many teams to lose hope in tiki-taka.

The counter-attacking style represented by Real Madrid is a tactic that never goes out of fashion, simple yet very practical.

However, due to the simple and direct nature of counter-attacking football, there are fewer opportunities for these star players to showcase their skills, leading to growing dissatisfaction and conflicts.

The decline of the Gunners, Arsenal, who once achieved an unbeaten championship, gradually entered a downward spiral, especially with the departure of two captains, which severely impacted the team.

Even Wenger seemed helpless!

Chelsea performed ordinarily, while Tottenham rose to the challenge.

The two Manchester clubs became the most watched teams!

Serie A remained lukewarm. The Telephone Gate incident completely severed Serie A's roots, and the exodus of star players led to a significant decline in Serie A's strength.

Now, in Serie A, the relegated Juventus, the Bianconeri, began to exert themselves, hoping to regain their former glory.

Lyon in Ligue 1 was no longer the rampant team it once was, especially with the Qatar Group's entry into Paris Saint-Germain. A super consortium once again fueled the trend of money football.

The Bundesliga is currently the most anticipated League!

Especially with the rise of Borussia Dortmund, who have repeatedly challenged Bayern Munich's dominant position, this has made the latter reflect deeply. For the Champions League and the League, they made massive purchases in the transfer window, successively bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo, Alonso, and other famous stars, further expanding the team's combat power.

Cristiano Ronaldo once again stood in the position of a Ballon d'Or challenger, launching the most ferocious attack on Suker in history.

"Ronaldo, four goals in three warm-up matches, a fiery performance!"

Inside a villa in Madrid, Spain.

Suker put down the newspaper in his hand, turned to pick up a glass of iced drink from the side, and took a small sip.

The new season was about to begin.

This was the last rest before the season. Suker could not make a specific judgment about the new season, but this season would be a difficult one.

Compared to previous years, Real Madrid faced more problems.

And more of them were internal issues.

These could no longer be rectified by external forces; internal adjustments were needed.

News about Real Madrid's conflicts continued to ferment, with more and more media getting involved. Some were speculation, while others provided concrete evidence.

When problems arose with Real Madrid, the Galácticos, the idea of 'when the wall falls, everyone pushes' became a main theme.

Compared to Real Madrid's continued strength, a season collapse of Real Madrid attracted more attention from fans.

And for the media, they didn't care if Real Madrid performed well; they only cared about more hot topics and traffic.

Slurp~~~

Sipping his drink, Suker slightly closed his eyes.

The summer in Madrid was muggy, like a sauna.

Although there was a sauna room in the house, Suker almost never used it in the summer; outside was a natural sauna.

After a while, beads of sweat began to form on his body and slide down his muscle contours.

Suker steamed in the natural bath for a while before running back inside to take a shower.

Turning on the air conditioner and enjoying the cool breeze, Suker comfortably sat on the sofa, scrolling on his phone.

In the past few days, Spain had entered a period of high temperatures, especially today, when the temperature reached 37 degrees Celsius. It wasn't enough to cause heatstroke, but training outdoors would definitely lead to severe heatstroke.

Therefore, Real Madrid also took a rare holiday, allowing the players to rest well before the season.

Suker scrolled on his phone for a while, and gradually drowsiness came over him. He lay on the sofa, covered himself with a small blanket, and prepared to take a nap.

But just then, the sound of the door opening echoed.

"It's boiling! This damn weather!"

Srna walked into the room on his own, went straight to the air conditioner vent, and stood there, enjoying the cold air.

Suker lay on the sofa, looking at Srna with a resentful gaze.

"Can't you ring the doorbell?"

Srna: "I know the password, why should I ring the doorbell?"

Suker and little Sukic depended on each other. Even if Suker did find a woman, he wouldn't bring her home, so Suker's home was very 'safe'.

And this safety also encouraged this habit in Srna and others.

"By the way, have you heard? Daniel is returning to Dinamo Zagreb!"

Srna suddenly said.

Suker was slightly surprised. Pranjic seemed to have just recovered from an injury, so why was he suddenly preparing to leave the Premier League?

"Actually, last season, his performance wasn't great, his form was already very bad, and after this injury, his physical condition can no longer meet the high intensity of the Premier League matches." Srna paused, then said, "I heard that the Head Coach contacted him, hoping he could return to the Croatian League to play. His salary will barely change!"

Suker said in surprise, "Is Dinamo Zagreb that rich now?"

Srna laughed, "Dinamo Zagreb is already one of Europe's main sources of young players, especially in recent years. They have earned a lot of money and can accept Pranjic's salary conditions."

"Of course, they can't afford your salary."

Suker thought for a moment: "What does Daniel think?"

"What else can he think?" Srna shook his head and said, "He'll go back. Staying in the Premier League, he'll only be looked down upon and won't be valued. The only pity is that he still couldn't join a big club."

