On the last day of May, Real Madrid held their victory parade.
The weather was perfect, exceptionally clear and sunny.
The entire city of Madrid was empty, with streets deserted. Along the route announced by Real Madrid, the roads were packed with the club's fans.
They waited excitedly for the arrival of the parade bus.
Before long, accompanied by the roar of salutes.
A double-decker open-top bus slowly drove out from the Bernabéu Stadium.
Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—
The crowd erupted.
The entire street, except for the cleared road, was packed with fans.
As far as the eye could see, there was a sea of people, a dense, dark mass.
They were all wearing Real Madrid jerseys, holding up banners and scarves, shouting and cheering towards the parade bus.
On the bus, the Real Madrid players continuously sprayed champagne towards the fans on both sides, waving and interacting.
The entire parade would last four hours.
9:00, the parade bus departs from the Bernabéu Stadium.
9:15, arrives at the Almudena Cathedral.
10:00, arrives at the headquarters of the Community of Madrid.
10:45, arrives at the City Hall.
11:40, arrives at the Plaza de Cibeles (Goddess of Harvest Square).
12:10, returns to the Bernabéu Stadium.
The championship parade was incredibly lively, as if the entire city was boiling with excitement.
Under such a grand celebration, the Real Madrid players were also stirred up.
Their faces were flushed, and they were extremely excited to see the fans celebrating the championship with them.
At this moment, their desire for the championship became even stronger.
Unlike other ordinary teams, for Real Madrid, winning a championship once wasn't enough.
They were a top-tier wealthy club, and Champions League titles were naturally the more, the better.
Therefore, they didn't believe they would suffer from so-called "championship syndrome."
The silver "Big Ears" cup was held high by Casillas.
Instantly, the intersection roared.
From a sky view, the crowds filled every road, stretching continuously.
Some people couldn't even squeeze to the front to see the bus, but they still raised their arms high, joining the excited crowd in shouting and celebrating.
Upon arriving at City Hall, the head coach, captain, and mayor gave speeches.
This time, Suker did not step forward to speak, which made the fans feel a slight regret.
At noon, the bus began its return journey.
Continuing along different routes towards the Bernabéu Stadium.
Amid the scenery, in the roaring Bernabéu Stadium, the Real Madrid players, under the gaze of countless people, once again lifted the championship trophy high.
This scene was captured by countless media cameras.
This was also the beginning of Real Madrid's glorious revival...
Zagreb, Croatia,
"Yesterday at 9 a.m., Real Madrid began their victory parade. The entire city of Madrid was沸腾 boiling, This season is memorable for Real Madrid and their fans..."
In the morning, with the news broadcast from the TV, a family was eating breakfast.
One teenager had a piece of bread in his mouth, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the TV.
To be precise, he was looking at the figure standing at the forefront of the crowd on the TV,
Suker!
Croatia's hero and pride!
Also, he, Kovačić's, idol.
"Eat your breakfast properly. Are you going to the national team training center today?" The middle-aged woman across the table patted the table.
Hearing this, Kovačić immediately turned his head and began stuffing breakfast into his mouth.
He nodded vigorously, excitedly; "Training camp starts today. We need to stay at the training center. This is to prepare for the Euro qualifier against Georgia on June 4th!"
His mother asked; "Will you play?"
Before Kovačić could speak, his father reminded him; "He just got called up to the national team, and he's only 17. The chance to play is slim. Probably Mr. Besić is taking him to experience the atmosphere of a big game early."
Speaking of this, Kovačić's father grinned: "If he plays, I'm afraid we'll lose. Better leave it to the main players like Suker; they play steadily!"
"Dad!" Kovačić protested loudly.
His father also awkwardly turned his head.
But this was his true thought. He knew his son's temperament; that impulsive personality needed more tempering.
Currently, Croatia had won six consecutive games in the Euro qualifiers. A win against Georgia would secure early qualification for the Euro main tournament.
This was the time to be steady.
It wasn't that he couldn't play; in September, against a weak team like Malta, he could go on to experience the atmosphere.
Although Kovačić was his son, compared to his son's performance, he cared more about the stable performance of the Croatian national team.
After all, this Croatian national team was different from other periods.
Their goal was the World Cup!
"I'm off!"
Kovačić, wearing the Croatian national team training kit, rode his road bike towards the training center.
The weather was bright, the wind cool and refreshing against his face, and his mood was extremely cheerful.
Since being called up to the national team in May, he had undergone various trainings.
The most impressive one was the hypoxic mask training.
At that time, not only him, but even the regulars of the Croatian national team, like Mandžukić and Vukojević, were vomiting one after another.
That week was hell week, but after that hellish physical training, they could clearly feel their stamina increase and their performance improve, which became their greatest gain.
Kovačić felt that every day in the national team was very fulfilling.
He was exposed to different players, and these people had more experience and skills than him. He could learn a lot from them.
Kovačić had an outgoing personality and a sweet mouth, so he was well-liked by his teammates.
