Chapter 237: Eindhoven! Philips!

Words : 1513 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

As November arrived, the weather in Milan gradually began to turn cold. Currently, the temperature hovered around 5°C, making it necessary for Milan's players to layer up during training. Of course, as athletes with strong metabolisms, some like Gattuso still stuck to wearing just short sleeves and shorts, seemingly unaffected by the chill. Suker, on the other hand, had to put on a thermal underlayer just to feel a bit warmer. Despite Croatia being much colder, Suker still hadn't adapted to Milan's damp, chilly climate. Wearing gloves, Suker stood at the edge of the training ground. No one was gossiping about him and Gisele Bündchen anymore — the novelty had worn off. As professional footballers, they were now fully focused on their matches. AC Milan had been dominant both in the league and in the Champions League. With 10 rounds played, Milan held a 9-0-1 record, level with Juventus. Thanks to a slightly better goal difference, Milan was sitting at the top of the table. As for the Champions League group stage— AC Milan had won all three of their matches and topped the group. But now they were about to travel to the Netherlands for an away match. In the third round, Milan had defeated PSV Eindhoven at home. Currently, PSV sat third in the group with a 1-0-2 record. Surprisingly, Turkish side Fenerbahçe was second, while Schalke 04 appeared to be struggling — another German team facing difficulties in Europe. The path to qualification from Group E looked very promising for Milan. If they could win this away match, qualification would be secured with two games to spare. That would reduce the pressure in the remaining Champions League fixtures, allowing Milan to shift their focus back to the league. Suker was looking forward to the knockout stage of the Champions League. Not only for the matches themselves but also for the quality of "cards" those games could produce. Currently, the cards earned in the Serie A were mostly black cards. He hadn't seen a single platinum card yet. Suker was starting to suspect that the league just didn't drop anything above black card level. At the same time, Zorancic was becoming increasingly busy. Thanks to the rumors linking Suker and Gisele Bündchen, several luxury brands had approached Suker for endorsements. Gisele Bündchen was dubbed a "walking money printer" — she had a talent for making money and perfectly embodied the image luxury brands craved. Their rumored relationship had pulled Suker into the luxury fashion world's spotlight. Zorancic had already received several endorsement offers and was in the midst of negotiations. "Hey Suker, after the match, come fishing with me!" Gattuso came over. It was hard to imagine that someone as aggressive and hot-tempered as Gattuso would be into fishing. Such a stark contrast between his wild nature and a peaceful hobby. But fishing was exactly what Gattuso loved — he could spend an entire vacation sitting by a pond. "No thanks," Suker replied bluntly. Suker wasn't a fan of fishing — he couldn't sit still, didn't have the patience to wait for a bite, and most importantly, he hated the slimy feel of fish. "Why not? It's way better than chasing girls! When the fish bites—" Gattuso began detailing the intricacies of fishing. Suker wasn't listening at all. He noticed Pirlo sneaking up. He didn't warn Gattuso. "Last time I went sea fishing—" Whoosh! Pirlo yanked down Gattuso's pants. Bright orange cartoon boxers were revealed. Suker and Kaka were stunned on the spot. Gattuso — this big, tough brute — wearing such cutesy underwear? Both of them immediately covered their eyes. Too spicy for the eyes! "PIRLO!! STAND STILL!!" Gattuso exploded and started chasing Pirlo around. Pirlo ran like a monkey, darting across the field. Suker watched them goofing around and shook his head in disbelief. Pirlo, nicknamed "Sleepy Pirlo," always looked half-asleep, but when it came to pranking Gattuso, he was as sharp as ever — eyes wide and full of energy. Gattuso's hobby was fishing. Pirlo's hobby was Gattuso. These two were the team's resident clowns. Pirlo ran toward Suker and the others — Kaka stuck out a foot to trip him. Pirlo tumbled forward, and Suker immediately pounced. "Suker! Let go of me!" Pirlo visibly panicked. "Bastard!!" Gattuso caught up, but Suker rolled away in time. Gattuso pounced and tackled Pirlo, tickling him mercilessly. Pirlo was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. "You two saw it, didn't you?" Gattuso turned toward Suker and Kaka after he was done with Pirlo. The two frantically shook their heads. Didn't matter — Gattuso still gave them each a punch. As he turned to leave, Suker sneakily got up and grabbed the back of his pants. Whoosh! "SUKER!!!