The full match has ended.
In the end, Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid 5-0.
It was a massacre!
And it was a massacre carried out by Suker alone.
After the match ended, the Atletico Madrid players looked at Suker with deep fear in their eyes.
This was no longer wariness—it was outright terror.
After all, anyone would feel the same after conceding five goals to a single player in one match.
Moreover, Suker's performance didn't just intimidate Atletico Madrid; even his Real Madrid teammates were stunned.
It was insane!
At first, they struggled to break through, but once Suker erupted, Real Madrid's offense began to flow smoothly, and Atletico Madrid's goal was breached again and again.
Carvalho watched as the Atletico Madrid players hung their heads in dejection, their footsteps heavy as they left the field, clearly deeply affected.
As a defender, he could understand how these players felt.
After all, facing a player who constantly attacked the defense with different styles—sometimes making forward runs, sometimes controlling the ball, occasionally breaking through with bursts of speed, and even unleashing long-range shots and set pieces—would wear down even the most mentally strong defender.
He believed that Suker had planted a nightmare in the minds of these Atletico Madrid players during this match.
This would likely cause Atletico Madrid to become naturally nervous and uneasy whenever they faced Suker in the future, even leading to stiff movements and impaired decision-making.
But for Real Madrid, this was a good thing!
Suker, on the other hand, returned to the locker room in high spirits.
The mission for this match was successfully completed!
Not only did he score five goals, but he also instilled a sense of dread in Atletico Madrid.
This would greatly facilitate his future goal-scoring efforts.
After all, once Atletico Madrid was marked, these players would likely play with even more intensity.
"First, we acknowledge the defeat in this match. Although we made thorough preparations before the game, we did not anticipate Suker's sudden outbreak. Yes, some players simply cannot be measured by conventional standards, and Suker is clearly one of them!"
"However, this match was not without its gains. We now know in which direction we need to improve. In fact, I don't believe it was Real Madrid who defeated us—it was Suker alone who tore through our defense! That's right! We lost to Suker!"
Mourinho rested his chin on his hand, listening to Simeone's post-match comments.
He twirled his pen boredly, his mind still on the previous match.
Suker's performance was exceptional.
Although Simeone's words were somewhat exaggerated—after all, others had also contributed by creating space and making other efforts—it was indeed Suker who single-handedly dismantled Atletico Madrid.
Modern football increasingly emphasizes tactics and systems. Without a system, a team simply cannot go far.
Just like in Suker's first season after joining, Real Madrid only managed to reach the Champions League semifinals with a half-formed system.
It was only after Mourinho's arrival and the establishment of a proper system that Real Madrid truly began to take off.
Tactics are crucial!
Extremely crucial!
They are the foundation of a team.
But occasionally, a player's performance transcends the system, as was the case in this match.
Suker rose above the system and delivered a stunning performance.
"Sir? Sir?!"
Mourinho snapped back to reality and realized everyone in the press conference was staring at him.
He coughed dryly to cover up his distraction and glanced at the press officer.
The press officer immediately said, "Let me repeat the question: How do you evaluate Suker's performance?"
Upon hearing this, Mourinho shrugged. "I can only describe it as 'great.' I am very proud to be coaching such a player. His performance has exceeded my expectations!"
Mourinho's praise was unreserved, and the reporters saw no issue with it, as they had witnessed Suker's performance firsthand.
On the bus back, Suker leaned against the window and slept soundly.
Perhaps the mental exertion during the match had been too intense, leaving him extremely tired.
By the time Suker woke up, the bus had already arrived at the training ground.
"Alright, no post-match analysis today! We'll gather tomorrow morning for tactical review, and on Wednesday, we'll head to Zagreb for the first Champions League match!"
After a brief address, Mourinho dismissed the players.
Suker, Srna, and the others drove home.
"The first Champions League match is against Dinamo Zagreb!"
Srna couldn't help but sigh. "How many years has it been?"
Suker: "We played in the Champions League with Dinamo Zagreb in the 04/05 season. I moved to Milan in 2005, so it's been six years."
"Six years! After six years, they've finally made it back to the Champions League. They must be thrilled!" Srna said with a smile.
Suker shrugged. "However, this Dinamo Zagreb team isn't as strong as we were back then."
"I agree with you!"
Srna immediately gave a thumbs-up.
Kaká rolled his eyes, and Kovačić wanted to object but didn't dare say a word in front of these two senior players.
"Didn't we also face Real Madrid in the group stage back then?" Srna recalled.
Suker nodded. "That's right. We drew one and won one against them, finishing first in the group and advancing to the knockout stage."
"After six years, they finally make it back to the Champions League, only to face Real Madrid again. Their luck is something else."
The current Real Madrid was nothing like the one they had faced back then.
The Real Madrid of that time was tactically flawed, overly focused on the commercial appeal of star players, and practically just stacking stars for show, with a terrible defense.
