The UEFA Euro qualifiers have concluded, and Croatia has successfully advanced to the main tournament as the group winner.

Although there is still one match left, its outcome holds little significance for Croatia.

Moreover, Bešić has stated that the next match will feature substitute players, likely for training purposes.

After the match, the Croatian players gathered once again at Šuker's estate for a "team-building" session.

This gathering was initiated by Srna, primarily to address the awkward atmosphere in the team following the demotions of Šimić and Kovač.

Of course, Šimić showed no intention of reconciling with Vida and Lovren, while Kovač, on the other hand, didn't seem particularly bothered. Perhaps his older age has made him less capable of keeping up.

Watching Šimić get up and leave the dining table for the restroom, Mandžukić seized the opportunity to ask:

"Why do you and Šimić have completely different attitudes?"

Kovač looked at Mandžukić and smiled. "Maybe I've already come to terms with it."

"Šimić also played for a top club like AC Milan, and his decline in form is a recent development. Facing criticism and doubts, it's natural for him to want to retaliate subconsciously. I've been through that phase too, but I'm too old now! Plus, keeping up with your pace on the field is exhausting. I'm no longer suited for high-intensity matches."

During the 2010 World Cup, veteran Kovač nearly gave everything he had. With Srna injured, they had to bear heavier defensive responsibilities, which increased the pressure significantly.

The final few matches were particularly intense.

"He'll figure it out eventually!" Kovač said with a smile before turning to Mandžukić. "What happened with you guys? How did you let Perišić and the others snatch the championship away?"

Kovač was clearly referring to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Last season, Borussia Dortmund won the 2010/2011 Bundesliga title, breaking the Southern Giants' dominance over the league and leaving Bayern Munich embarrassed.

Mandžukić also felt somewhat awkward.

He had just left, and Dortmund immediately won the Bundesliga.

Anyone would find that situation awkward!

"Dortmund is very strong now!" Periš interjected. "Our team has a high level of cohesion, and we've been building over the past two years. It's only natural for us to break out."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Šuker, while eating meat, pondered the matter.

Dortmund is indeed strong now!

In 2008, Jürgen Klopp joined Borussia Dortmund, marking the beginning of the club's remarkable turnaround.

Initially, both Bayern Munich and Hamburg were interested in hiring Klopp.

However, Bayern ultimately chose another Jürgen!

Hamburg dislike Klopp's unkempt appearance, also opted for another coach.

When Klopp arrived at Dortmund, the club was on the brink of bankruptcy with debts £125 million. The previous coach, Thomas Doll, had led the team to a mere 13th-place finish.

Yet, under these circumstances, Klopp turned things around in just two years, snatching the championship away from Bundesliga powerhouses like Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Schalke 04.

Over these two years, Dortmund made numerous small but strategic signings.

Lewandowski, Götze, Reus, Perišić, Hummels, Subotić, Kagawa Shinji, Schmelzer, Gündoğan, and others—all these future household names were brought in by Klopp through modest transfers or free signings.

These players alone would allow Dortmund to make a substantial profit, not to mention the club also won the Bundesliga title.

Moreover, Dortmund's impact will continue this season.

After all, this is the "youth storm" assembled by Klopp, destined to sweep across European football.

And this "storm" will be more fierce than any previous young guard in history.

Šuker believes Bayern Munich's loss was justified!

Furthermore, Bayern Munich's focus these past two seasons has been on the Champions League. Their pursuit of European glory has been even more intense than in the past.

"Dortmund is, after all, a team of young players. We've been through that phase ourselves," Modrić said with a grin. "Back then, we were taught a harsh lesson by AC Milan!"

Mandžukić grinned. "I hope they face Real Madrid in this year's Champions League."

He looked at Šuker. "You help me teach them a lesson."

"You got beaten yourself, and now you want me to seek revenge for you?"

Šuker rolled his eyes.

In fact, this might be Dortmund's first Champions League campaign, and their young squad might struggle to adapt, potentially failing to advance past the group stage this season.

Of course, nothing is set in stone.

"Your fourth Ballon d'Or should be secure, right?" Srna suddenly said.

Everyone turned to look at Šuker.

Their eyes were filled with a sense of awe.

Since they first met Šuker, his performances have always been extraordinary.

Back then, they already knew Šuker would become a remarkable star.

But now, he already has three Ballons d'Or. Last season, Real Madrid achieved a treble, and since it wasn't an international tournament year, the Champions League carries significant weight for the Ballon d'Or.

Given Šuker's performances and statistics, his fourth Ballon d'Or is almost a certainty.

Most players would be overjoyed to win just one, but this guy is already aiming for his fourth.

The gap is simply staggering.

"Let's not talk about this," Šuker waved his hand. "I don't want to rub it in."

"Too late, you already did," Dujmović skimmered. "Show-off!"

The others smiled wryly.

Modrić also shook his head.

When the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year were split, someone might have had a chance to share the award with Šuker. But now that the two awards have merged, that opportunity is gone.

The evening gathering focused mainly on conversation, with no alcohol involved, so it ended relatively early.

The next day, the players prepared to return.

