Chapter 314: A Bunch of Clowns

Words : 1478 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

"Beautiful!!" "Wow!! That shot was incredibly accurate!" "There was just a sliver of space, and he seized it perfectly!" "Great shot!" "Suker!! Look over here!" The reporters on the sidelines erupted in excitement. The intra-squad match had just started, and Suker scored a goal with a shot through an almost nonexistent gap. It was a shot that demanded extremely precise aim and perfect timing. But Suker chose to shoot decisively—and scored. Is this what it means to be the Man of the Match in the Champions League final? "He was the Golden Boot winner of the Champions League last season!"A Croatian reporter said proudly. He then raised his camera and snapped photos rapidly. Suker's sudden strike caught Simic and the others off guard. It wasn't like they hadn't been watching Suker—but that shot was just too precise. Such a tiny gap, and Suker not only noticed it but struck with total decisiveness. Suker glanced at the goal, nodded slightly, then turned and walked away, looking calm and collected. "What a show-off!" Srna and the others couldn't stand it. They howled and charged over, ruffling Suk's hair like madmen. "Showing off, are you?!" "You scored, so what? Quit showing off!" "I wasn't!" "Oh yeah? Like you're the only one allowed to act cool?" Everyone crowded around and rubbed his hair until it looked like a bird's nest. "Come on! I just scored a goal!" Suker protested. Srna turned and declared, "Scoring is fine—showing off isn't!" Suker was thoroughly frustrated. Five minutes later, Suk and Modrić executed a beautiful one-two pass. Suker chipped in a cross. Mandžukić out-jumped Šimunić and headed the ball toward goal. As he landed, Mandžukić turned away without even looking at the goal, fist clenched slightly in celebration. "You're showing off now too?!" Srna suddenly shouted. Mandžukić turned around in shock: "I didn't!" "Get him!" Suker had already charged in, grabbing Mandžukić around the neck and dragging him down. Vukojević straddled him and started tickling his armpits. Mandžukić laughed so hard he was crying. He struggled wildly but to no avail. Šimunić, Šimić, and the others were dumbfounded watching all this. These players, hailed as "geniuses" by the Croatian media, seemed like they were all missing a few screws. Weren't geniuses supposed to be cold and arrogant? Rakitić spread his hands and said,"See? They're just this childish, hmph!" Suker suddenly appeared behind him, speaking softly,"What do you mean, 'hmph'?" "Huh?" Rakitić froze on the spot. Suker pointed at Rakitić and turned his head:"Here's another show-off!" Everyone pounced again. Rakitić, like a delicate flower, was trampled by a pack of burly men—utterly miserable. And thus, Croatia's first unofficial team rule was born: Scoring is fine. Showing off is not!In a team full of clowns, only clowns are allowed. Anything else is blasphemy! The first day of training ended in this noisy and chaotic atmosphere. In the office, Croatian head coach Bilić sat rubbing his temples while on the phone:"Were they like this at their clubs too?" On the other end, Bešić couldn't help but laugh. "Yes! They're always bickering and messing around. Sometimes it gives you a headache, but it's fun." "They're childish," Bilić noted. Bešić smiled, "They're just simple." "This is how they bond—through their rowdy antics. That's why they're so united." "How was the first day of training?" Bilić said, "There's been huge improvement. The data you gave me is now just a reference—their individual growth is far beyond expectation." Bešić nodded. "Of course. They're all playing in top leagues, so improvement is inevitable. I'm excited to see what they can do after further chemistry builds." Hearing this, Bilić was invigorated. "So am I!" Although the reference data was now outdated, that was a good thing! From what he'd seen, both core players—Suker and Modrić—were in top form. Especially Suker. After winning the Champions League final, his shooting instincts had skyrocketed, and his confidence in front of goal soared. In today's scrimmage, he scored twice and assisted twice. He not only led the front-line offense but also became the heart of the team's attacking force. Watching Suker play now reminded Bilić of Shevchenko.Yes! That comparison felt spot-on. Whether it was his impact on defenses