Suker also sighed.

From the very beginning, Pranjic's biggest wish was to play for a big club.

He was once very close to a transfer to Liverpool, but it ultimately fell through. He had been transferring and playing for mid-to-lower table teams in the Premier League, and now he was preparing to return to the Croatian League.

"He's going back this time for the National Team, right?" Suker asked the key question.

Srna smiled and nodded, "Definitely. He still wants to participate in the 2014 World Cup. Daniel's current form makes it difficult to compete for a starting spot, but a substitute role is still possible, and in the Croatian domestic League, his chances of making the National Team are also higher."

Suker continued, "I remember Šimunić also returned to the Croatian League."

Upon hearing this, Srna grimaced and sighed, "He's already finished. He can't even get a starting spot at Hajduk anymore."

"Really!"

Suker shook his head.

Šimunić and Kovac, as the former Croatian center-back pairing, accompanied Suker and others to win the 2008 European Cup and played in the 2010 World Cup.

But after 2010, within just two years, Kovac retired, and Šimunić returned to the Croatian League hoping to get into the National Team.

However, age was a chasm they couldn't cross. Even though Šimunić worked very hard, he still couldn't succeed.

Not being able to get a starting spot at Hajduk almost meant saying goodbye to the World Cup.

"What about Tomi? How is he doing?"

Suker then asked about Dujmović.

He was the same age as Pranjic, both 31 now, and Suker was worried about his form suddenly declining.

But Srna grinned and said, "Tomi has switched to playing center-back!"

Suker was surprised, "Center-back? Not full-back?"

The full-back position has many responsibilities, involving both midfield and winger roles, so these three positions are often interchanged.

As for a midfielder transitioning to center-back, especially at 31, that was unheard of.

"Which Head Coach? Lost his mind, has he?" Suker frowned.

Srna was silent: "But his transition was very successful!"

Suker was stunned again.

"Very successful? How successful?"

Srna: "They played a warm-up match against Bayern Munich. In that match, Tomi became an aerial powerhouse, continuously winning headers. Although they ultimately lost, it greatly impacted Bayern Munich's aerial tactics."

Suker blinked. He was also impacted.

Dujmović could defend against Cristiano Ronaldo's headers.

This was somewhat unbelievable!

But after thinking about it, Suker also believed that Cristiano Ronaldo had not yet fully integrated and could not display his full strength, but Dujmović's aerial performance was already very outstanding.

Not everyone can be called an aerial powerhouse; this means that in that match, Dujmović did not miss a single header in aerial duels, completing every clearance.

"This is somewhat unbelievable!"

Suker shook his head and sighed.

Srna also smiled and said, "But if it's Tomi, then it makes sense. That guy always gives us some surprises."

After a pause, Srna smiled, "Perhaps Tomi became a world-class center-back at 33?"

"Getting better with age?"

Suker smiled and shook his head, just joking.

In the football world, the threshold for defenders is the highest.

Not everyone can be a defender, especially a center-back.

As the last line of defense in front of the goal, they need to be stable and balanced!

Forwards can make mistakes up front, but defenders absolutely cannot.

Once a defender makes a mistake, it's a disaster!

Therefore, in terms of entry difficulty, defenders are much harder to play than forwards.

Suker nodded, continued to lie on the sofa, watched Srna walk over and sit down, and asked, "Did you come all this way just to say these things?"

"Of course not!"

Srna shook his head, then stammered, "The conflict... can't it be resolved?"

Suker frowned slightly.

He knew what Srna was talking about.

As Mourinho's favorite disciple, he knew very well that Mourinho was now almost standing against many of Real Madrid's bigwigs.

Even his good friend Suker wanted to drive Mourinho away.

"Don't get involved!"

Suker said seriously, "If you still want to play for Real Madrid!"

Srna is a very good person. He is full of a sense of justice and loyalty.

But he is too righteous, sometimes he makes some foolish mistakes.

"You'd best distance yourself from Mourinho," Suker reminded him.

Next, Real Madrid will take a series of measures against Mourinho, and Srna cannot be dragged into it at this time.

Once Florentino equates Srna with Mourinho, then even Suker won't be able to protect Srna.

After all, Florentino places great importance on transfer rights.

Mourinho challenged his bottom line, and this is something he has zero tolerance for.

"I can only say, I'll try," Srna said.

Suker also sighed, "Sometimes, turning a blind eye and pretending to be deaf isn't a bad thing. You're earning a high salary at Real Madrid, getting more honors, and showcasing yourself on the biggest stage. Isn't that great?"

Srna sighed, "Yes! But that's not what I'm pursuing."

Suker shook his head and waved his hand:

"Forget it, I don't want to talk to you anymore. Do whatever you want!"

Srna: "Aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad?" Suker said impatiently, "This is your own choice, and it's also you showing your attitude to Real Madrid. It's not against me, so why should I care so much!"