For example, he had previously pestered Vukojević for advice about defensive positioning. Under his persistent begging, Vukojević taught him a lot.
But what made him feel he gained the most was two days ago, during a practice match after Modrić returned from the Champions League final.
Just by observing with his own eyes, Kovačić learned many midfield tricks, such as the timing of observation, choice of passing, how to organize, and stabilize the rhythm.
Modrić could always use stable and simple passes to help the team stabilize the midfield.
In Kovačić's view, Modrić was already so strong that it was almost impossible to catch up to him.
But this Modrić and the elite-gathered Manchester United lost to Suker's Real Madrid.
Therefore, Kovačić was very curious about what kind of playing style Suker had in reality.
Before long, Kovačić had arrived at the training center.
"Good morning!"
Kovačić waved to the security staff, turned his bike, and rode into the national team training center.
Following the road all the way to the locker room, he leaned his bike against the wall and then pushed the door open to enter.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Kovačić's bright voice rang out.
In the locker room, quite a few people had gathered, and they also greeted Kovačić.
Compared to the quiet Brozović, Kovačić's cheerful personality was more likable.
Hum~~ hum~~ hum~~~
Kovačić hummed a tune while changing clothes, seeming very excited.
"You're happy?"
Brozović beside him asked.
Kovačić smiled and shrugged; "Of course, joint training starts today, and also..."
Kovačić's eyes sparkled with bright light.
"Suker and the captain are also returning today, right?"
The latter was incidental; the former was key!
Suker!
This is Suker!
Back when Suker was at Dinamo Zagreb, Kovačić had been his ball boy. Since then, Suker had always been the goal of his training efforts.
Years had passed in a flash.
Suker had already crossed the Alps and stood at the pinnacle of European football.
For Kovačić, he had always dreamed of standing on the same field, in the same team as Suker, playing matches.
After years of training, Kovačić's biggest dream was to assist Suker.
Assisting his idol himself—that must be amazing!
Brozović looked at the overly excited Kovačić, pursed his lips, and shook his head: "I hope you have a strong heart!"
Brozović knew very well what kind of person Suker was.
Back then, during their first meeting, Suker had shattered all his filters about heroes and idols.
Of course, he didn't stop liking Suker.
It was just that he could no longer continue to idealize Suker.
After all, "that scene" back then was too impactful.
Just then, noisy movements came from outside the door.
This wasn't the sound of one or two people coming.
A moment later, the locker room door was pushed open.
One by one, Croatia's main players entered.
First came Mandžukić and Vukojević, then Srna and Modrić, and finally, under everyone's gaze, Suker appeared in the locker room.
Instantly, all the new players in the locker room focused their eyes on Suker.
But the main players didn't care much about this; they continued chatting about whatever they were discussing.
"You're really unlucky! You just left Schalke 04, and they made it to the Champions League semi-finals!"
Suker said to Rakitić.
Rakitić pouted: "At least I have the Europa League to play. Some people didn't even win the Bundesliga title. Oh right, the Bundesliga champion was their former club!"
Hearing this, Mandžukić bristled: "So what? At least I get to play in the Champions League! Unlike some people who are only substitutes in the Champions League!"
Everyone turned to look at Dujmović.
Dujmović; "???"
Suker smiled and looked at Rakitić; "Just tell me, do you regret it or not? If you had stayed at Schalke 04 and transferred next season, your value would definitely double!"
"No regrets!" Rakitić stiffened his neck; "This is still better than someone losing the championship!"
"You bastard!" Mandžukić pointed at Dujmović; "Am I not better than those who are only substitutes in the Champions League and eventually get driven out by fans?"
Dujmović: ".Are you indirectly insulting me?"
Suker smiled and waved his hand: "Calm down. What's there to get excited about?"
Rakitić; "I'm not excited. The one who should be excited is the guy who lost the championship!"
Mandžukić; "I'm not excited either. I'm better than those who are Champions League substitutes, driven out by fans..."
"I'll tear your mouth off!!!—"
Dujmović pounced over, and the two started fighting again.
Everyone watched this scene with laughter.
The main players were catching up and fooling around, while the substitutes watched these Croatian main players who were making waves in Europe with curiosity.
Mandžukić, Bayern Munich's main striker.
Modrić, Manchester United's midfield core.
Suker, Real Madrid's top star.
Srna, Real Madrid's main right-back, just won back-to-back trebles.
Rakitić, Sevilla's core player.
One could say, each of these was a top player in the Big Five Leagues, not on the same level as their substitutes.
At this moment, Srna stood up.
"Quiet down, you two. There are new players!"
Saying this, Srna walked towards the other side.
After a while, he led two people over.
"I-I am Domagoj Vida. I play as a central defender. You can call me Vida..."
Vida seemed very nervous.
At the beginning of this season, he transferred to Dinamo Zagreb and finally got playing time.
