Chapter 51 - 49: Arriving in Sarajevo

Chapter 51: Chapter 49: Arriving in Sarajevo

With the weekend’s match approaching, Mostar Zrinjski continued their active preparations.

Their high-press training was becoming more and more proficient, especially their multi-man pack pressing and Interception.

SWOOSH!!

Suk intercepted the Ball with a slide tackle.

This wasn’t a desperate Interception like before, but one where he brought the Ball under control at his feet with complete stability.

Winning the ball with an Interception in the opponent’s half, he could immediately turn and launch a counter-attack.

Suk had demonstrated this kind of Interception time and again during the training match.

"Suk’s form is getting better and better. It’s not just on the offensive end. With his active running, he has collaborated with teammates to intercept the Ball multiple times and successfully launched counter-attacks."

Assistant Coach Fandier nodded in admiration.

Van Stiake also nodded. "Suk’s tracking back and positioning on defense are both very sound. He’s always able to pop up in the exact spots the opponent wants to pass to, cutting off their passing lanes. Only then does he press forward, coordinating with teammates to make the Interception."

"Although he’s limited by his physique and has a hard time making tackles on his own, when his teammates work with him, his Interception efficiency is extremely high."

Assistant Coach Fandier added, "Modric’s pressing in the midfield has been very active as well."

With the match approaching, what gratified the coaching staff the most was that the high-press, built on the performances of Suk and Modric, had become exceptionally good.

And with these two young men leading the charge and doing the running, the team’s overall performance was also outstanding.

"That’s all for today’s training. Today, we head to Sarajevo!"

Van Stiake called a halt to the training match.

The players stopped training and returned to the locker room to wash up and pack their bags.

"Sarajevo, this is my first time going!"

"Me too!"

"I wonder if there’s anything fun to do there."

"We’re going there for a match, not to have fun!"

Everyone was chatting as they packed their bags.

Mostar was, after all, a small town, while Sarajevo, as the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, naturally held a certain allure for the players.

Suk put his cleats, socks, shin guards, and other gear into his backpack. Shouldering the bag, he said, "I’m heading to the bus."

The bus was already waiting at the locker room entrance. Suk got on and found a window seat.

A short while later, his teammates began to board.

The seats weren’t assigned, but everyone had their usual spots.

For instance, Suk liked to sit by the window, and Modric liked to sit next to him.

Sarajevo wasn’t far from Mostar, just over 100 kilometers away.

For this reason, the team decided to travel by bus.

The first 30 kilometers or so were dirt roads, followed by the highway.

At first, the bumpy ride was uncomfortable for everyone, and some even got motion sickness.

Fortunately, they were traveling a day early, so they had time to recover.

Once they got on the highway, the road smoothed out, and they felt much more comfortable.

An hour and a half later, after crossing a mountain ridge, the silhouette of Sarajevo appeared in a basin below.

This was a city of great significance, not just for Bosnia and Herzegovina but for the entire world.

After entering the city, they drove for about another ten minutes and arrived at a bridge spanning a river.

This was the Miliyats River which, like the Neretva River, split Sarajevo in two.

The river water reflected the sunlight, shimmering and sparkling.

Not far away, there was also an old bridge.

Modric pointed at the old bridge and said, "That’s the Latin Bridge!"

Suk turned to look.

It was an utterly ordinary-looking bridge.

But it was on this very bridge that a world-shaking assassination had once occurred, an event that indirectly plunged the entire world into war.

Looking at the tranquil scene before him, it was hard to connect those tumultuous years with the bridge standing serenely over the calm river.

The Miliyats River flowed quietly, the scenery on its banks as it always was, thronged with tourists.

The newly repaired Latin Bridge stood firm, seemingly connecting the city’s past and future.

Occasionally, citizens hurried past; occasionally, beggars lay on the bridge.

A few pigeons would sometimes fly by, flapping their wings as they soared over the ancient bridge.

The problems of an era belong to that era; the past lives on only in memory.

Now, the theme for Sarajevo and the whole world was peace and development!

...

"I’m exhausted!"

Getting off the bus, Suk stretched his body.

The hour-plus journey wasn’t long, but it had been excessively bumpy, and the space on the bus was too cramped to stretch out.

Mostar Zrinjski’s bus was an old-fashioned model with no air conditioning—the kind with windows you could slide open.

While it was moving, the thick smell of diesel fuel made things even more uncomfortable.

Fortunately, they had now arrived at their destination.

Led by Van Stiake, the players checked in and then went to their respective rooms.

As always, Suk and Modric were roommates.

After entering the room, Modric started unpacking while Suk turned on the TV.

