Chapter 80 - 78: Welcome to Dinamo Zagreb

Chapter 80: Chapter 78: Welcome to Dinamo Zagreb

"Hahahahaha! That was brilliant!!"

"Suk! Well done!!"

"What a clever kid!!"

The Mostar Zrinjski players ruffled Suk’s hair one by one, their hearts filled with immense joy.

Seeing the Tuzla Slobo?a goal, which they had been attacking relentlessly to no avail, finally broken open like this, they couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, yet they also found it amusing.

However, their opponents had expended a great deal of energy over 80 minutes of play. Furthermore, Suk had been hiding perfectly behind the opposing goalkeeper, making him very difficult to spot, which was another factor in the goal.

But regardless, with this goal, they had finally broken through that damned bus formation.

It wasn’t just the players; even Van Stiake on the coach’s bench let out a long sigh of relief.

"We finally scored!"

Assistant Coach Fandier was even more excited, saying, "That goal was so clever. Suk did an amazing job!"

"That kid’s always had a good head on his shoulders!" Van Stiake said with a smile.

But the moment he remembered that Suk would be leaving after this season, his smile vanished.

’Where am I going to find another player this good!’

’Losing one Suk and one Modric is really going to be the death of me!’

Although the club was willing to provide some funds for player transfers, players like Suk and Modric were a once-in-a-lifetime find!

Van Stiake shook his head slightly. His work during the summer window was going to be a headache again.

Back on the field, following Suk’s goal, Mostar Zrinjski quickly made adjustments.

They switched from attack to defense, focusing all their efforts on protecting their lead.

After conceding the goal, the entire Tuzla Slobo?a team grew frantic, desperate to equalize and erase the humiliating goal.

But it is often at times like these that mistakes are most easily made.

As the opposing full-back passed forward to the winger, Suk suddenly cut in, launching into a slide tackle to intercept the ball.

After making the interception, Suk immediately got to his feet. Before the opposing full-back could press him, he launched the ball high into the penalty area.

And amidst this sudden turn of events, Kosopech, who had been fuming with pent-up frustration, received Suk’s pass. He held off two of the opposing center-backs, leaped powerfully into the air, and sent the ball flying into the net with a thunderous header.

In the 87th minute, Mostar Zrinjski scored again, extending their lead to 2-0.

With this goal, Mostar Zrinjski also completely killed off any suspense in the match.

The match ended with the final whistle. Mostar Zrinjski had defeated Tuzla Slobo?a once again, 2-0.

After the match ended, the angry voices of the home fans filled the entire stadium.

"Old Moerst! Get out!"

"Old Moerst! Get out!"

"Old Moerst! Get out!"

An ugly match would have been one thing, but now they had lost, too.

To play ugly and still lose—how could the fans not be furious?

Amidst the fans’ roars, Old Moerst scurried wretchedly into the players’ tunnel.

Fearing any unexpected incidents, Mostar Zrinjski left the danger zone immediately after a brief rest.

They didn’t know what would become of Tuzla Slobo?a’s Head Coach.

But after winning this match, they were now just one game away from the championship.

With two rounds left in the league, Mostar Zrinjski held a five-point lead over Sarajevo. As long as they won the next match, they would clinch the season title with a game to spare.

This left the Mostar Zrinjski players feeling incredibly excited.

Following this victory, the newspapers in Mostar Town went into a frenzy reporting on it.

Nearly every page was filled with news about Mostar Zrinjski.

"Kosopech Clinches Victory Against Tuzla Slobo?a! The Bus Is Busted!"

"Old Moerst’s Grim Exit! Fans Roar for His Dismissal!"

"A Historic Moment: Mostar Zrinjski Just One Match Away from the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League Title!"

"Day of Glory! Mostar Becomes the Focus of Bosnia and Herzegovina!"

"May 22nd! A Day to Witness History!"

Spurred on by the reports in the Mostar Town newspapers, the entire town entered a state of extreme excitement starting that day.

First, the town government began plastering small Mostar Zrinjski team crests along the town’s roads. Even families ran to the club store to buy team flags to hang on either side of their front doors.

At the entrance to the town, a large archway was even erected.

The archway was inscribed with the words, "This is the Town of Champions."

Everywhere in town were markings of "Champions" and "Mostar Zrinjski."

And at the entrance to the Mostar Zrinjski training ground, many fans would come to cheer on the team.

From morning till afternoon, there was an endless stream of fans.

It even made the club wonder where so many fans had come from.

But the overall atmosphere had been hyped to a fever pitch.

Lately, the club’s players hadn’t been going out.

This was mainly because they were too popular in town. It was one thing for the substitutes, but if a starter appeared in town, they would quickly be swarmed by the residents.