So, Dinamo Zagreb back then exploited this weakness and defeated Real Madrid.
But this current Dinamo Zagreb team didn't have the same level of strength as they did back then. Moreover, the current Real Madrid was no longer tactically flawed.
With the added boost of their five-trophy haul, they were arguably the most dominant team at the moment.
Facing this Real Madrid team, Dinamo Zagreb could only blame their luck.
Of course, they probably didn't aim too high—just making an appearance in Europe was enough.
If a few players performed well and could be sold for a good price, that would be even better.
After all, since Suker's time, Dinamo Zagreb had transitioned into a "production-oriented" club and, alongside Portuguese clubs, was known as a "European black shop."
Their players were expensive and well-known, but whether they could deliver results or provide good value for money was entirely up to luck.
After returning home, everyone had a simple dinner before dispersing.
The next day, training proceeded as usual.
However, Mourinho focused more on tactical reviews.
Mourinho had been traumatized by the injury crisis. Throughout his coaching career, he had faced numerous instances of player shortages, which had somewhat ingrained in him a habit of stockpiling players. However, there were few players he could truly rely on, and coupled with Mourinho's inherently cautious nature, he was unwilling to make too many substitutions.
If one lineup was stable enough, he preferred to stick with it. Others didn't get enough playing time, couldn't adjust their form in matches, and their condition would only worsen.
Even so, Mourinho continued to do this.
For him, stockpiling players was more about peace of mind.
"The opponent for the first Champions League match isn't strong, but we still need to stay focused and secure this opening victory."
Mourinho glanced around before concluding the tactical meeting.
Mourinho left first, and the players gradually filed out.
Just as Suker was about to leave, Casillas called out to him.
"Let's talk."
Casillas's expression was grave.
Suker nodded and followed him.
The two stopped at a corner of the hallway, near an emergency exit.
Casillas's brows were furrowed with worry, and his face was filled with anxiety.
After hesitating for a moment, Casillas said, "Suker, what do you think about Mourinho's recent actions?"
Suker shrugged. "I haven't been paying much attention to him. My focus is on the matches."
How could he not be aware?
Even if Suker didn't actively follow the news, he couldn't avoid hearing about Mourinho.
He was a favorite of the Spanish media, who had even given Mourinho the nickname "Real Madrid's Loudspeaker."
There was news about Mourinho almost every day.
The most prominent were his various dissessions aimed at Barcelona.
In the original timeline, Mourinho had constantly fueled the rivalry, leading to an irreconcilable conflict between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Suker had thought that, with Real Madrid continuously defeating Barcelona, Mourinho would tone down his behavior.
But in fact, not only did he not reduce it, he became even more fervent.
For example, after they defeated Barcelona, Mourinho posted the numbers "9-0" on his personal account.
It was obvious what that meant.
This move was nothing short of adding fuel to the fire.
But if it were just that, it might have been manageable.
However, Mourinho loved making comparisons and judgments.
For instance, he had once criticized the Spanish national team for adopting Barcelona's defensive system.
He insisted that Ramos should play as a center-back, not a full-back.
In the national team, Piqué and Puyol occupied the center-back positions, forcing Ramos to give way.
But this statement not only angered Spanish coach Del Bosque but also made the relationship between Ramos and Piqué increasingly tense.
It wasn't just the defense; he also had opinions about the midfield.
He claimed that Spain should give Xabi Alonso more opportunities, even suggesting that Del Bosque didn't know how to use Alonso and that Alonso was better than Xavi.
These statements might seem like rallying cries for his players, but they also put them under immense pressure.
What should have been a harmonious atmosphere had now become fraught with comparisons, and even relationships had become somewhat awkward.
This divisive situation had begun to spread from the club to the national team.
The Barcelona-based players and the Real Madrid-based players kept to themselves. It wasn't exactly a split, but the camaraderie was certainly not as strong as before.
As the captain of both the Spanish national team and Real Madrid, Casillas naturally wanted to avoid this situation as soon as possible.
However, Mourinho continued to do as he pleased.
He had even raised the issue with Florentino Pérez, but the latter said he couldn't offer support.
Under these circumstances, Casillas had no choice but to turn to Suker.
He hoped Suker would join him in persuading Mourinho to tone down his "loudspeaker" antics.
It was unclear whether Barcelona would collapse, but the Spanish national team was on the verge of falling apart.
Suker watched as Casillas struggled with the weight of the situation. If he were the captain of the Spanish national team, he would likely have a headache too.
However, Suker had no reason to step in.
"You could try talking to him directly."
Suker suggested.
Casillas sighed. "Do you think I haven't tried? I attempted to communicate, but his mindset is like a long-clogged sewer—completely stuck. No matter what I say, he feels like I'm challenging his authority in the locker room."