or his overall presence. Plus, Suker could drop back and help organize attacks. His tactical value had skyrocketed! Now, Bilić felt like he was sitting on a treasure trove—thinking hard about how to best utilize and combine all this talent. He believed that once this young squad clicked, they'd deliver a massive surprise at the 2008 European Championship. Because of the national team's closed training camp, everyone had to stay in the dorms. Suker naturally returned to his old quarters. But... "What the hell?! Who took apart my wood-burning heater?!" Suker looked at the empty spot in the living room—there used to be a stove there. "It was dismantled ages ago. It's in the storage room now," Rakitić suddenly said. Suker turned and barked, "Why is it in storage?! That's mine!" "You didn't take it with you!" Rakitić rolled his eyes. "Because of your stupid heater, tons of players wanted this room. It almost caused team drama. Bešić wanted everyone to be treated equally, so he had it removed." "Drama?" Mandžukić perked up and leaned in, "Tell me! Who caused drama?" Rakitić went quiet. "Come on, spill it! Sounds juicy!" Suker kicked him. "Why are you so nosy?!" Clearly, Rakitić didn't want to talk about it, yet this guy was still pushing. Rakitić let out a sigh of relief. After Suker and the others had all left previously, the locker room had gone through a reshuffling—everyone wanted to be top dog. That period was pure chaos. It was one of the reasons they failed to qualify for the Champions League. At that time, tensions already existed within the squad. Later, Rakitić and the others began to rise, and with Bešić's support, the locker room gradually stabilized. Rakitić believed that if even one player from Suker's generation had stayed, none of that chaos would've happened. The second day of training was held behind closed doors, with no media allowed. Head coach Bilić demanded that the team's tempo match that of top European leagues. They couldn't afford to play slow. While a slow pace helped in maintaining defensive structure, if an opponent forced the pace up, Croatia would crumble. This had already been exposed during the last Euros and World Cup qualifiers. But soon, Bilić realized—this wouldn't be a problem anymore. Suker, Modrić, Mandžukić, Vukojević—these guys were all regulars in top-five European leagues. They were already used to high-speed games. Even in the relatively slower Serie A, Suk could adapt and take charge. Recently, players like Šimić and Šimunić in defense had been... extremely idle. Mainly because this Croatian midfield controlled the ball so well. Compared to the previous squad, they were miles ahead. A stark contrast: before, when Šimunić had the ball, his only options were to boot it upfield or clear it. Now, he looked up—and found open players near and far. These youngsters were constantly running, opening up space after space. Defensive pressure had dropped dramatically. The only problem? They ran too much. These guys were like mules. "If they don't die from running, they'll just keep running!" Šimunić wasn't exactly known for stamina, so he often struggled to keep up. When a center-back is more exhausted than the midfielders, it's a bit embarrassing. In the past, he had reasons to blame teammates. But now? With better and more hardworking teammates—what excuse did he have? As a result, the fitness coach set up a special training regimen just for the defenders. Over the rest of the training camp, the Croatian national team prepared steadily and methodically. Meanwhile, their first warm-up match was confirmed. It would be played at Maksimir Stadium, home of Dinamo Zagreb, against Turkey. When Suker heard the opponent, his head buzzed. Turkey was no pushover! A warm-up match is supposed to be light and relaxed, right? But Bilić brought in a heavyweight for them to go all out against! As newcomers to the national team, Suk and the others were determined to make a strong first impression. They had to put on a great and exciting performance. But Turkey was a tough opponent. Still, it was already decided—they had to deal with it. Croatian fans, meanwhile, were eagerly waiting for these talented young players to make their national team debuts. Tickets for the match at Maksimir had long since sold out. No way were they going to miss this new generation's grand debut!

Chapter 314: A Bunch of Clowns

Comments (0)