Chapter 92: First Appearance

At the Zagreb Dinamo dining hall window— "Four sausages, please!" Suker looked at the sizzling sausages behind the window, his mouth practically watering. Ever since joining Dinamo Zagreb, his meals had been strictly regulated. Nutritional supplementation! That was the order from the club's health manager, along with carefully planned meals. But nutrition meals, while healthy, didn't exactly taste great. The cafeteria aunt placed one sausage onto Suker's tray. Suker blinked and added,"Four!" "Only one!" the cafeteria aunt replied with a smile. "The club's orders—you're only allowed one sausage per meal. You've been eating too much greasy food lately." Suker opened his mouth, looked down at the pile of greens on his tray. Even though there were steaks and other items, what he really craved was the sausage. But the aunt was firm. One sausage meant one sausage. No matter how hard Suker begged, she wouldn't budge. In the end, Suker could only accept his fate. Carrying his tray, Suker sat down at Modrić's table. "You really should cut down on oily food," Modrić advised. Suker grinned, "But I'm craving it!" Modrić rolled his eyes and said, "Keep that up and you won't necessarily grow taller, but you'll definitely grow fatter." Suker sighed and then buried his head in his food. The way Suker ate was intense—as if he were in a battle with his meal. Modrić was used to it, but Srna and the others looked at Suker like he was a starving man. "Don't worry about him—he's always eaten like that," Modrić said casually, seeing the puzzled look in Srna's eyes. Srna nodded. "Tomorrow's our first match. Aren't you nervous?" Modrić shook his head. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Srna looked over at Suker again—his aggressive eating didn't seem like the behavior of someone nervous. "I'm a little nervous myself," Srna admitted, lips pursed. Suker suddenly looked up. "You caught Mario's nerves too?" Srna blinked. "Mario? You mean Mandžukić?" Suker nodded. "Ever since the warm-up matches ended, that guy's been training like crazy. Now that the season's starting, he still hasn't taken a break." Srna nodded. "Mandžukić took a hit." "What kind of hit?" Suker asked, confused. Srna glanced at both Suker and Modrić. You two are the hit.As peers, the performances of Suker and Modrić during the warm-up matches put enormous pressure on the other young players. Back in their own teams, they were all stars. But after being brought together at Dinamo Zagreb, their confidence was shattered within a month. Mandžukić, Vukojević, Pranjić, Dujmović—and even Srna himself—were all deeply shaken. It was Suker and Modrić's outstanding play that sparked this internal anxiety. In their original teams, their talents were the ceiling. There wasn't that much pressure. But at Dinamo Zagreb, everything changed. From the first day of training, their pride was broken. And after three brutal friendly matches, their self-esteem was crushed. Now, Mandžukić, Vukojević, and the rest were training earlier and leaving later. They didn't want to lose. Facing more talented, more impressive players like Suker and Modrić ignited their competitiveness. Without question, Suker and Modrić had become the "Anxiety Generators" of the team. However, under the pressure they brought, the rest of the young players were also becoming more integrated, more motivated, and eager to prove themselves. All of this gave Dinamo Zagreb a vibrant, youthful energy. On the other side, Dinamo's coaching team was making their final adjustments. Determining the starting eleven was a critical task. Although Bešić believed in open competition, he preferred to establish a core starting lineup. Based on the three friendlies, he had a rough idea. "Starting goalkeeper: Grestić!" A seasoned veteran for Dinamo, always reliable and consistent. "Defensive line: Srna, Jarni, Štimac, Pranjić!" A blend of youth and experience. Srna had been converted from winger to full-back and brought an attacking edge. He could coordinate with Suker on the left flank to cause havoc for opposing defenses. His stamina allowed him to constantly shuttle up and down the wing. The two central defenders were chosen for their experience—both former Croatian internationals. "Midfield: Modrić, Vukojević, Dujmović!" A young midfield brought vitality to the squad. The trio had built some chemistry in the warm-ups. Modrić and Dujmović would handle distribution, with Modrić playing a more pivotal role. Vukojević would serve as the defensive anchor. "Forwards..." This was Bešić's biggest headache. Suker's spot was locked in. His sensational form in the warm-up matches couldn't be ignored. In fact, the team's left-wing attack had been designed around Suker—now their most dangerous attacking side. Although Suker lacked pace, his technique and experience made him the team's top scorer. The problem was Mandžukić. Davor Suker had taken over the central striker role, pushing Mandžukić to the wing, where his performances were underwhelming. Mandžukić's strength was his finishing and aerial dominance. But that clashed with Suker's playing style. For now, playing both together didn't seem viable. "Let Mandžukić start on the bench. Use Valjević as the starter," suggested assistant coach Pavićenić. Most of the coaching staff agreed. Bešić considered it and nodded in agreement. "By the way," Pavićenić added, "Suker, Modrić, and Vukojević are asking for tickets..." It was the season opener—inviting family was understandable. "Three tickets each," Bešić said. "Suker wants more," Pavićenić grinned. "How many?" Bešić asked. Pavićenić held up both hands. "Ten!" Bešić froze for a moment. But then, recalling Suker's background, he nodded. "Give them to him." Three days later, Suker received the ten tickets. He took time to visit the orphanage and gave them to Dika Moći. Dika Moći was thrilled—already a Dinamo Zagreb fan, now he had a friend playing for the club too. He promised to take the kids to cheer Suker on. The children were ecstatic at the news—they'd get to watch Suker play live. Suker didn't stay long. After saying goodbye to the old priest, he rushed back to the training base. Preparations were intense—he couldn't be away for too long. Time flew by—and soon it was July 15. Zagreb was a little hot that day. After a two-month pause, the league was about to begin—something fans had been eagerly anticipating. Especially Dinamo Zagreb fans. Last season was a disaster, but with coach Bešić and Davor Suker's return, there was renewed hope. Still, no one knew what the new season would truly bring. The first team had been rebuilt—mostly with young players. Previously, Dinamo's average age was around 26. Now? It had dropped to 24! This wasn't just a youth team—it was practically a teenage guard! Veterans like SDavor, Jarni, and Štimac were the only ones lifting the average age. Suker was 17, turning 18 in a month. Mandžukić was the same age—just turned 18. Modrić had just turned 19. Dujmović and Pranjić were 23. Vukojević was 21.Srna, 22. With such a young core, fans worried—could they handle the pressure? Bešić's rebuild was bold and sweeping. But Davor Suker's presence was a source of comfort. He was, after all, a national hero—Croatia's top star. To them, Davor Suker could do anything. Riding this wave of anticipation, on July 15, the 2003/2004 Croatian League kicked off. Dinamo Zagreb vs. Slaven Belupo—the league's opening match—was set to take place at the Maksimir Stadium.