The more difficult the situation, the more you must face it with a positive mindset.
This was something Suker had learned long ago —Had he not held onto this mindset, he wouldn't have survived the war-torn years of his childhood.
Compared to the struggle for survival back then, this was nothing.
Sure, AC Milan's current situation was tough, and Inter Milan looked far stronger on paper.
But football isn't a game you win just by putting names on a lineup.Tactics, form, morale, attitude — all of these influence the outcome of a match.
"Eat up! You can't fight on an empty stomach!"
Suker devoured his lunch like a man possessed.
"After training, everyone stays an extra hour for extra practice!"
"I have a date,"Inzaghi shrugged.
"A date? Are you serious? The enemy is at the gate and you care about a date?"Suker scolded him.
"I'm a benchwarmer. What do you expect me to contribute?"Inzaghi snapped back.
"So you're a sub now — does that mean you'll always be a sub? If you don't work now, your future's only going to get worse!"
"Hold up. I've been playing longer than you've even had pubes."
"Then why am I starting and you're not? Clearly, you need the extra work more."Suker threatened him:"Don't forget, I still have dirt on you!"
Just the thought of Suker's damn laptop gave Inzaghi a headache.
"Fine, I got it."
Inzaghi gave in.
The others chuckled as they watched the scene unfold.
While the team was going through a tough patch and morale was low, Suker seemed to be burning hotter than ever.
"This kind of mindset is probably the key to his rapid growth,"Nesta said with a smile.
He genuinely admired Suker's attitude.
And truthfully, Suker was right.
This was exactly the time to put in extra hours and master the tactics.
"I don't care about the extra practice, but…"Pirlo smirked,"I am looking forward to hearing Gattuso call him 'Dad.'"
Everyone cracked up.
They had no idea why Gattuso agreed to that ridiculous bet, but it was definitely a hilarious image.
Sure, the match would be hard, but they'd played even tougher games before.
This was a time to grit their teeth and push through.
Especially since it was against Inter Milan, their fiercest local rival.
For the AC Milan players, even at great cost, they couldn't let Inter walk away smiling.
At the same time, across town, Inter Milan were deep in preparations too.
Compared to usual, their training had a new intensity and fire.
Last season, they thought AC Milan had begun to decline —Yet they were beaten twice in the league and watched Milan take both the league title and the Champions League, completing a historic double.
This season, they had confidently aimed to win the Italian Super Cup.
Only to lose again to AC Milan.
After so many repeated defeats, they had no idea how to beat AC Milan anymore.
Or maybe… they weren't the ones in decline.Maybe AC Milan just turned into monsters whenever they played them.
But this time was different.
Kaká had returned to Brazil for Copa América qualifiers.
Gattuso was injured and out.
Losing those two warriors would heavily weaken Milan's lineup —Especially Gattuso's absence, which left Milan's defense fragile and exposed.
"This is our best chance ever!"Srna clenched his fist."I just want to beat AC Milan once!"
He also really wanted to beat Suker.
Since joining Inter, all he'd done was lose to AC Milan.
Anyone's mindset would start to collapse eventually.
AC Milan had become Inter's mental block —And for Srna, it had become personal.
If they still couldn't win now — when Milan's squad was so weakened —Even they would stop believing in themselves.
"But Suker's still a threat,"Maicon said grimly.
In the Italian Super Cup, he'd been utterly destroyed by Suker in a one-on-one matchup.
He had lived under the shadow of that game for a long time.
Even now, he was too easily tricked by opponents' feints —Even the clumsy ones — because of that lingering fear.
It was a mental scar left by being torched on the wing.
Things had improved slightly…But now, as the match approached, that familiar unease began to resurface.
"He's just one guy."
"Yeah, but that one guy can wreck our entire backline."
The Inter players had developed a genuine fear of Suker.
"Sorry, I can't make it back to help this time."
Kaká's voice over the phone was filled with regret.
But there was nothing he could do.The Copa América qualifiers were crucial —And Brazil, lacking new talent, needed him more than ever.
He was no longer a benchwarmer on the legendary Brazil squad —Now, he was becoming a key figure for the national team.
"It's fine! Everyone's got things more important to them. Chasing national glory is normal,"Suker replied over the phone."What, you think you're that important? Forget last season already? You floppy-legged Kaká!"
"You're the worst,"Kaká sighed."Guess I won't be cheering you on then."
"Use the most optimistic mindset to face the toughest match."Suker shrugged."Even if we lose, at least we'll have fun."
"It's just one league game. Once that's over, I'll be back for the Champions League."
"Got it,"Suker nodded.
"Hotpot—"
"No hotpot."
"Fine, stingy bastard,"Kaká muttered."Alright, talk to you later."
Suker hung up and turned his gaze to the TV showing Inter's latest match.
This season, Inter were still a formidable team.
They were also Milan's biggest obstacle to winning the league.
Beating Inter wasn't easy —And now, in their weakened state, it would be even harder.
But it wasn't hopeless.
If Inter were coached by Mourinho, Suker would already have given up.There'd be no chance against his "one-goal victory" philosophy and near-sadistic defense system.
But Inter's manager was still Mancini.
They weren't that tight yet —So AC Milan had a shot.
With the right tactics, and the right formation, they could win.
More importantly —Suker planned to show a different side of himself in this match.
The next day, AC Milan held their final pre-match training.
Inside the training ground, Ancelotti and the coaching staff watched closely.
"As expected, he's perfect for the No.10 role."
On the field, Suker was leading the attacking side, constantly orchestrating plays.
On defense, they used multiple runners to widen the coverage and intercept more.
On offense, everything flowed through Suker, creating a variety of attacks.
Inzaghi became the most dangerous player in the session.
Suker's passing had unlocked the poacher, allowing him to appear in every dangerous spot.
Inzaghi's instincts were part of it.Suker's distribution was the other.
In this scrimmage, Suker played as a central midfielder.
But not just any CM — he was the offensive core.
He dropped back to defend, directed the attack, and controlled the game.
His endless stamina and dominant control gave Milan a serious boost in possession.
"That's enough!"
Ancelotti called it.
The players stopped one by one.
Suker wiped the sweat from his brow.
"C'mon — high five!"
Inzaghi ran over and held out his hand.
Suker clapped it and said:
"Still not good enough!"
"What? I scored three goals!"
"That was our backup defense. Tomorrow, we're facing Inter's first team."
"Let me guess — you want me to run more?"
Suker nodded.
"Fine. I'm only playing one half anyway. I'll squeeze out every drop of energy."Inzaghi grinned."But what about you? You're doing everything — defending and attacking. You really think you can handle it all? How are you supposed to keep going in the second half?"
"I'll eat a banana."
Inzaghi chuckled.
Suker clearly didn't want to answer the question.
Honestly, no one had ever seen him run out of gas.
But that made sense. Since Suker joined, Milan's games had been relatively smooth.
So far, none of their matches had gone to extra time or penalties.