"Honestly, I don't want to be his enemy. If he's willing, I could fully support him and help him build order in the locker room. But he's chosen to treat me as an adversary!"
Suker grinned.
Casillas couldn't have been more wronged.
In fact, when Mourinho first arrived, Casillas was happier and more supportive of him than anyone else.
But perhaps it was a case of "the nice guy finishes last."
Mourinho's first move was to target the Spanish faction!
Casillas understood—he might have wanted to establish authority.
But then he targeted Diarra a second time and also dragged Suker into it.
At that point, Casillas began to sense that something was off.
Mourinho might see him as an enemy.
After being targeted twice, it was only natural to feel upset. He complained to his girlfriend, only to find out she was a big mouth, nearly causing a PR crisis for Real Madrid.
After this incident, the relationship between Casillas and Mourinho has been torn.
Last season, Real Madrid won the treble, solidifying Mourinho's position and even earning him support from Florentino Pérez.
As a result, his suppression of Casillas and the Spanish faction intensified.
Casillas felt wronged and helpless.
From beginning to end, he had only complained once, and that was after being wronged twice by Mourinho.
To be honest, he hadn't done anything, but Mourinho had singled him out, determined to make an example of them.
In the current situation, he truly had nowhere to turn.
Casillas wanted to ally with Suker.
If the situation continued to escalate without any resolution, he planned to directly confront Florentino Pérez.
But for now, Suker was staying out of it.
However, he understood Suker's position.
After all, the Spanish national team's issues were none of Suker's business, and he had no interest in them.
In the end, Suker politely declined Casillas.
That evening, Suker and Srna chatted while watching a football match.
They discussed the issue with Casillas.
"I didn't realize the problem had gotten this serious!"
Srna exclaimed in surprise.
Mourinho's fueling of the rivalry, though excessive, didn't affect non-Spanish players much.
But as a fellow captain, putting himself in Casillas's shoes, if the Croatian national team were to split internally, Srna would likely have a headache too.
Thus, he could empathize with Casillas.
"I remember the boss wasn't like this before!" Srna said.
During his time at Inter Milan, Mourinho hadn't excessively fueled the rivalry with AC Milan, nor had he caused many issues.
But after coming to Real Madrid, Mourinho had indeed changed.
"Because Inter Milan was just a transitional team for him, and he wants to be the 'Ferguson' of Real Madrid!" Suker shrugged. "Especially after winning the treble twice in a row, with the entire Europe singing his praises, his status has been elevated, and he wants more—like the transfer authority he's always sought."
"And this is Real Madrid's transfer authority."
Actually, Suker somewhat agreed with Mourinho. After achieving so much, it was natural to want more power.
However, there couldn't be an overly strong management above him.
For example, Florentino Pérez was an excessively strong president who would never relinquish transfer authority.
If Mourinho insisted on having transfer power, he would likely be driven out by Florentino Pérez.
But the guy had now learned to be smarter and more roundabout.
If he accumulated more achievements and avoided these messy issues, in three, four, or even five or six years, if the results remained ideal, Mourinho could then make a strong move. In such a situation, Florentino Pérez would have no choice but to hand over authority.
The problem was, Mourinho didn't want to wait that long.
So, he wanted to use various means to control the locker room and then pressure Florentino Pérez to accelerate the process.
"What a headache!" Srna shook his head. "But what happens to the Spanish national team doesn't really concern us, right?"
Suker nodded. "True! It would be best if they collapsed, but the problem is they can also affect Real Madrid. Moreover, will Casillas just stand by and watch the Spanish national team fall apart?"
Srna paused. "You think Casillas will take action?"
"I don't know," Suker shook his head. "But... if Mourinho doesn't stop his behavior, conflicts will only continue to accumulate, and eventually, the locker room will inevitably erupt in chaos, forcing a choice."
"A choice?"
"Casillas or Mourinho."
Upon hearing this, Srna grinned. "That's a tough choice! But... I'd choose the boss."
Then Srna asked, "What about you?"
Suker: "I choose Florentino Pérez."
"Huh?" Srna was momentarily confused.
Suker shook his head.
This guy still wasn't sensitive enough.
No matter how Casillas and Mourinho fought, the power of life and death lay in Florentino Pérez's hands.
Between these two, who knew what Florentino Pérez was thinking?
Therefore, Suker chose to stay on the sidelines. Even if he had to pick a side, he would side with the decision-makers!
A guaranteed win!
Hearing Suker's explanation, Srna shook his head. "You're too cunning."
Suker: "This isn't cunning; it's the wisdom of survival."
In any case, Suker had no intention of getting involved in this matter. What happened within the Spanish national team had nothing to do with him.
Whether Casillas or Mourinho won the fight, it wouldn't affect his position.
Although Suker also formed alliances, he relied more on hard skills!
With that ability came confidence—no one could touch him.