Suker held tightly onto his shorts as he was escorted down from the stands by security personnel.
Even after stepping onto the pitch, Suker's expression remained one of sheer terror.
These fans were absolutely insane.
They had ripped off his clothes!
Now, Suker was left without a jersey, shoes, or even socks.
If he hadn't clung desperately to his shorts, even his underwear might have been torn off.
"I've warned you how many times already!"
Maldini handed Suker a new jersey and pair of cleats.
As he put the jersey on, Suker said, "I didn't think they'd be this crazy."
Maldini pointed toward the other stand. There, Gattuso was still celebrating despite being stripped down to just his underwear.
Clutching his white triangle briefs tightly, Gattuso continued to revel in the crowd's frenzy without coming down.
That blindingly white triangle underwear… truly an eyesore.
"Don't go up into the stands again," Maldini warned.
Suker nodded. After this painful lesson, he definitely wouldn't make the same mistake.
"Let's go," Maldini said, patting Suker on the shoulder.
On the sideline, Maldini led Suker to the interview area.
This was the Italian Football live broadcast platform.
There were two hosts, one male and one female.
As soon as they saw Suker approach, they handed him the mic.
Maldini didn't join the interview, instead giving the spotlight to Suker.
"How does it feel?" the male host asked with a smile.
Suker grinned brightly.
The female host asked, "You've had outstanding performances in the Champions League for two consecutive seasons. You even won the Golden Boot with Dinamo Zagreb. Now, you've reached the Champions League final with Milan. How would you evaluate your performance over these two seasons?"
After a moment's thought, Suker replied, "First of all, the Champions League is every player's dream. I'm very happy to be playing in the final, and I owe that to my teammates. I think I'm a very lucky person because I always seem to find myself surrounded by excellent teams and wonderful people. We chase our dreams and fight together!"
"As for my own performance, I'll leave that for others to judge."
He then smiled and handed the mic to the female host.
The male host followed up, "Do you have any predictions for the other semifinal between Barcelona and Villarreal? Who would you prefer to face in the final?"
Suker replied, "I can't predict who will win, but regardless of the opponent, we'll give 100% effort and fight for the victory. If we play our game, the win will be ours, no matter who we face!"
The host concluded, "Well then, good luck in the final!"
After hugging both hosts, Suker happily trotted off to the locker room.
On his way, he passed by Arsenal's bench.
Wenger watched him intently, his gaze never leaving Suker until he disappeared from view.
Fabregas was also staring at Suker.
Fabregas was devastated.
Most crushing of all, after securing victory, Suker didn't even look at him.
Fabregas saw Suker as his greatest rival.
But Suker acted as if Fabregas wasn't even worth acknowledging.
"Let's go," Wenger said gently, patting Fabregas on the shoulder. "You're still young. There's always next year for revenge."
Fabregas remained silent.
He wanted to nod—but after comparing his performance to Suker's over the two legs, he just couldn't.
Suker had completely shattered his confidence.
Arsenal had lost in the Champions League.
That night, they boarded a plane and left Milan.
At the same time, all across Europe, the headlines were dominated by AC Milan's advance to the Champions League final.
"AC Milan beat Arsenal 4–2 over two legs!""Milan advance to Champions League Final!""Milan! Milan!"
Aside from the team news, Suker became the center of media attention.
This Croatian player, who only joined Milan this season, had delivered an astonishing performance.
Not only had he quickly earned a starting spot in a top club, but he also exceeded all expectations.
In the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal, he scored two goals and assisted one—directly contributing to three goals!
You could say Suker was the key to Milan's victory.
A young player delivering this level of performance in the Champions League semis wasn't just outstanding—it was extraordinary.
All of Europe was talking about Suker. Without a doubt, he was now the most watched young talent on the continent.
Back in Croatia, the media had gone wild.
They flooded the presses with coverage of Suker.
This dazzling prodigy belonged to Croatia, and that alone was enough to excite the nation.
Calls for Suker to join the national team were now deafening.
With such impressive performances in the Champions League, it was only natural that fans wanted to see him carry more responsibility.
In short, they wanted to see Suk shine on the national stage.
Since Davor Šuker's retirement and his swan song at the 2002 World Cup, the Vatreni had been in decline.
They were eliminated in the Euro 2004 group stage, and even failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
These disappointments had left Croatian fans disillusioned with their current national squad.
But the emergence of Suker, Modrić, Mandžukić, and others rekindled their hope.
If the current generation was a lost cause, then pin everything on the next one!
Suker, Modrić, Mandžukić—these players, already thriving in Europe's top leagues, were the future of Croatian football.
Meanwhile, Dinamo Zagreb also had standout talents like Rakitić and Subašić.
Though they couldn't match the legendary "Golden Generation," they were more than promising.
Fans hoped the new coach, Bilić, would have the courage to rebuild the squad from the ground up.
Back in the Champions League…
Following Milan's win over Arsenal and advancement to the final, Barcelona too secured a win at home the next day, thanks to Ronaldinho's phenomenal performance.
Suker and his teammates watched the match closely—it was, after all, their final opponent.
But the game left them somewhat shaken.
Ronaldinho was absurdly strong—almost inhumanly so.
He single-handedly dismantled Villarreal's famed passing system with dazzling dribbles and relentless attacks.
He was responsible for 90% of Barcelona's victory. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Those graceful dribbles.
Those stunning breakthroughs.
That clinical finishing.
Suker watched in awe—and a bit of fear.
And Barcelona wasn't just Ronaldinho.
They also had Xavi, Deco, Puyol, Van Bommel, and Eto'o—not a single weak link.
And on the bench? Messi, Iniesta, and other prodigies.
Even though Suker had faith in Milan's lineup, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
"Damn it! When exactly did Calciopoli break out again?"
It was Serie A Round 37. Suk sat on the bench, scratching his head.
In the league, after Milan's away loss last round, Juventus had already secured the title with two matches to spare.
As a result, Milan had pulled their main squad from league duties to focus entirely on the Champions League final.
"What did you say?" Kaka turned his head.
"Nothing," Suker waved it off.
Suker remembered the "Calciopoli" scandal erupted after the 2005–2006 season, but he couldn't recall the exact date.
He hoped it would be after the Champions League final.
Recently, he'd been closely watching the news—no signs of a major shake-up.
But that was exactly why he was nervous.
For Milan, with their trauma from Istanbul, the team might buckle again under final pressure.
If Calciopoli hit at the same time… they'd be crushed.
So, better to delay it—let it blow up after the 18th. He didn't care what happened then.
May 4th—Suker was still fast asleep.
Suddenly, his phone rang urgently.
He rolled over and hung up, going right back to sleep.
The phone rang again. He hung up again—and turned it off.
An hour later, footsteps pounded through the living room.
They came closer and closer.
His bedroom door burst open.
Zorancic rushed in, panicked.
"Something terrible's happened!!"
Half-asleep, Suker sat up.
"Wake up!" Zoranqi yelled, shaking him hard.
His face was full of fear, and his voice trembled.
"Serie A! It's over!"