Chapter 112: Suker Asked Me to Do It

Suker and Modrić didn't know that someone was helping them get in touch with clubs from Europe's top five leagues. Their profiles and resumes might even be placed on the desks of big-club head coaches. But for now, the most important thing was the upcoming match against Hajduk. After the ninth round, the first half of the Croatian league season had ended. So far, in eight matches, they maintained an undefeated record of 7 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses. Hajduk was currently eight wins out of eight and ranked ahead of them, and now it was time for their direct confrontation. Hajduk is definitely, apart from Dinamo Zagreb, the most successful club in Croatia. Although always overshadowed by Dinamo Zagreb in the league, Hajduk was excellent at producing star players. They had sent many outstanding players out, many of whom also became Croatian national team members. In fact, most Croatian internationals come from Dinamo Zagreb or Hajduk. For a Croatian, entering either of these two clubs basically means they've earned significant recognition. Now, Dinamo Zagreb was going to face Hajduk away. Hajduk had just suffered a crushing defeat in the Champions League qualifiers. Currently, their form had not yet recovered, so going into this game, the team was overall in a confused state. Dinamo Zagreb, on the other hand, kept improving and was determined to take the three points. For Dinamo, they wanted to reclaim their status as the dominant team in Croatian football from Hajduk. Split, the second-largest city in Croatia and the capital of Dalmatia County, is a beautiful coastal city. Hajduk's full name is Hajduk Split Football Club. "Hajduk" refers to a group of guerrilla fighters who once fought against the Ottoman Empire, akin to the "heroes of Liangshan Marsh." Hajduk's style of play matched their name—passionate, brave, and full of physical confrontation. They are a team with unyielding willpower. If not for Chelsea thrashing them, Dinamo Zagreb would really have had trouble. Of course, Hajduk was affected by their Champions League exit, but their overall strength was still very strong, making Dinamo unable to underestimate them. The day before the match, Dinamo Zagreb took a bus along the Zagreb–Split highway to reach the city. After a night's rest, they prepared to go to Hajduk's home stadium, Poljud Stadium. Poljud Stadium is a round-shaped stadium, not a professional football-only stadium, surrounded by a plastic running track. It can hold 35,000 people. Every weekend, many Hajduk fans fill this stadium to cheer for their team. Match day made the stadium incredibly lively. Although Hajduk had just been crushed 5-0 by Chelsea in the Champions League qualifiers and kicked out, the fans weren't too upset. After all, even strong Dinamo Zagreb failed to break through the "hellish" third round of Champions League qualifiers and reach the group stage. So for Hajduk fans, while disappointed, the defeat wasn't a crushing blow. They had mentally prepared for losing before the match. But this game was different. Dinamo Zagreb was their old rival. The matches between these two clubs are called the Eternal derby. Every season, they face off fiercely. Last season, because Dinamo Zagreb collapsed, Hajduk won the title after a long drought. This season, Hajduk had to defend their top spot. Even if they lost, they absolutely could not lose to Dinamo Zagreb's "city kids"! "Faster! Faster! They're past midfield!" Outside the stadium, a group of youngsters in Hajduk youth jerseys were rushing toward the stadium. At the front was a tall, lanky boy who looked like a walking stick. This boy's name was Ivan Perišić. "Come on! I want to see Mitrović thrash those Dinamo city boys!" Perišić excitedly pumped his fists. Perišić was 15 years old and played for Hajduk's U17 team. As a talented player, he performed excellently in U17 matches and was expected to break into the senior Hajduk team when he grew up. Perišić's idol was Hajduk's captain, Mitrović. Though Perišić played as a winger, it didn't stop him from admiring the tough and fearless iron-willed captain. The group reached the stadium entrance and heard the crowd's roar. "Look! Mitrović and the others must be thrashing the opponents!" Perišić urged again excitedly. One friend hesitated and said, "Dinamo