Chapter 182: Comprehensive Medical Check-up

"We won!! We won!!!"

"Dinamo Zagreb!"

"Unbelievable match! I still feel like I'm dreaming!"

"In the two-legged Champions League Round of 16 tie, Dinamo Zagreb eliminated Manchester United with a 5–3 aggregate score to reach the quarterfinals!"

"This is a dream-like season!"

"These young lads from Dinamo Zagreb keep breaking records and making history—it's simply incredible!"

"Let's congratulate Dinamo Zagreb! They beat the mighty Manchester United and advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals!"

"This is the new generation from Croatia! This is the youth storm!"

"I believe Davor Šuker must be incredibly proud to witness this—this is a country with only 4 million people, yet it has such fertile football soil!"

"The era of Davor Šuker is not over—Croatia still has this group of youngsters."

At this point, commentator Kraljević couldn't help but sigh, "I really can't wait to see these youngsters don the national team jersey!"

Saying this, he turned to look at Davor Šuker.

Though Šuker was equally thrilled, he shook his head and said, "Let them play more club matches first. Don't disturb them—let these young players focus on the top stage in Europe. The time to call them up will come when they are fully ready."

"I congratulate them for reaching the Champions League quarterfinals, but they must understand that from this point on, the real intensity of the competition begins."

"Of course, making it this far is already an incredible achievement. From now on, they just need to enjoy each game!"

"They're still young, with long careers ahead. Don't push their bodies into injury just for this first Champions League campaign—this is only the beginning."

Šuker's words were full of care and hope for the young players.

Of course, he also wanted to see them continue their Champions League journey.

But not at the cost of injuries.

These youngsters had already played more than a full season without much rest.

Their bodies were already under great strain.

Reaching the quarterfinals was enough!

They had already proven themselves.

The path ahead couldn't be carried by a single squad—no matter how strong the elite teams are, they rotate players.

Dinamo Zagreb still lacked depth.

Of course, fans didn't care about all that—they simply celebrated Dinamo Zagreb's historic run to the Champions League quarterfinals.

It was destined to be a raucous night in Zagreb.

Manchester United left quickly.

Ferguson didn't give the media any opportunity to mock or criticize him.

For him, being knocked out of the Champions League meant it was time to focus on rebuilding the squad.

Yes!

Ferguson had made up his mind—to rebuild the team.

In the past, he dared to promote the entire Class of '92 to the first team and overhaul the squad.

Now, he was ready to clear the locker room and start anew.

Of course, that wouldn't happen overnight.

It would take at least one or two seasons—but Ferguson already had a plan in mind and was ready to implement it.

Cristiano Ronaldo was deeply disappointed.

Even though he scored twice in the match, he still couldn't lead his team to victory.

He hadn't become the savior.

To him, it meant he still wasn't good enough.

But he wasn't one to give up easily.

His rivalry with Šuker was far from over.

This was just the beginning!

After this season, Šuker would surely transfer to a top-five league, and likely to a Champions League-caliber club.

When that time comes, Ronaldo would get his revenge.

After defeating Manchester United, Dinamo Zagreb advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals.

For Šuker and his teammates, this was a massive achievement.

The locker room exploded with celebration.

Srna and the others were jumping shirtless, shouting and dancing.

Everyone was releasing their joy.

Šuker was right there among them—thrilled and ecstatic.

After some time, Coach Bešić called for everyone to return to the bench.

He didn't deliver a victory speech. Instead, he said, "Tomorrow, the entire first team will undergo a medical check-up."

His words surprised Šuker and the others.

A medical check-up?

In the middle of the season?

They were confused.

But players like Štimac understood.

This wasn't just a medical—it was an injury risk assessment.

Bešić was an ambitious coach. He had pushed Šuker and Modrić hard, wanting to etch their names into the club's history before they moved on.

He was selfish, but not heartless.

Since last season, these core players had barely rested.

Their bodies were already under significant strain.

Bešić did want more glory—but not at the expense of completely burning out his young stars.

If he pushed too hard, even Davor Šuker and legends like Boban would publicly criticize him.

These kids were national treasures.

If something happened, no one could bear the consequences.

The next day, Dinamo Zagreb organized a full medical evaluation.

Every single player underwent comprehensive checks.

Professional doctors would analyze their injury risk.

Bešić still held onto a sliver of hope—maybe his players were iron men.

But the results poured cold water on that hope.

Out of the 11 main players, nearly all had injury risks—except for Šuker, Mandžukić, Valaević, and goalkeeper Grestečić.

All the others, including Modrić, had potential injury problems.

"This is really bad…"

In his office, Bešić looked over the medical reports, face full of worry.

He wanted to push for more titles—but Dinamo Zagreb simply lacked the depth.

Their bench players, though decent, couldn't truly replace the starters.

And he couldn't ask his stars to stay another season.

"Is this really the end?" Bešić muttered, holding his head.

He had always been aware of the risk of injuries, but their successive victories had helped him ignore it.

Now, the team had reached the Champions League quarterfinals.

These young players had already done more than enough—he had no justification to keep pushing them to the breaking point.

"What now?" Bešić turned to his assistant coach.

Assistant coach Kleiman sighed, "We can't pretend we didn't see this."

"Let them decide for themselves," Bešić said, resigned.

That evening, Bešić summoned all the players on the injury list, including Modrić.

"…This is the situation. You all have injury risks," he said, looking at the group.

Everyone frowned.

The mood was heavy.

After coming this far, giving up was a hard pill to swallow.

But with the risk of serious injury looming, it was also a massive career risk.

"I'm out," Srna raised his hand.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Modrić's face darkened, his eyes seemingly asking, "Are you running away?"

Srna quickly waved his hands. "Don't look at me like that. This is the smart choice."

"First of all, we need to be responsible for our own futures. Is one Champions League run really worth it? Even if we play, can we really win? What if we suffer career-ending injuries? I don't want to take that chance. Call me a coward or a deserter—I just can't take that gamble."

"I won't play games with my career on the line."

"Of course, if it were the Champions League final—or a World Cup final—I'd play through if needed. No one wants to give up on that kind of opportunity. But this isn't one of those."

"Our careers are just beginning. I don't want to cut it short."

"For a vague dream of Champions League glory, it's not worth risking it all."

Srna's words left everyone in silence.

Modrić pursed his lips and asked, "Is it really that bad?"

Bešić replied, "Injury risks are unpredictable. Could be next match, could be after the season."

Štimac added, "We're fine—we're retiring after this season. But they can't afford it."

Jarni also looked to Bešić.

"You know what we mean."

These Croatian golden generation veterans saw Šuker, Modrić, and the others as their legacy.

If Bešić stubbornly pushed them, they would rebel immediately.

"We'll use backups in the league. Give us some rest and see if we recover," Vukojević suggested.

"There's nearly a month until the next Champions League match—maybe we can heal in time."

Everyone's eyes lit up at the idea.

Srna nodded. "If we can lower the risk, then it's worth a shot. Giving up now really would be frustrating."

Bešić agreed. "Alright, for now, backups will play the league matches. The starters will do recovery training. The club will bring in physical therapists to help you relax and recover as quickly as possible."

"That's it. In 20 days, we'll do another medical check-up. If the doctors give the green light, that'll be the best outcome. If not…"

He paused. "Then it's time to rest."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

They accepted the plan.