Suker was still wearing his hypoxic training mask at home. These days, he practically never took it off.
"Are you sick in the head? You're wearing that thing at home too?"
Suker turned to look at Srna. Because of the mask, he didn't speak — instead, he expressed himself with action.
Middle finger!
Srna shook his head. He felt Suker had a bit of a self-torturing streak. Ever since the grueling pre-season fitness training, most Real Madrid players avoided hypoxic masks like the plague.
But Suker? Not only had he bought a whole batch to bring to the national team, he kept using it at home as well.
Sometimes, Srna just couldn't figure him out — Suker was already the most decorated active player in football, so why push himself so hard?
"Maybe it's precisely because he's number one that he wants to keep that position," Kaka suddenly said from the side.
Srna turned, surprised. "You can read my mind?"
Kaka shrugged. "It's written all over your face."
Srna touched his own face. "That obvious?"
Kaka smiled. "Why don't you try it too? My fitness is probably the best in the team after Suker's."
Srna shook his head immediately. "I'm not crazy like him!"
Suker glared at Srna and raised both middle fingers.
Middle finger! Middle finger!
"After we play Milan, the Champions League group stage is over," Kaka said. "A few more league games and then it's winter break. Got any plans?"
Srna didn't answer — he turned to Suker instead.
Suker said: "I'm going to @#@#￥￥—"
"Take that stupid mask off and speak properly!" Srna barked.
Suker sighed and took the mask off.
"I said, my winter break schedule is full. Apart from events and filming, there's also club-arranged activities." He raised three fingers. "I have three days off!"
Srna grinned. "That's rough!"
Suker shrugged. "Can't help it — they pay me."
Kaka said, "Oh, right. After winter break, I think there's a commercial match arranged too!"
Suker nodded, pointing to his chest. "They said they want me to wear a first-person camera to record the match."
Recently, first-person player POV videos had been trending.
It started in the Premier League, but soon fans on Real Madrid's official site were flooding in with requests for Suker's POV.
After all, the Premier League footage was from a midfielder — not bad, but just endless passing.
With Suker's ability, fans wanted to see first-person goals and understand how he played.
Real Madrid respected fan wishes — and they never missed a chance to create a viral hit.
Once it had enough buzz, the club quickly greenlit the filming.
"Oh, and I heard Higuaín refused to renew his contract," Srna added.
Suker and Kaka both turned their heads.
"His contract ends next season," Srna explained. "The club wants to renew, but he said no."
"Is that supposed to be pressure?" Suker asked.
Kaka grinned. "Pressure? On Real Madrid?"
If it were another club, maybe.
But on Real Madrid? Come on.
Even Suker always negotiated with Florentino Pérez in a soft, diplomatic way, avoiding head-on clashes.
For Suker, if he ever got tough, it meant he was ready to leave.
He didn't know if Higuaín was prepared for that.
If Higuaín just wanted more playing time by using this as leverage, he was making a big mistake.
"Oh, right — the boss is back!" Kaka said.
"He came back? He actually left the US?"
There was only one man Suker and Kaka would willingly call "boss": Paolo Maldini.
Kaka smiled. "After retiring, he spent two years in the US. Recently he planned to settle in Turin, and he also rented a place in Milan — maybe joining the management?"
"Management?" Suker shook his head.
Impossible — not unless Galliani left AC Milan.
Maldini and Galliani's philosophies clashed too much.
If Maldini were going into management, he'd have done it right after retiring.
That "studying" excuse was nonsense.
Suker figured this return to Milan was just a publicity move.
After all, AC Milan was really at rock bottom now.
The transfer fees from selling Suker and Kaka had bought them time, but debts kept piling up like a bottomless pit, and the club's operations grew more and more difficult.
Their transfer policy had swung to the opposite extreme.
In the past, Milan spent freely, using their prestige to attract young stars like Kaka and Suker.
But with Italian football in decline, Milan's fortunes crumbled.
Now they relied on the "Three Treasures of the Transfer Market": loans, installments, and free transfers — a clear sign of how bad things had gotten.
Back when Suker and Kaka left, Milan fans shouted, "When we're strong again, we'll bring you home!"
But now, with the club sinking year by year, they'd given up on that dream.
Suker and Kaka felt a pang of sadness thinking about it.
"Enough about that," Suker waved. "So what's the deal with the boss coming back?"
Kaka: "He said he's coming to watch this match with the team — and he wants to gather us all."
"All of us?" Suker asked in surprise.
Kaka nodded. "Yep. Filippo, Pirlo, Ivan — they're all coming."
Suker went quiet for a moment. "You're not planning to steal my computer again, are you? I'm warning you, I've made tons of backups!"
"Get lost!!!"
December 9, 2010/11 UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Round 6
The final match of the group stage.
Current standings:
Real Madrid: 5–0–0, 15 points.