Suk himself had been surrounded once at Buckqi’s bar. He only managed to escape by slipping out the back door while Buckqi was blocking the front.

This was the first time Suk realized just how incredibly popular he was in the town.

Of course, Suk also understood that much of this was inflated. Most of them were fans caught up in the "champions" talk who didn’t actually know much about him.

On May 15th, the club began to decorate Jirinsky Stadium.

To welcome the championship, they erected all sorts of flags along the edge of the pitch, neatly encircling the entire field.

Flying highest were three flags: the Mostar Zrinjski team flag, the UEFA flag, and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Association flag.

On May 17th, the fans brought a custom-made tifo to the stands. It was a caricature of all the current starters and substitutes for Mostar Zrinjski, with the words "We are the Champions" written at the very top.

Unable to contain their curiosity, Suk and Modric snuck a peek at the tifo.

The caricature was well-drawn and full of character. He and Modric were squatting in the center of the front row—the prime spot.

「May 20th, two days before the match.」

Starting that day, fans spontaneously gathered in the space outside Jirinsky Stadium. Led by some hardcore supporters, they held mass singalongs of the team anthem.

They were clearly planning to give the opposing players and fans a massive shock on match day.

On May 21st, Be?i?, the Head Coach of Dinamo Zagreb, arrived in Mostar.

At Mostar’s train station, Be?i? arrived traveling light, carrying a small suitcase.

"Boss! Over here!"

Atgeni waved at Be?i?.

Be?i? smiled and walked over.

The two shared a firm hug.

"I watched the last match. We played tenaciously and finally avoided relegation!" Atgeni said, giving a thumbs-up. "Brilliant job!"

Be?i? smiled. "It was just avoiding relegation. I was pretty confident!"

Atgeni chuckled. "Head back to the hotel and rest first?"

Be?i? shook his head. "Let’s take care of business first!"

"Alright! I’ve already scheduled a meeting with Mostar Zrinjski’s sporting director. We can go anytime!"

"Then let’s go!"

The purpose of Be?i?’s trip was to finalize Suk’s contract.

The transfer offer had been accepted previously, but the specific contract details had not yet been drawn up.

When they arrived at the conference room at Mostar Zrinjski, Sporting Director Kelly Vicmanzhi and Suk were already seated there.

"Hello!"

"Hello!"

Kelly Vicmanzhi and Be?i? shook hands.

Be?i? then turned to Suk with a smile. "We meet again!"

Suk immediately nodded. "Hello, Boss!"

Be?i? paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Just call me ’sir’."

"Okay! Sir!"

Suk was quick to comply.

After everyone exchanged pleasantries, Kelly Vicmanzhi stood up with a smile.

They were here to discuss the contract; it wasn’t appropriate for him to stay.

After Kelly Vicmanzhi left, Be?i? looked at Suk and said, "First, let me ask, who is your guardian in Croatia?"

"The old director!" Suk replied immediately.

"And you can represent his wishes, correct?"

"That’s right!"

Be?i? took out a document. "After you sign this, we’ll still need to get your guardian’s signature, so the process will be a bit more complicated."

Suk immediately shook his head. "It’s no trouble at all!"

Be?i?: "Then let’s begin!"

Suk sat up straight, all business.

Be?i? chose his words carefully and said, "First, I need to make one thing clear. I’m not buying you to play as a center-forward. Can you accept that?"

Be?i? had assumed Suk was stubbornly attached to the center-forward position and thought he needed to get his agreement on this point first.

But he hadn’t expected Suk’s response to be so decisive.

"I accept!"

Be?i? was a bit surprised but explained anyway, "Of course, your position and responsibilities won’t deviate too much. You’ll still be in an attacking role."

"Next is the salary issue. Two thousand euros a week, but this can be adjusted based on your performance, and there will be separate bonuses for goals and assists. Can you accept that?"

"I accept!"

"The team will conduct a physical examination before you officially join, with a special focus on monitoring your development. Can you accept that?"

"I accept!"

Be?i? was a meticulous person, but given Suk’s easygoing nature, it didn’t take much time at all.

Suk basically agreed to all of Be?i?’s conditions.

Just as he’d thought before, he wasn’t coming to Dinamo Zagreb to make money!

This was simply a stepping stone to move up.

Because of this, the negotiations between the two were exceptionally quick.

"You can sign here!"

Suk immediately took the pen and signed his name.

Be?i? took the contract and smiled. "After I get back, I’ll still need to get confirmation from your guardian, but regardless, congratulations..."

Be?i? extended his hand with a smile.

"Welcome to Dinamo Zagreb!"

Suk also shot to his feet and shook his hand.

"Thank you for your trust! I’ll demonstrate a great attitude in training and deliver outstanding performances in matches!"