Rakitić showed up early at Šuker's estate with his luggage in tow.

He was determined to hitch a ride on this flight.

After Rakitić arrived, Srna and Kovačić also showed up.

The four of them drove to the airport and once again boarded Šuker's private jet to Madrid.

Although Rakitić repeatedly begged to be dropped off in Seville, Šuker just rolled his eyes.

The flight plan he applied for was from Zagreb to Madrid. Did this guy think the plane was a private car that could go wherever he wanted?

After arriving in Madrid, Šuker and the other two drove Rakitić to the train station before returning home.

When Šuker returned, Zorancić was already waiting at the villa.

"I watched your match. You played brilliantly!"

Zorancić immediately thumb up.

Šuker raised an eyebrow. "It's been days already. Weren't you supposed to be back in a week?"

Zorancić awkwardly replied, "Some things came up and delayed me!"

Šuker frowned. "Did the negotiations not go well?"

"No!" Zorancić shook his head. "The negotiations went smoothly. I had to handle some other matters, but they're all settled now."

He then turned to Kovačić. "I found you an apartment near the training base and also arranged for a translator who will double as your Spanish teacher, as well as an Italian teacher. From now on, besides training, you'll also need to study foreign languages."

"Learning two at once?" Kovačić felt a headache coming on.

One was already difficult enough, let alone two simultaneously.

Zorancić smiled and looked at Šuker. "We'll move out tomorrow."

Šuker nodded, pointing at Kovačić. "Get this kid a car and a driver."

Given Kovačić's somewhat absent-minded demeanor, Šuker was worried he might get himself into trouble in Madrid.

Zorancić thought for a moment and immediately agreed.

After all, he couldn't always stay in Spain himself, and Šuker wasn't the type to help take care of others.

The next day, at Real Madrid's training base.

Mourinho stood on the sidelines with a dark expression, radiating an aura that kept everyone at a distance.

The international matches were over, and the players' national teams had achieved satisfactory results.

But the problem was, while they succeeded, Mourinho was the one suffering.

Ramos, Arbeloa, Kaká, Benzema, Carvalho, Marcelo—all injured.

Looking at the long list of injured players, Mourinho felt his heart bleeding.

Although it was still the early adjustment phase of the season, where they wouldn't push too hard or take excessive risks, such a long injury list was troubling.

Moreover, in the upcoming matches, they would face Valencia, Atlético Madrid, and Sevilla in the league.

In the Champions League, they were grouped with Ajax, Lyon, and Dinamo Zagreb.

In the league, the most headache-inducing opponents were Valencia and Atlético Madrid.

Valencia had been threatening the positions of Real Madrid and Barcelona over the past two seasons, consistently finishing third and giving the impression of an impending breakthrough.

Although they were double-defeated by Real Madrid last season, the team's form and physical condition were exceptional then.

However, at the start of this season, the accumulated pressure seemed to erupt all at once, leading to injuries for multiple key players.

Assistant coach Faria, seeing Mourinho's grim expression, spoke up: "We should look at the positive side. It's still early in the season, mostly a period for adjustments. An injury outbreak at the start isn't the worst thing—it's better than having it happen in the second half of the season, right?"

Mourinho slowly let out a breath.

Faria had a point.

Since the preseason preparation phase, the medical team had repeatedly warned Mourinho about the risk of an injury crisis within the team.

Mourinho had been uneasy about it all along!

Once it erupted, the impact would be significant.

If it remained dormant, it would be even worse—having injury risks without actual injuries would only heighten the anxiety.

It was better to have it erupt all at once early in the season. A few draws or occasional losses wouldn't be disastrous. In the second half of the season, once they fully regained their form, they could recover the points.

As Faria said, the worst scenario would be an outbreak in the second half.

At that time, the pressures of the Champions League knockout stages, the league points race, the Copa del Rey, and other competitions would overwhelm them.

Mourinho pursed his lips.

The bench simply wasn't deep enough!

If they had two full squads, injuries wouldn't be an issue.

But so far, he hadn't been able to assemble two competitive lineups.

"How is Šuker's condition?" Mourinho asked.

Under these circumstances, he had to rely heavily on Šuker, their star player.

This was their ultimate safety net!

Faria replied. "Excellent! No issues whatsoever."

Mourinho finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This was a silver lining in an otherwise unfortunate situation.

"Next match, we're playing Atlético Madrid away. Let's prepare well!"

With that, Mourinho turned and walked out of the training ground to focus on tactics.

On the training field, the day's session was nearing its end.

After training, Šuker and the others returned to the villa.

Once home, Benzema and Kaká—one with an injured right foot, the other with an injured left foot—hobbled into Šuker's house on crutches.

"Can't you two coordinate and get injured one at a time? Both of you getting injured at once—what are we supposed to do?"

Šuker said irritably.

Benzema was even more frustrated.

"I knew it. I had a bad feeling throughout that match."

"How did you know?" Šuker asked.

Had this guy developed a new aura besides his "lowered intelligence" trait?

Benzema raised his left hand. "I didn't wrap my hand!"