AC Milan: 3–1–1, 11 points.
Ajax: 1–1–3, 4 points.
Auxerre: 1–0–4, 3 points.
Real Madrid had already qualified first.
After Ajax lost to Milan in the previous round, Milan had also secured qualification.
This match meant nothing for standings — even if Milan won, they'd still be second.
But Real Madrid wanted a perfect group stage record.
The atmosphere was relaxed, with none of the intensity of a decisive battle.
During warm-up, Suker and Kaka greeted the old Milan players.
They'd already arranged to host a welcome dinner for Maldini at Suker's villa after the match.
Maldini appeared in the stands, and the cameras gave the Milan legend plenty of respectful close-ups.
Compared to his retirement days, his figure was still trim, but his long hair was gone — now a neat, short cut.
"This is the 2010–2011 UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Round 6: Real Madrid vs AC Milan!"
Starting line-ups:
Real Madrid (4-3-3):GK: CasillasDEF: Arbeloa, Carvalho, Pepe, MarceloMID: Khedira, Xabi Alonso, DiarraFWD: Kaka, Benzema, Suker
AC Milan (4-4-2):GK: AbbiatiDEF: Antonini, Thiago Silva, Nesta, ZambrottaMID: Flamini, Gattuso, Pirlo, SeedorfFWD: Ibrahimović, Robinho
Standing at the center circle, Suker rested his foot on the ball, waiting for the whistle.
He noticed Pato wasn't in Milan's line-up or squad list — surprising, since Pato was supposed to be Milan's new core after him and Kaka.
Injury? He shook the thought away — time to focus.
The match might be meaningless in terms of points, but Suker still wanted goals.
He was leading the Champions League scorer chart, just one ahead of Ronaldo. He wanted to widen the gap, not give Ronaldo or Messi a chance to catch up.
Whistle! The match began.
"Mark Suker!"
Gattuso charged right at him from the start.
Suker grimaced — he hated man-marking, especially Gattuso's brand: physical, with constant hand checks and little fouls.
Gattuso hadn't been this dirty before, but age had forced him to adapt.
Still, against a peak Suker, there was no cure.
"Pass here!" Suker called, dropping back to receive.
Xabi Alonso passed. Suker received with his back to goal, faked left with his shoulder — Gattuso almost bit, but held back.
Sure enough, Suker pushed the ball right — but Gattuso kept up.
No matter — a burst of acceleration left him behind in one step.
Antonini slid in hard, knocking the ball out for a throw.
"Playing rough, huh?" Suker said with annoyance.
Gattuso caught up, almost swung a punch at Suker's stomach, then stopped himself.
"Were you about to hit me?" Suker asked quietly.
"Don't make me," Gattuso said with a grin.
"Try me," Suker taunted.
Moments later, Suker dropped deep again. This time he played a one-touch pass to the middle.
"Real Madrid doesn't just have me as a threat," he smiled.
Gattuso spun around. "Mark Kaka!"
Too late — Kaka was already tearing down the middle.
It was like watching the old days at Milan — Gattuso felt nostalgia, and helplessness, knowing he couldn't keep up anymore.
Kaka dribbled past Thiago Silva with lightning changes of direction, then suddenly pushed the ball wide right, opening space to shoot.
Silva lunged to block — but Kaka instead passed square.
A burst of footsteps — Suker arrived and drilled the ball low into the net.
Goal!
Only 9 minutes in: Real Madrid 1–0 AC Milan.
Suker ran to the corner flag, raising his finger toward the stands. The crowd roared — thinking he was greeting them.
But high in the stands, Maldini was clapping with a smile.
Then Suker mimed tugging at his hair: What's with that haircut?
Maldini's smile froze. This kid…
The goal fired up Real Madrid — they kept pressing.
In the 21st minute, Xabi Alonso assisted Kaka for a beautiful outside-foot volley.
2–0 Real Madrid.
With a comfortable lead, they slowed the pace, controlling the match.
Milan still had some old stars shining faintly, but they couldn't hold up the team.
Ibrahimović worked hard, even defending — eager to prove himself in Milan.
But he wasn't Suker.
He'd taken the number 11 shirt but wanted the number 10, trying to fill Suker's role. Fans disliked his arrogance — and the fact that Suker had once humiliated him at Inter.
They felt: you can wear the 10 if you lead us to crush Inter. But even that modest demand was beyond him.
Second half, 52'. Ibrahimović tried a bicycle kick in Madrid's box, but it went straight to Casillas.
Casillas launched a quick counter — Kaka passed to Benzema, who had no angle. Arbeloa overlapped to cross… but mishit. The ball floated behind Suker.
"My ball!" Arbeloa called — then froze.
Suker twisted in midair, left leg up, core muscles snapping his right leg over — a stunning bicycle kick.
Bang! Into the top corner!
55': Real Madrid 3–0 AC Milan.