"The situation's not looking good!"
Suker sat on the bench, shaking his leg as he watched the match unfold on the field.
It's the opening game of the 2005/2006 Serie A season, with Ascoli at home against AC Milan.
As a newly promoted team, Ascoli had made it into Serie A this season.
It's not uncommon for newcomers to the top league to upset the giants.
But Ascoli's strength clearly wasn't that formidable.
Their defense was decent, but their offense was lacking.
The real issue, however, was how sluggish AC Milan's midfield was.
The same problem from the pre-season persisted.
Pirlo was gradually losing his form, and Seedorf was fighting alone.
With the deep-lying playmaker position in disarray, even Kaka began to seem lost.
Without a functioning backline to distribute the ball, a Kaka that couldn't make runs was naturally not much of a threat.
At this moment, Pirlo turned to receive the ball and looked up.
Suker's eyes lit up—Kaka had found an open space.
That brief pause allowed Ascoli to catch up and block the passing lane, forcing Pirlo to pass sideways.
"He's lost his confidence!"
Suker stomped in frustration!
"Pirlo is playing strangely—he should've passed the ball forward immediately. That slight delay gave Ascoli's striker, Quagliarella, enough time to close him down and AC Milan lost a golden counterattack opportunity."
Italian commentator Aldo Serena frowned, "AC Milan's midfield is playing like they're Stuck."
Aldo Serena was a renowned commentator—and a notorious sharp-tongued critic.
Many Italian fans preferred to watch games he commentated on, mainly because he wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
He livened up dull matches with his commentary, praising excellent performances and ruthlessly calling out poor ones, often making headlines the next day.
Most famously, he once blasted Totti throughout an entire half, calling him a "white-eyed wolf who surrendered to Juventus!"
Of course, Totti really had played poorly that day.
Though they had their share of public arguments, when Totti later played well, Serena didn't hold back his praise, stating that he criticizes performances, not people. Eventually, the two made peace on a TV show.
Now, this sharp-tongued Serena was revving up again.
He was clearly fed up with Pirlo's poor form.
In the 21st minute, when Pirlo again hesitated to pass forward, Serena exploded. This text is hosted at NoveI-Fire.ɴet
"Again? You're not passing? What are you thinking? Is your head full of crap? That huge open space in front of you—HUGE!! Is Pirlo blind?!"
With Pirlo's lackluster form, even Kaka started to suffer.
In the 27th minute, when Seedorf passed to Kaka, he tried to turn under pressure and use his speed to escape, but stumbled on the first step and fell awkwardly.
Ascoli seized the moment, quickly launching a counterattack.
Forward Fini received a pass from midfield and took a shot.
Goalkeeper Dida made a desperate save, barely pushing the ball out for a corner.
AC Milan's players still looked dazed and sluggish.
"I guarantee that if AC Milan keeps playing , they'll face a disastrous defeat and a brutal media backlash. This isn't the Milan I remember. What the hell are these softies doing out there!"
Aldo Serena still respected the AC Milan name.
But that respect evaporated on the next corner kick.
As Ascoli took the corner, Nesta rushed to intercept but misjudged the ball. It sailed to the far post.
Ascoli's defender Cudini, completely unmarked, headed the ball into Milan's goal.
Even he looked shocked after scoring.
He had scored against AC Milan!
Tens of thousands of Ascoli fans roared, cheering wildly for their team.
31st minute, Ascoli 1:0 AC Milan.
"Ancelotti must make a change—if he still has his wits about him. He needs to act now!"
"Pirlo is completely out of it—he's playing like he's asleep! How can someone play this bad?"
"The midfield chaos is affecting both ends. Shevchenko and Inzaghi are getting no support, and the defense is under too much pressure. Nesta misjudges, Ascoli scores. This is a mess!"
"Ascoli, the newly promoted team, is leading!"
"Has AC Milan still not recovered from the nightmare of Istanbul?"
Even the small contingent of AC Milan fans in the stands looked stunned.
They wore pained expressions.
It reminded them of memories they'd rather forget.
But they had to admit—AC Milan was playing terribly.
Just like that damned second half in Istanbul!
But this time, they weren't playing Liverpool. It was Ascoli!
A newly promoted team!
Were they really going to lose to a promoted side?
"Pirlo! Snap out of it!"
"What are you guys doing?! Wake up!"
The Milan fans cried out emotionally.
Even they could see—this couldn't continue.
Ancelotti stood on the sideline.
The problem was worse than he thought.
The players had taken too many hits recently, still haunted by Istanbul. One by one, their form seemed to have vanished.
He knew wounds took time to heal.
He wanted to give his players time.
But hadn't one summer break been enough?
Ancelotti looked worriedly at the field. The main problem lay in midfield.
The chaotic rhythm affected both offense and defense.
They lacked someone to stabilize the game.
Or someone to turn the tide.
Ancelotti's brow furrowed as he turned toward the bench.
Ambrosini, Serginho, Rui Costa… and finally, his gaze settled on Suker, sitting on the far end.
Just like that passive second half in Istanbul.
But this time, the game-changer was already on the team!
And yet—Ancelotti hesitated.
He had promised Suker a perfect debut at home.
Sending him on now meant a debut away from home, in a difficult situation, with uncertain results.
If they didn't win, Suker would be dragged into the media storm—and possibly labeled a "flop."
He'd already gone back on his word once. Could he do it again?
On the field, Ascoli started to pull back and defend, packing the box with players.
AC Milan had room in midfield again—but now faced a wall in the final third.
Kaka's form also dipped.
Truth be told, Kaka needed room to sprint.
He wasn't the type to weave through tight spaces.
Ascoli played cautiously, while AC Milan seemed completely out of rhythm.
Finally, the first half ended.
The stadium exploded with joy.
Ascoli fans celebrated and mocked AC Milan loudly.
They chanted "Istanbul" repeatedly, and AC Milan's players looked increasingly gloomy.
"We can't even get the ball up front!"
"Pass the damn ball! Be more decisive on the counter!"
This match was so frustrating.
He and Shevchenko were running around up front but getting no service.
The counterattack rhythm was sluggish!
The midfield was asleep!
The defense was under constant pressure!
And worst of all—they were already down a goal.
"Suker! Get Suker in!" Inzaghi walked over to him, pulling him up. "This guy can turn the game around."
Ancelotti didn't say anything.
The others also turned to look at Suker.
Suker glanced at Inzaghi.
They were putting him on the spot.
When Suker didn't respond, Ancelotti sighed and said, "Sorry, Suker—I might have to break my word again."
Suker let out a long breath.
Things had reached this point—how could he not go in?
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
Ancelotti: "Break through their defense. Use your dribbling to win us free kicks and corners—or even draw a penalty."
Suker nodded. "Got it."
Inzaghi pinched his cheek and winked. "Understand now?"
Suker rolled his eyes.
Suker, Ambrosini, and Kaladze began warming up on the sidelines.
As they did, commentator Aldo Serena exclaimed, "If I'm not mistaken, that's Suker warming up? Ancelotti is preparing to give Suker his debut—in an away match?"
"Still, Suker is a very interesting choice. Back in his Dinamo Zagreb days, Suker frequently tore through defenses and created chances with his individual skill. We can look forward to seeing whether he can bring something new to AC Milan in the second half."