Recently, the match between Mostar Zrinjski and Sarajevo was being hyped up intensely.

In this era, the internet wasn’t well-developed, and there were no viral social media platforms like in later years. Most news and information came from traditional media and television.

When Suk turned to the dedicated Bosnia and Herzegovina sports channel, the first thing that came on was news about the Champions League.

In this week’s Champions League match, Alien Ronaldo, who had just joined Real Madrid this season, scored after a long solo run, helping Real Madrid win 2-0.

On the old TV, through the blurry picture, Ronaldo was dressed in Real Madrid’s white kit. His ability to terrorize a defensive line was as potent as ever.

No matter how the opposing defenders pulled and tugged, he stayed on his feet, forcing his way through the pack.

His finish was from such an impossibly sharp angle it gave you goosebumps.

"He’s incredible!"

Suk couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Modric stopped what he was doing, looked at the TV, and said, "A forward like that would strike fear into any defense."

In the football world right now, Real Madrid was definitely the most eye-catching club.

Under the direction of chairman Florentino, the news of Real Madrid’s spectacular creation of the ’Galaxy Battleship’ captivated countless fans.

Especially after Real Madrid signed Alien Ronaldo from Inter Milan in this season’s summer transfer window, everyone understood the club wasn’t just making empty promises.

Real Madrid’s lineup was already stunning, but players like Beckham and Woodgate would join later, finally completing the assembly of the Galaxy Battleship.

Just as the two were watching the Champions League coverage, the screen suddenly changed, and the logo for the Bosnia and Herzegovina League appeared.

Following that was an announcement about the broadcast of the 14th round of the Bosnia and Herzegovina League.

"At 3 PM this afternoon, HSK from Mostar officially arrived in Sarajevo. They will face the team currently in first place in the Bosnia and Herzegovina League, Sarajevo, in a highly anticipated match!"

"Mostar Zrinjski has undergone major changes this season. The Croatian prodigy Luka Modric, who joined Mostar Zrinjski last season, has become the most watched young player right now."

Footage of Modric playing in a match appeared on the TV.

The young Modric was directing the tempo of the midfield, showing off his impressive ability to organize and orchestrate play.

"And for the young Modric, he is about to face Meškapeci and Tolister, who have previously played in the Five Major Leagues. This will be a huge challenge for him. Facing these seasoned veterans, can the prodigy still deliver? We are very excited to see."

"Kosopech has always been a thorn in Sarajevo’s side at the center-forward position. His presence makes....."

The commentator rambled on, mentioning important players in every position.

But throughout the entire segment, he didn’t mention Suk even once.

’Not a single word? That’s just too much!’

Suk was frustrated.

’Sure, he wasn’t as famous as Modric, but didn’t he have his own unique qualities?’

’Don’t they know how to generate buzz in this era?’

’Is a 160cm center-forward really that unnoticeable?’

The host on TV couldn’t hear Suk’s complaints and continued:

"Suq Bazhi, a young man born and raised right here in Sarajevo. From a young age, he showed astonishing football talent and possessed superior physical qualities. Now, at 18, Suq Bazhi is already leading the scorer’s chart with 9 goals. After winning the Silver Boot in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League last season, he has set his sights on becoming the top scorer this season."

"Suq Bazhi is the most promising young player right now. He is a rare talent for our country, the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina Football!"

On the screen, a photo of Suq Bazhi was displayed in the most prominent position.

He was a teenager with curly brown hair, a few freckles, thin lips, and a prominent aquiline nose. His slender eyes gave him a sharp look.

Below it were Suq Bazhi’s height and weight stats.

[Name: Suq Bazhi]

[Height: 191 cm]

[Weight: 85 kg]

CLICK!

The TV was suddenly switched off.

Modric turned to look and saw Suk waving a hand dismissively. "This is boring. Let’s just get some rest for the match tomorrow."

Modric looked at Suk, nodded slightly, and then climbed into his own bed to rest.

Suk was simmering with frustration.

’He’d been playing well this season, but they hadn’t said a single word about him. The whole segment was about Suq Bazhi, and that really pissed him off.’

’Of course, he knew that Suq Bazhi was from Sarajevo, a true blue-chip prospect for Bosnia and Herzegovina.’

’But he was still pissed!’

’The guy was taller and heavier than him. That was already annoying enough.’

’He had so many assists, yet they didn’t say a single word? Wasn’t his name even worthy of a mention?’

Suk was fuming.

’If they wouldn’t give him any respect, he’d just have to earn it himself.’

’Just you wait!’

’The *other* Suk!’

’Hmph!’