Although leaving the Bundesliga was somewhat regrettable, he had shown good performance in matches.
Now, he had even been called up to the national team based on his performance.
But looking at these main players who had already represented Croatia against world powerhouses, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Compared to Vida, Kovačić's performance was better.
"Hello, my name is Mateo Kovačić. I am seventeen years old this year..."
Hearing this, Suker and the others looked at each other.
17 years old?
Damn, that's really young.
"I play in midfield. My biggest dream is to assist Suker!"
Everyone turned to look at Suker.
Suker was also stunned.
Was this buttering him up?
He had some impression of Kovačić, but too much time had passed, and he couldn't remember clearly.
"Did you used to be my ball boy?" Suker asked.
Kovačić nodded vigorously; "Yes, I was your ball boy. I was only 11 years old at the time!"
Suker smiled and patted Kovačić's shoulder: "You have a great dream!"
"Damn!"
Dujmović beside him grinned; "Suker, can you have some shame?"
Suker turned his head and glared: "What's wrong? If I score, don't you win? Or are you standing against me?"
Dujmović shook his head; "I'm telling you to have some shame!"
"Is face important or are goals important?"
The others said in unison; "Goals!"
Mandžukić added: "You've been driven away by fans once. What do you have... ow~~~ I was wrong!!!"
Mandžukić and Dujmović started fighting again.
Soon, Mandžukić held Dujmović, and Suker grabbed Dujmović's legs, using his own soles to give the other's crotch a vigorous rubbing massage!
The locker room erupted in laughter.
At this moment, the locker room door was pushed open, and Van Stoyak walked in.
"Everyone, assemble on the training ground!"
After saying this, he glanced at Dujmović, who was lying on the ground, grinning widely with tears of laughter streaming down his face, twitched his mouth slightly, and shook his head; "Stop fooling around!"
Van Stoyak also shook his head and sighed.
These guys, each one was almost thirty years old, but when they got together, they were just a bunch of kids.
However, he also marveled at the atmosphere in the Croatian locker room.
This was related to them being players from the same period and moving from club to national team together. It would be strange if they didn't have a good relationship.
Before long, everyone assembled on the training ground.
In front of Besić, they didn't dare to be too unruly.
Especially seeing Besić's stern, serious face, they didn't dare to mess around even more.
Under the guidance of the coaching staff, the players began a simple warm-up, and then they were to prepare for the Euro qualifiers.
The Euro qualifier on June 4th, Croatia hosting Georgia.
After this match, Croatia would have seven consecutive wins, and they would also qualify for the Euro main tournament three rounds early.
Therefore, this match was quite crucial.
Besić needed to ensure that this match ended smoothly and perfectly.
The current Croatian team was strong and well-staffed. Players like Suker had each reached their peak state.
Not only Suker, but Modrić, Mandžukić, Srna, Rakitić, Vukojević, and others were all in their best condition.
Even compared to 2008, their overall strength had further increased.
Besić wanted to defend the European Championship title. This was also the first result he was about to deliver after coaching the Croatian national team.
Defending the title was the biggest goal, but not the entire task.
Among them was also the renewal of the team.
For example, the two central defenders, Šimunić and Kovač, were getting older, and their form had declined somewhat. Based on the strength of other positions, problems wouldn't necessarily be exposed.
But this wasn't what Bilić wanted to see.
Therefore, Vida and Lovren needed to smoothly transition to become the main central defenders during this European Championship.
Lovren's performance at his club was very good.
Although Lyon's performance was not as strong as before 2010, it could fully reflect the highest level of Ligue 1, and they also had Champions League qualifications for training.
After leaving the Bundesliga, Vida had once again shown his stable performance at Dinamo Zagreb.
Vida and Lovren were two different types of center-backs.
Vida was more stable, while Lovren was more aggressive and liked to step up to challenge.
Therefore, Bilić needed to train Vida's sense of covering positioning and Lovren's success rate when stepping up.
With this combination of one covering and one challenging, they could handle trouble relying on the defensive line in critical moments.
However, these were still ideas that needed to be gradually promoted step by step. There were also many problems.
For example, Vida tended to hesitate and wasn't decisive enough, which would cause him to lose the timing of defense.
Lovren was relatively more aggressive, but precisely because of his aggressiveness and liking to step up, sometimes there would be positioning mistakes and vulnerabilities behind him, causing Lovren to sometimes become "Lov-run" (a pun on "leak" in Chinese fan circles). (Translator's Note: The text uses '漏夫伦' - "Lou Fulun", a Chinese fan nickname for Lovren implying he leaks goals.)
But their potential was still sufficient.
In addition, the three other full-back substitutes also needed further training.
Joeluka, Strinić, Vrsaljko—these guys would be substitutes for Pranjić and Srna.
Besić wanted to integrate their playing style into this Croatian team.
The iron-blooded defensive system of Eastern Europe!
The European Championship was only a transition period; all their preparations were for the 2014 World Cup!