Zagreb is tough to play against. Although they're young, Coach Grint said they're Croatia's top talents!" "Bullshit talents!" Perišić scoffed. "They're just kids!" "Dinamo's little Suker is hard to handle." Perišić snapped back, "Where did you hear that?" "Just telling the truth." "Don't worry! Mitrović will teach him a lesson!" "Come on! Come on!" With Perišić pushing them, the youngsters passed security and entered the stadium. Once they reached the stands, the atmosphere felt off. Hajduk fans looked deflated. Perišić looked at the scoreboard with wide eyes. Hajduk 0 : 2 Dinamo Zagreb! "We're losing?" Perišić couldn't believe it. "Where's Mitrović? With him here, how could we be losing?" He searched the pitch and finally saw Hajduk's captain Mitrović. Mitrović looked extremely embarrassed. Behind him was a shorter figure wearing a yellow away jersey. The large number 10 on his back marked him as Dinamo Zagreb's core player. "Little Suker!" Perišić instinctively shouted. He saw Suker skillfully dribbling the ball, faking left and right. Mitrović, usually calm and steady, looked completely lost. He moved right and left, retreating while staggering, almost falling. When Suker approached again, Mitrović finally stretched his leg out. "Danger!" Perišić shouted. On the field, Suker nudged the ball sideways and swiftly dribbled past Mitrović on the other side, accelerating again to escape. Mitrović fell down, very clumsily. Perišić stood there stunned. "How is this possible?" In his mind, Mitrović was a fearless ironman. But now he was completely outplayed by a guy three years older. Suker continued past Mitrović, running all the way to the baseline. Despite interference from the opposing fullback, he managed a sweeping cross. In the middle, Mandžukić was tussling with the opposing center back Lawson. "Get off!" Mandžukić pushed hard, leaned back, and stretched his foot to hook the ball. The ball grazed his studs and rolled into the far side net. "Goal!!!!!!" "71st minute, Little Suker! Again Little Suker!! He's been phenomenal!" "Suker dribbled past the midfield line and crossed successfully. Mandžukić stretched his foot to tap the ball in for his second goal this season!" "Mandžukić has scored in two consecutive substitute appearances!" "Of course, the best performance is still Little Suker!" "One assist, one goal — 11 goals in 9 games for Suker!" "This is Dinamo Zagreb's new core number 10! His impact is unparalleled!" Suker raised his hands and went to high-five Mandžukić. "Come on! High five!" Mandžukić stretched out his hand and then rubbed his right cheek. "Still hurts!" Suker laughed. "Try getting slapped yourself!" Mandžukić laughed and patted Suker's shoulder. At the 55th minute, there was a heated conflict. Vukojević fouled an attacking player, sparking a serious scuffle. Mandžukić and the opposing winger Matro had a passionate exchange of words. Mandžukić pushed Matro's chest; Matro slapped Mandžukić. Suker and Štimac quickly pulled Mandžukić away, preventing further escalation. In the end, Mandžukić and Matro were both yellow-carded, calming the situation. Vukojević, the one who caused the foul, was unnoticed by the referee. After going up 3-0, the match was basically won by Dinamo Zagreb. As expected, Hajduk was mentally crushed by the Chelsea defeat. Their overall performance was stiff and morale very low. Dinamo took advantage of this to attack aggressively and scored goals, rapidly increasing their lead. After 90 minutes, the match ended. Hajduk 0 : 3 Dinamo Zagreb, losing home points painfully! For Dinamo Zagreb, they surprisingly defeated a strong rival easily and extended their undefeated streak. After the game, everyone left the pitch. Coach Bešić praised the players one by one. When it came to Mandžukić, he even gave a hug. "Well done!" Mandžukić was delighted. "I only scored one goal. Suker played even better." Bešić laughed and rubbed Mandžukić's head. "I meant you deliberately provoked Matro and turned the foul into a conflict. That's how Vukojević avoided a yellow card. Didn't expect you to be that smart." "Huh?" Mandžukić was confused. "I didn't do that! Suker told me to go up and yell at him!" "Suker told you to do it?" Bešić was stunned. "Yes. Suker was the one provoking; I was just nearby, so everyone thought it was me." Mandžukić felt wronged. "I even got slapped for nothing!"