January 13th — after a half-month break, Serie A finally resumed.
Currently, Inter Milan still held the top spot, but their lead was anything but secure.
Roma and AC Milan were hot on their heels, and the result of any single match could drastically shake up the points table.
Even Juventus, although trailing slightly, were pushing relentlessly.
"This is starting to feel like the Premier League,"Suker muttered to himself."Since when did Serie A get so intense?"
But the intensity wasn't quite the same.
In the Premier League, the teams were competing upward —Who played better, who was in top form, who could perfect their tactics.
Serie A, on the other hand, was competing downward —Who made more mistakes, who had worse form, who performed worse overall.
That was the reality after the Calciopoli scandal.
Despite a year's worth of recovery efforts, and even Suker winning both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, Serie A was still limping along.
Italy didn't need to return to its "mini World Cup" era, but they at least needed to stop the decline — and right now, even that seemed impossible.
While the Premier League and La Liga were pumping in huge investments and commercializing, Serie A was stuck worrying about survival.
"Fall behind one step, and it becomes a landslide."
In Suker's mind, it would take years before Serie A could recover — and who knew how long before it could truly revive.
Back to the present.
First match after winter break: AC Milan vs Napoli.
Also, the long-awaited debut match for Pato.
When Ancelotti announced the squad and called Pato's name, the kid leapt into the air with excitement.
Everyone could feel his joy and adrenaline — but at the same time, there was a hint of melancholy among the others.
They had once felt that same thrill — but it was a distant memory now.
And the farther away that memory felt, the closer they were to retirement or decline.
That's the current problem at Milan:An aging squad, lacking new blood.
Suker and Kaká were the current pillars — but what happens after they're gone?
It was a vicious cycle.If Milan couldn't rebuild its energy, competitiveness, and finances, they were on a one-way track downhill.
And so far, there was no clear way out.
San Siro Stadium — under a roar of cheers, the teams took the pitch.
Starting Lineups:
AC Milan (4-4-2)
GK: Dida
Defenders: Simic, Nesta, Maldini, Oddo
Midfielders: Kaká, Ambrosini, Pirlo, Seedorf
Forwards: Ronaldo, Pato
Napoli (4-4-2)
GK: Iezzo
Defenders: Paolo Cannavaro, Domizzi, Savini, Cupi
Midfielders: Sammarco, Hamsik, Gargano, Dalla Bona
Forwards: Roberto Sosa, Lavezzi
"The second half of the Serie A season begins with Napoli fielding a full-strength squad against AC Milan — a critical game for them!"
"We see Paolo Cannavaro returning after three matches out — can he live up to the reputation of his brother, Fabio Cannavaro?"
"But the real highlight is in AC Milan's lineup — a young figure from Brazil!"
"Alexandre Pato!The Brazilian prodigy, finally eligible to play after the winter break due to regulations back home."
"This is his first appearance, and Ancelotti has given him a starting role."
"Let's see what this 18-year-old can do!"
"And there's the camera on the bench — Ballon d'Or and World Player of the Year winner, AC Milan's superstar Suker, is watching from the sidelines.It seems Ancelotti is confident Milan can handle this even without him."
As the camera zoomed in on Suker, tens of thousands of fans chanted his name.
Suker smiled and waved politely to the stands.
But as the shot moved on, he rested his chin on his hand, bored.
"Blatant favoritism! Outright bias!"Suker muttered."When I joined Milan as a Champions League top scorer, I had to debut away, and not even as a starter.And this stray puppy gets a start right away?"
He got it, though — it was a matter of timing.
When he joined, Milan was thriving.Ancelotti wasn't interested in "talent" — if you succeeded, great. If not, goodbye.
Now, Milan was struggling, and they had to spoil their new prospects.
Just then, the assistant coach walked over and cleared his throat.
"The boss says… you can have Chinese food tomorrow."
Suker immediately gave him a thumbs-up.
"Respect!"
His mood instantly lifted.
Rubbing his hands together, he looked back at the field.
"Let's see if the little mutt gets kicked into tears!"
His teammates could only shake their heads at his mindset.
Kick-off.
The match began — and AC Milan immediately launched an offensive.
After a few quick passes, Pirlo launched a long ball into Napoli's half.
"Stay calm! Don't panic! He's just a rookie!"
Napoli defender Domizzi tried to settle his teammates while taking a jab at Pato.
Pato didn't like that.
His face darkened, and he burst toward the ball.
His acceleration stunned Domizzi — in just a blink, Pato was on him.
He headed the ball past Domizzi and into open space.
"Crap!"
Domizzi reached to grab him — but Pato had another gear.
Like a supercar slamming the gas pedal, he exploded forward, leaving Domizzi grasping air.
In one smooth move, Pato chested the ball down — and without hesitation, slammed it with his right foot, twisting his hips to generate power.
The ball flew low and fast toward the far post.
SWISH!Into the side netting.
The entire San Siro went silent for a moment.
AC Milan fans' eyes were wide.
They had seen many debuts —San Siro had no shortage of dazzling talent.
But to score 16 seconds into your first ever match, as a starter?
That was unheard of.
Then — the explosion.
BOOM!!!ROAAAAAR!!!
"Who is that?""Pato?!?""Sixteen seconds!""His speed is unreal!"
The fans were in a frenzy.
In this dreary transfer window, Pato's debut was a ray of light.
He reminded them of Kaká, of Suker —a new hope.
"Only 16 seconds into the game — and the Brazilian wonderkid, Alexandre Pato, has scored!"
"That explosive speed! That confidence!He tore Napoli's defense apart in his very first move!"
"Unbelievable!"
"This is his first Serie A appearance, and he's delivered a perfect answer!"
"Remember this name — Alexandre Pato.This kid is going places."
Pato stood by the corner flag, soaking in the roaring cheers from all sides.
Goosebumps ran all over his body.
He was trembling — not from fear, but from exhilaration.
He hadn't expected to score so soon — but this felt amazing.
At this moment, he finally felt what Suker always experienced at San Siro.
"Yes. This is it."
"Football is full of prodigies —Players who rise to fame with one goal.But the real test is whether they can keep it going."
Suker whispered softly to himself.
He slowly sat up and began to applaud.
"Nice goal, little mutt."