"From the morning, things felt off. I brought my lucky necklace, but my bag tore open. Also, the lucky color for the day was true blue, so I brought two true blue pairs of underwear, but when I took them out, they were light blue. And I forgot my bandage too!"

Kaká turned to him. "You could've asked the team doctor for bandage!"

"I did," Benzema said unhappily. "He refused. There were two rolls—one for wrapping kneecaps or stabilizing ankles, and another for emergencies. He said since I wasn't injured, giving it to me would be a waste!"

Šuker facepalmed. "And then you got injured?"

Benzema nodded. "Exactly! Just ten minutes into the match, that bastard went for my ankle."

Šuker shook his head in disbelief before turning to Kaká. "What about you?"

"My story isn't as interesting," Kaká said. "I just had a recurrence of an old thigh injury. I'll be back after a few weeks of rest."

Seeing Šuker's expression darken, Benzema suddenly said, "Yesterday, I went to watch Atlético Madrid's match!"

Šuker and Kaká turned to look at him.

Benzema stroked his chin. "You remember last season when we almost lost to Atlético Madrid in that match, right?"

Šuker and Kaká nodded.

"That wasn't a fluke," Benzema said seriously. "That Argentine coach knows what he's doing. The current Atlético Madrid is nothing like the old Athleti!"

"Their overall cohesion is very high, and most importantly, their discipline is extremely strong. This is especially evident in their rapid retreat after attacks. They fall back quickly, and not just one or two players—almost the entire team does it. Although we also emphasize discipline, honestly, we can't compare to Atlético Madrid in that regard!"

Benzema exaggerated, "It's like they share one mind, and everyone plays in a very mechanical way. Although they might not have standout features, the problem is they're incredibly difficult to deal with."

Šuker nodded.

Benzema's observations were accurate. This was Atlético Madrid, the team known for its iron-blooded defense.

Their attacks and defenses were uniformed一!

Of course, the current Atlético Madrid hadn't yet reached its peak, as Simeone had only been in charge for a season.

But in the future, they would cling to opponents like stubborn glue.

Šuker had previously said that against a team like Atlético Madrid, you must never let them gain a sense of superiority or the confidence of victory.

Once that happens, their combat effectiveness doubles!

During Atlético Madrid's most dominant years, aside from Real Madrid and Barcelona, no other team in European football could handle them.

Even Barcelona suffered repeated losses, while Real Madrid relied on their stamina to consistently defeat Atlético Madrid.

In this situation, Real Madrid could afford to lose matches.

But they absolutely could not lose to Atlético Madrid. Once those guys tasted the thrill of victory, they would play even more fiercely.

Of course, the good news was that Atlético Madrid's progress wasn't complete yet.

Currently, they were somewhat of a work in progress—an Iron Blooded team.

Although still difficult to deal with, they would make mistakes under sufficient pressure.

The three chatted for a while longer, but the other two showed no intention of leaving.

Šuker: "Shouldn't you two be heading out?"

Benzema and Kaká exchanged glances.

"It's dinnertime!"

"I'm kinda hungry!"

"Feeling like eating well might help with recovery!"

Seeing their sheepish grins, Šuker said, "I don't cook for guys who don't take care of themselves."

The two immediately protested.

Benzema: "We're injured. We're upset about it too."

Kaká: "It was an accident!"

"Bullshit!"

Šuker yelled, pointing at Kaká. "You think I didn't watch that match? Old injury recurrence, my ass! You got carried away and went toe-to-toe with that Uruguayan player."

"He's 22 years old, 192 cm tall, and weighs 95 kg! What were you thinking, trying to challenge him?"

Šuker glared. "Tell me! How did you really get injured?"

Kaká awkwardly scratched his head. "I'll skip dinner!"

With that, he hobbled away on his crutches as fast as he could.

Benzema asked curiously, "How did he get injured?"

Šuker said irritably, "He got carried away, made a tackle, and injured himself in the process."

Benzema blinked, barely suppressing a laugh. "His story is more interesting than mine!"

Šuker rolled his eyes.

You two are about the same!

In the end, Benzema didn't get to eat either.

Teammates getting injured was something Šuker accepted as part of a professional athlete's life—no one could guarantee they'd never get injured.

If he didn't have his Recovery Card, given how fiercely opponents marked him, Šuker would likely spend most of his time on the injured list.

But there was a difference between passive and active injuries!

What upset Šuker was that Kaká, with his stubborn mindset, was a hardheaded mule.

Even when outmatched in a physical duel, he insisted on going head-to-head with opponents!

Back in his Milan days, Kaká had this same bad habit.

His teammates even nicknamed him "Troublemaker" back then.

Of course, that was when he was young and impulsive.

But now, nearing thirty, he still hadn't learned to use his brains. Trying to outmuscle a 22-year-old kid—what happened to all the "experience" he'd accumulated?

Once he got carried away, he'd throw caution to the wind and go all out against opponents.

The worst part was, he didn't even win!

Probably too embarrassed to admit it, he lied to Šuker, claiming it was an old injury recurrence.

Šuker knew exactly what injuries Kaká had.

He'd never heard of Kaká having an old thigh injury.

"And now he's learned to lie!"

Šuker was even angrier.