After the Euro semi-finals, there were only three days left to prepare for the final. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novèlfire.net
During this short period, both finalist teams—Germany and Croatia—were fully immersed in intense training sessions.
Neither side wanted to miss out on their shot at the European Championship title.
But for Germany, the stakes were even higher.
After effectively sidelining Joachim Löw, Ballack had led the team all the way to the final—almost proving that his decisions were right.
He was now just one step away from equaling the legendary Beckenbauer.
But that one final step had always eluded Ballack.
He might be one of the most tragic stars in football history.
The nickname "eternal runner-up" had stuck with him throughout his career.
Despite being one of the top players in world football, widely respected for his skill and leadership, he could never quite reach the summit.
Now at 36 years old, Ballack didn't know how much longer he could keep going.
So far, in terms of major international and European honors, he had none.
2002 World Cup: Runner-up
With Chelsea: Runner-up in the Champions League, Premier League, and League Cup — a "treble of second place".
Ballack was sick of being second.
He couldn't bear to watch his opponents hoist trophies anymore.
He wanted to be a champion.He craved ultimate glory.
That's why, in this year's Euros, he had gone as far as sidelining Löw just to stick to his own vision.
He knew that if he missed this opportunity, he might never get another one.
"We can't miss this chance!" Ballack muttered under his breath.
During training, he smashed a powerful shot that ripped straight through the net.It was both fierce and precise, showcasing his excellent form.
"Croatia isn't at their peak anymore," said Schweinsteiger."Vukojević is injured, Rakitić is suspended.Without those two, they're definitely weakened."
"But Šuker is still playing," said Lahm, brows furrowed.
They were all Bayern players, and truth be told, Šuker had become their nightmare.
Anyone who had been humiliated by the same player for two seasons in a row would develop some psychological trauma.
Especially Lahm—in every matchup against Šuker, he had been outplayed time and time again.
Whenever Šuker was standing in front of him, Lahm's mind would go blank.
Normally sharp and quick to react, he'd suddenly turn sluggish when facing Šuker.
It was like a mental block—a true nightmare.
He had tried to overcome it, but so far with little success.
"We've been doing well lately—good form, high morale," Schweinsteiger added."We have what it takes to win."
"But... what about our captain?"
Hearing that, Schweinsteiger's face turned somber.
Tactics, form, and matchups—they could all be managed.
But Ballack's "cursed second place fate"...That kind of superstition, they had no idea how to handle it.
Even if it was just bad luck, it felt too real to ignore.
And Ballack wasn't just any player—he was the absolute core of the team,and the leader of the coup that removed Löw.
No way they could bench him now.
So all they could do was give themselves a bit of psychological comfort.
Meanwhile, Croatia's training continued in an orderly manner.
Unlike Germany, Croatia's training, under Van Stiyack, focused more on tailored tactical prep.
Germany relied on a dual-wing offense.
Through Podolski and Schweinsteiger, they constantly put pressure on the flanks.
But Croatia?They relied on one-man chaos—Šuker was the undisputed core.
He wasn't fixed to the left wing—he could appear anywhere in the final third.
Croatia's mission was to get the ball to Šuker,whether through passing lanes or directly to his feet.
Once he got the ball, their sharpest spear would stab directly into Germany's steel wall.
If it were any other player, this kind of one-man attack would seem fragile and predictable.
But Šuker wasn't just anyone.
He had experience against both Bayern and the German national team.
Van Stiyack even believed that, purely due to Šuker's presence, Germany's effective strength would be reduced by 10–20%.
That's the power of a living nightmare.
To many German players—especially those from Bayern—Šuker was a demon.After being shredded for two consecutive seasons, even seeing his face made their knees weak.
Van Stoyak stood on the sideline, scribbling in his notebook.
Bilić quietly leaned over to peek.
He saw a mess of crisscrossing lines, scribbles layered over each other.
"Can you even understand what you drew?" Bilić couldn't help but ask.
It looked like nonsense.
"Just need the general idea.It's a conceptual diagram," Van Stoyak replied, eyes never leaving the field.
Bilić noticed the frown on Van Stoyak's face—like something was troubling him.
"What are you thinking about?" Bilić asked.
Van Stoyak scratched his head.
"I'm thinking of changing our formation."
"Changing formation?" Bilić said in surprise."But we played great last match!"
"True," Van Stoyak nodded."But against Germany, the current setup isn't stable enough."
"Germany will likely concentrate their defense on Šuker.If we pin him to one position, that'll actually make it easier for them to defend."
Van Stoyak countered:
"What does Germany fear most?""Which national team always gives them the most trouble?"
Bilić didn't hesitate.
"Exactly," Van Stoyak said."Italy's traditional chain defense and withdrawn playmakers always cause Germany major headaches.And with Ancelotti's tactical tweaks—especially his use of a central attacking midfielder and multi-point offense—they completely unbalance the German defense."
"So... you want to play Šuker as a central attacking midfielder?"
Bilić tilted his head.
"But didn't you guys agree in the meeting to go head-to-head in midfield? What happened to that?"
"That was the plan.But I overlooked something—Vukojević is injured.And Dujmović can't replicate his defensive coverage or calmness.So I'm planning to use Niko Kovač and Dujmović as a double defensive midfield wall.That way, we don't expose our backline directly to German attacks."
He was especially concerned about Šimunić, who was repeating the same issues he had at AC Milan.
Without a Gattuso-like protector, Šimunić was getting exposed and torn apart.
A buffer layer in midfield was absolutely necessary.
"So you're thinking of using Ancelotti's Christmas Tree formation?"
"No!" Van Stoyak shook his head."That formation relies on four players with #10 playmaker ability.Besides Šuker and Modrić, we don't have enough players who can fill that role."
"So we'll go with a 4-3-1-2 instead!"
Bilić's brain buzzed.
He was still technically the head coach, and while not extremely tactical himself, even he understood this shift was genius.
This was a strategy built to fortify the central axis.
Modrić and Šuker would operate in tandem along the spine of the pitch—one deeper, one advanced—controlling tempo and connecting the team.
With their ability, once they linked up, it would be very difficult for Germany to contain them.
In defense: four defenders plus two holding midfielders.Dujmović and Niko Kovač would provide wide-ranging coverage and form a shield in front of the backline.
In attack, the central axis would activate...
"And who are the two forwards?" Bilić asked.
"Mandžukić and Petrić," Van Stoyak replied.
Not only could they smash through defenses, they could also shield and support Šuker.
Worried about lack of firepower on the wings?
No problem—the full-backs!
Srna and Pranjić would storm up and down the flanks.They'd stretch the width, deliver crosses, and activate wide play.
This was a strategy centered around a single ultra-powerful #10 playmaker.
It was a system only teams with a truly elite core dared to use.
But Croatia happened to have one of the most coveted #10s in the world right now.
Bilić quietly stepped back.
He was shocked and humbled by this brilliant Dutch tactician.