Hearing this, Srna smiled.

What he worried about most was having a conflict with Suker.

Others were fine, but Suker was different. They had been very good friends since their time at Dinamo Zagreb.

Moreover, Mourinho brought him to Real Madrid, and he enjoyed all of this. Although the current situation has some issues with Mourinho, Srna could not stand by and do nothing.

"Are you telling me about Daniel because you're thinking of going back to Croatia to play?" Suker asked.

Srna was stunned for a moment, then smiled and waved his hand, "No, no, no! I don't want to go back yet. If I can't stay at Real Madrid, I'll choose to go to Inter Milan!"

Suker nodded, "Don't lose your form. We still have to play in the World Cup together!"

Hearing this, Srna smiled and said, "It's not time yet, and besides, how are you so sure I'll be kicked out?"

Suker rolled his eyes.

Some things, once done, there's no turning back.

Although Srna's actions were loyal and righteous, a way of repaying Mourinho's patronage.

But he would also definitely be purged by Real Madrid.

Srna thought the problem was too simple.

"Get out, I'm not keeping you for dinner tonight!"

Suker waved his hand.

Srna also smiled and left, his steps becoming much lighter.

It wasn't until Srna left that Suker lay back on the sofa, but he had no desire to sleep at all.

"Time to train!"

Suker got up and went to the equipment room, starting to lift weights.

But he hadn't lifted for long before the doorbell rang.

The doorbell ringing meant it wasn't Kaka, Srna, or Zorancic.

Those three guys were the type to just open the door and walk in.

Suker wiped his face with a towel and walked over to open the door.

He found Di Maria standing at the door.

"Good afternoon!"

Suker nodded, "Good afternoon!"

"I came to chat with you!" Di Maria said as he walked into the house.

Suker looked at Di Maria and said directly, "You want to leave?"

Di Maria was stunned for a moment. He knew that Suker's words didn't mean literally leaving, but leaving Real Madrid.

Di Maria nodded, "Yes, there's no place for me here anymore."

Suker sighed.

Why does everyone want to leave!

But this is understandable, after all, the current Real Madrid indeed has many problems, and internally, people are panicking.

Also, Di Maria wanted more playing time, but Mourinho couldn't give Di Maria those things.

"Do you want my advice?" Suker said.

Di Maria nodded, "That's what I came for!"

Suker: "Don't leave, play for two more seasons!"

In the original timeline, Di Maria joined Manchester United in the summer window of 2014.

Then he had a terrible season at Manchester United.

Suker believed that Di Maria's problem was significant that season.

The Angel is a very good puzzle piece, but you can't use a puzzle piece as a foundation.

But Manchester United did exactly that, using Di Maria as the foundation, making him the attacking core.

This would make Di Maria play very uncomfortably, even to the point of a mental breakdown.

It can be said that Di Maria's transfer to Manchester United was a harm to both parties!

Di Maria pursed his lips, still hesitating.

Suker continued, "You'll see changes very soon. Of course, I can't say much, but I promise you, I also know that many of your abilities haven't been developed, but believe me, it won't take too long to achieve!"

Mourinho, in the end, is also a Head Coach who focuses on defense. He is not as comfortable when utilizing these offensive players, especially technical ones.

But it would be different with Ancelotti.

He is very good at using these technical players, which can be seen from his creation of the four number tens.

Suker would bring Ancelotti to Real Madrid!

No matter what method he used, he would make An Fatty give up that ridiculous 'small boat dream' and become the helmsman for their Galácticos.

Suker looked at Di Maria and said, "If you trust me, then don't make a decision yet. Wait one season and see."

"Your transfer now is too rushed. Many teams' transfers have basically been finalized, and they can't offer a suitable transfer fee, nor can they give you too good a deal. The transfer conditions in the winter window will only be worse, so I suggest waiting until next season's summer window. If you still plan to leave by then, I won't stop you!"

Di Maria pursed his lips. He pondered for a long time and said, "Alright, I trust you."

Suker finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He finally managed to stabilize things!

Real Madrid's current state is unstable, and even many players are contemplating leaving.

What Suker needs to do most now is to stabilize these people.

At the very least, the basic foundation cannot be destroyed by sending these capable players away one by one.

If that happens, when Ancelotti arrives, everything will have to start from scratch, which will greatly reduce the progress of Real Madrid's restart.

Suker positioned himself as a pacifier.

He would appease the players who were preparing to leave one by one, help them sort out their psychological pressure, and also guide them.

Of course, this was also helping himself.

Once this season transitions smoothly, everything will be over.

When Ancelotti arrives, Real Madrid will be able to quickly take off and return to its former state.

And this time, the peak period will be even longer!

Therefore, no matter how sharp the internal conflicts were, Suker had to stabilize himself and also stabilize others.

He tried his best to ensure that as few people as possible were affected by this conflict!