—" Gattuso's roar echoed across the training ground. Suker darted away like a bullet. He wasn't like Pirlo — he was faster, more agile, and had better stamina. Gattuso chased him for several laps around the training field and still couldn't catch him. Eventually, Pirlo and Kaka joined in to help mess with Gattuso. The rest of the squad watched, laughing. The Milan locker room was not only united — it was also full of childish antics. "All right, cut it out! The boss is about to speak!" Maldini shouted. The four clowns immediately walked over obediently. Gattuso stood far to the right; the other three lined up far to the left. Gattuso glared at them. They looked ready to bolt at any moment. Ancelotti watched and shook his head with a smile. Then he said loudly, "Tomorrow, we're heading to the Netherlands. We've practiced the tactics over the last few days, and our goal for the next match is—" "Three points!" Suker shouted. Then added, "We're going for a perfect group stage!" Everyone turned to look at him. Suker shrugged: "What's the problem? We're Milan. We go for all wins. That's how a giant club rolls." Kaka added, "If we can win, why settle for a draw?" Pirlo chimed in, "PSV didn't give us much trouble last time. Ivan played great — he's our defensive wall!" Suker and Kaka nodded vigorously. "Exactly!" Gattuso grumbled, "Flatter me all you want, it won't help you!" Everyone burst out laughing. Even Ancelotti was amused and nodded. "Alright, let's revise the goal — three points away, total group dominance!" "Woooo!!! Unbeaten qualification!" Suker raised his fist and shouted. "Woooo!! Unbeat— Gattuso's chasing us! RUN!" Pirlo shouted mid-cheer and bolted. Suker and Kaka were a beat slower, but their speed quickly left Pirlo behind. "You three..." Maldini fumed. "The boss isn't even done yet — get back here!" Ancelotti chuckled and waved. "Forget it! I said all I needed to." The whole point of the talk was to boost morale. And clearly, this Milan squad didn't need any of that. The next day, AC Milan set off for their match. Riding a wave of victories, their morale was sky-high. At the same time, PSV Eindhoven was preparing nervously. For them, this was a crucial match. A loss would spell disaster for their hopes of qualifying. Eindhoven, located in southern Netherlands, was undergoing rapid development. High-rises were popping up everywhere, and the city was being transformed into a hub for high-tech industries. It was bustling, full of business and energy. Philips Stadion — PSV's home ground — wasn't actually within the city but in a nearby town, adjacent to the Philips Valley. On match day, a light rain fell over Eindhoven. The skies were gray and heavy, and the cold, damp air made everything feel bleak. Suker wore a puffy vest over his warm-up gear to stay warm during warm-ups. He moved with extra intensity to get his body heated before the match. The assistant coach moved among the players, constantly reminding them: "Make your movements bigger — get properly warmed up. In this weather, poor warm-ups can lead to injuries." But Milan's players were disciplined — no one slacked off. Meanwhile, in the Dutch commentary booth, the local commentator looked tense. "This is a must-win match for PSV. If they lose here, their qualification hopes will be nearly gone." He sighed. Why, oh why, did they have to be in the same group as AC Milan? Right now, Milan looked unstoppable. The camera zoomed in on Suker, and the Dutch commentator grew even more anxious. "Suker joined Milan this season and has quickly become indispensable. He's been the key playmaker in Milan's attack — their offensive engine and commander. If PSV can't shut him down, they won't be able to stop Milan's attacking waves." Suker was vital. After so many matches, teams had figured it out — Milan's sudden surge in attack was all because of him. So shutting down Suker was the key to halting Milan. But... was that even possible?

Chapter 237: Eindhoven! Philips!

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