After entering the winter break, AC Milan's training ground fell quiet.
All the players had gone on holiday, but for Ancelotti, the work continued.
In the head coach's office, Ancelotti was busy planning the rest of the season.
At the moment, AC Milan's overall form remained unstable.
The transition of Kaká's role wasn't fully successful, and their tactical setup was still not fully refined.
Their success last season could be attributed to several factors:
In Europe, Lyon had significantly weakened, and Stuttgart was essentially a paper tiger.
More importantly, the team's performance hinged largely on Suker and Kaká's individual brilliance.
But those advantages only applied in the group stage.
Once they entered the knockout phase, things would be different.Individual brilliance alone wouldn't be enough against powerful, cohesive teams.
Sure, when Suker exploded, the threat was immense — but relying solely on him was not sustainable.
A stable, well-oiled team was the true key to going far.
In the Champions League this season, the competition was fierce.
The Premier League was having a renaissance:
Ferguson's Manchester United
Wenger's Arsenal
Benítez's Liverpool
Mourinho's Chelsea
Last season, these teams had already nearly monopolized the UCL semifinals, and this year they were still strong.
Especially Manchester United, now fully rebuilt — the strongest title contender in Ancelotti's eyes.
Beyond England, Barcelona was rising fast.
With Pep Guardiola, an unknown rookie coach, Barcelona had undergone a complete transformation in just half a season.
Their dominance was jaw-dropping.
In the Champions League group stage, they had:
6 wins out of 6
20 goals scored
Only 1 goal conceded
Their attacking and defensive prowess was terrifying.
Ancelotti had studied Barcelona's matches.Their exquisite short-passing, quick tempo, and tight positional play were on another level.
Ancelotti's Christmas Tree formation deployed four No. 10-style players to control midfield possession.
But Barcelona's control was even better.
"If you can't win the ball, how are you supposed to play?"
Ancelotti ran simulations in his mind:
Against Manchester United, Milan still had a fighting chance.
But against Barcelona — virtually hopeless.
This wasn't just about tactics — there were regional disadvantages.
Historically, Italian teams always struggled against Spanish sides, and even more so now.
And this Barcelona was something else entirely.
Knock knock.
Ancelotti looked up.
"Come in."
A Milan staffer entered and handed him a file.
"Here's the report you requested."
Ancelotti opened it — it was a stack of player contracts.
He quickly skimmed them, focusing on expiration dates.
Most players' renewals were smooth.
But two stood out — Suker and Kaká.
Kaká was signed through 2010
Suker through 2011
But when Milan attempted to extend both deals — things stalled.
Their agents responded with vague excuses.
Kaká's camp was still communicative.
But Suker's agent, that damn Zorancic, was dodging every question, deflecting at every turn.
And Suker himself had a vague, unreadable attitude.
The only obvious condition was clear —Better terms, and higher salary.
But AC Milan couldn't provide that.They couldn't even promise trophies.
In short, they were trying to forcibly keep Suker — and he knew it.
Ancelotti put himself in Suker's shoes.
"Even I wouldn't stay."
But without Suker, Milan's decline would accelerate.
"Sighhh…"
Ancelotti let out a long sigh.
He felt like a man trying to stop a tidal wave with his arms.
Milan's decline wasn't entirely internal —external factors and a shifting football landscape made it inevitable.
This was the unstoppable force of the times.One coach or player couldn't change that.
He could understand why Suker might want to leave.
"Only a fool would stay."
Ancelotti had tried to talk with Zorancic, but he kept saying:
"Let's wait until the end of the season."
And then changed the subject.
It was clear — once the season ended, Suker would formally announce his departure.
Still, Ancelotti didn't believe he'd leave without warning.
Last time, when Suker chose to renew, he made his intentions clear early on.
So if he did leave, he'd let the club know, and bring in a hefty transfer fee.
But still…
"If Suker leaves, what's the point of me staying?"
Maybe it was time for Ancelotti to plan his own future.
Meanwhile, in a Croatian photo studio, Suker was in the middle of a photoshoot.
Suddenly, Zorancic walked over and whispered something.
The two left together.
"Calderón?"Suker raised his eyebrows."He reached out too?"
Ramón Calderón, current Real Madrid president, had contacted Zorancic two days ago through intermediaries —to discuss Suker's transfer.
"Yeah. I'm not sure what to do…"Zorancic sighed, frustrated.
Now he had to choose between:
Florentino Pérez, former president, and
Ramón Calderón, current president.
If Suker was serious about joining Real Madrid, he had to pick one.
But choosing wrong could have consequences.
If he transferred during Calderón's term, and Florentino won the next election, the two could end up at odds.
Best-case scenario: Wait for Florentino to return, then join Madrid.
But...
What if Florentino doesn't win?
"Stall him,"Suker said suddenly,stretching out his hand."Give me the phone."
He quickly dialed a number.
After a few rings — someone answered.
"Mr. Pérez, I just received an offer from Calderón.I'm not sure what to do…Yes, I understand…Alright, got it."
He hung up, grinning.
"Just stall him."
"But what about Florentino…"Zorancic still hesitated.
"Didn't I just call him?He's not worried.In fact, he's glad I told him.If Calderón wasn't pursuing me, that'd be more suspicious."
"Just stall him.Everything will become clear after the next winter break."
To Suker, it didn't really matter which president it was —As long as they wanted him.
What mattered was:Who would win the next election.
Whoever won —Suker would transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
And he had every reason to feel confident:
Back-to-back Champions League titles with AC Milan
At a time when Ronaldo and Messi were still finding their footing,Suker was already a global centerpiece
"Who has better value for money?""Who's the better investment?"
They all knew the answer.
But Suker still had to play it smart.
"Get in touch with Madrid.Leak some transfer rumors about me joining."
This would tie Madrid closer to him.
At the same time, if C. Ronaldo saw Madrid pursuing Suker,he might reconsider joining.
During the award ceremonies, Suker had seen it in Ronaldo's eyes —a burning desire to compete.
Ronaldo did not want to be teammates with Suker.
So he would likely avoid Madrid while Suker was there.
"Keep stalling Bayern Munich too."
"Even a clever rabbit has three burrows."
Suker needed backup options — just in case.
But all would be clear by next season's winter break.
For now, everything was in place.All that remained was quietly waiting.
Of course, there was still a very important task:
"Making money!"
"Damn it! This work never ends!"Suker cursed as he went back to finish his shoot.