Chapter 107: The Best! Suker!

In the stands, Boteci, as a fan, was filled with excitement. This match was truly exhilarating to watch!Whether in terms of competitiveness or entertainment, it was top-notch!A fierce clash between two strong teams in the Croatian league, but most importantly, it was Dinamo Zagreb's outstanding performance that stood out. And speaking of performance, it was impossible to ignore young Suker. Many Dinamo Zagreb fans had come for Davor Šuker, hoping he would deliver a great performance and lead them to victory. But what they didn't expect was that while it was indeed "Suker," it wasn't Davor. Young Suker's performance stunned them. That solo run and goal from the wing was already impressive enough. Then came the second goal, where Suker's shot set up Davor Šuker for the rebound and score. But none of that could compare to the brilliance of the third "pass"!Though it was just an assist, the beauty of the curving ground pass — bending across the field from the left, slicing through a dense defensive line, and landing perfectly on the other side — assisting Dujmović for the goal, was something else entirely. That pass from Suker sent the entire stadium into a frenzy. Fans around Boteci were already deep in discussion about Suker. "That pass was incredible!" "A curving ground ball! I've never seen a pass like that before!" "His dribbling is deadly!" "He's single-handedly thrown the Lokomotiva Zagreb defense into chaos!" "How is he this good?!" "Young Suker is absolutely amazing!" "I'm going to buy a #7 jersey right after the game. I'm a fan now!" "Me too! Count me in! He's won me over!" Looking at the excited fans around him, Boteci was full of emotion. Coach Bešić's decision had been the right one. He hadn't just brought an exciting match to Dinamo Zagreb — he had brought a glimpse into the future. Suker's performance was brilliant. And so were Modrić, Vukojević, Srna, Pranjić, and Dujmović. What might these young players bring to Dinamo Zagreb? Boteci felt his old heart beat stronger and steadier — full of hopeful anticipation! "Dinamo Zagreb is still pressing Lokomotiva. I thought they'd ease up in the second half, but clearly they have no intention of slowing down. They keep piling pressure on the opposition's defense!" "Suker may not be dribbling as much, but his dangerous passes are just as difficult to deal with — especially when paired with Modrić, Dinamo's attacks have become razor-sharp!" As Modrić passed to Srna, the latter immediately found Suker ahead. Three defenders rushed toward Suker, forcing him to pass quickly to Dujmović. "Great pass!" Dujmović shouted, turning as he received it and quickly shifted play again. Meanwhile, Suker dusted himself off and jogged away. The opposing players who were marking him looked furious. They had all focused on Suker, but Dinamo had shifted play to the right. Valjević wasn't particularly skilled, but he was steady. He never made rash or risky decisions. Thanks to this, the pace of the game slowed down. Dinamo Zagreb was in no rush — after all, they were in the lead. But Lokomotiva felt the pressure. "Push up! Win the ball back!" Šimunić urged his teammates, clearly growing anxious. Dinamo's time-wasting tactics were getting under his skin. As they pressed hard on Valjević, he casually played the ball back, not even trying to dribble. The frustration on Lokomotiva's side boiled over. "Press! Win it back!" As several players charged Dujmović, he slid the ball diagonally forward. Davor Šuker took it, shielding from Šimunić as if to hold and pass, tricking him into reaching for the ball, then turned and burst past. Though his acceleration wasn't great, Šimunić quickly caught up. But by then, Davor Šuker had reached the penalty spot, and with a quick toe poke, he left the ball in place and used his momentum to drag Šimunić away. That's when young Suker appeared at the penalty spot. "SUKER!!!! —" He seized the golden opportunity and calmly slotted the ball toward the bottom right corner. It bounced off the post and into the net. Lokomotiva's goalkeeper Butina didn't even move. Dinamo Zagreb now led 4–1. The stadium fell silent. Only the small group of Dinamo fans celebrated. The rest sat in silence, defeated. For Lokomotiva's players, it was demoralizing. This match had been suffocating. Especially for Šimunić — his face had turned nearly purple with frustration. Their defensive line had been torn apart like paper. Things had started okay, but once Suker turned it on, they had collapsed. All because of that number 7! Šimunić turned to glare at Suker, his eyes practically shooting daggers. Coincidentally, Suker had just finished celebrating and was walking back, meeting Šimunić's gaze head-on. "Why does his stare feel like it's physically cutting me?" Suker shivered involuntarily. At this point, the match was all but over. Lokomotiva's players had lost all their fight. Only garbage time remained. The fourth official indicated three minutes of stoppage time. But with 30 seconds left, the referee blew the final whistle. The match was over — it no longer held any meaning. Final score: Lokomotiva Zagreb 1–4 Dinamo Zagreb. Suker was undoubtedly the standout player, winning Man of the Match honors. Two goals and one assist! The only pity was that Davor Šuker's rebound didn't count as an assist for him. As they walked off the pitch, Coach Bešić ran over to hug Suker. "You played fantastically!" Bešić hugged him tightly. Suker could feel his coach's genuine excitement. Though Suker didn't fully understand, his performance had clearly delighted Bešić. And "delighted" was an understatement — Bešić was overjoyed. After the post-match interview, Bešić rushed back to the club. A high-level Dinamo Zagreb meeting was called. Attendees: Club President: Vatke Sporting Director: Sismir Chief Scout: Jategenić First Team Coach: Bešić Bešić, confident, said: "This victory proves everything. My decision was correct. Based on our previous agreement, we need to renegotiate the contracts immediately." Scout Atgenić agreed: "I also believe it's necessary. The two-year contracts we offered for evaluation purposes are no longer suitable given their current performances." President Vatke and Sismir exchanged thoughtful glances. Bešić cursed inwardly. Stingy bastards! He looked to Jategenić, who raised his voice: "We must act now. These young players are already on the radar of many clubs!" "Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Star Belgrade, Basel, Fenerbahçe..." "I even saw Ajax and Sporting CP scouts in the crowd!" That got the two men's attention. "Two years isn't long. If we don't act quickly, the club will lose out!" Bešić added."Don't forget — we'll be in the Champions League qualifiers next season! If these kids shine, they could bring in massive transfer fees!" "We're Croatia's star factory, after all!" Outside the meeting room, Jategenić exhaled and cursed: "Those two tightwads — asking them for money is like asking for their gold bars!" Bešić smirked: "Just wait. Vatke won't last much longer. Next time there's a chairman election, I'll fully support Mirst to take over. Then our budget will finally improve!" Jategenić sighed, then laughed: "At least the contract issue got resolved!" He paused and asked: "Were you serious?" "About what?" "Champions League qualifiers next season!" "Why not?" Bešić replied confidently."We've done it before. We're the kings of Croatian football — that spot belongs to us!" "This time feels different though..." Jategenić muttered. Bešić glanced at him and said: "You're right — it is different. I'm tired of just qualifying. I want more." "More?" Jategenić looked shocked."The Champions League group stage?!" Bešić nodded with a smile: "Why else would I rebuild the squad?" "You scared me..." Jategenić muttered. After all, Dinamo Zagreb had never reached the Champions League group stage. "But..." Jategenić added with a grin,"Do you think they can do it?" "I don't know," Bešić answered bluntly."But I do know that Krunoslav Kalinić and his group definitely can't." "Top talents are too expensive — we can't buy them. So, I'm gathering young players and developing them myself." "Is that why you brought in Davor Šuker as their mentor?" "Not entirely," Bešić smiled."I also want to give something back to Croatian football's future. But... there's no harm in chasing my own ambitions first!"