Chapter 185: The Cool Guys
As the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals approach, excitement is sweeping across Europe.
The eight remaining teams in the Champions League are:
AC Milan, Liverpool, Juventus, Lyon, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Dinamo Zagreb.
These clubs are either elite powerhouses from the top five European leagues or rapidly rising newcomers.
Of course, Dinamo Zagreb is an outlier, but their Cinderella story has earned them widespread attention.
Dinamo Zagreb eliminated Manchester United with two wins to advance to the quarterfinals.
Their opponent in the next round is the Italian titan, AC Milan!
When it comes to AC Milan, they're widely considered the top contender for this year's Champions League title.
Whether it's current form, squad depth, or tactical discipline, AC Milan has all the ingredients of a championship-caliber team. They have no notable weaknesses and are peaking at just the right time.
So it's no surprise they're the favorites to lift the trophy.
On one side is an established European giant; on the other is this season's biggest "dark horse."
Their head-to-head clash is naturally drawing massive attention.
One year ago, the youthful Ajax squad from the Netherlands crashed out against AC Milan, their dreams dashed on Italian soil.
Now, one year later — can Dinamo Zagreb break free from this invisible ceiling? That's the hot topic among pundits and fans alike.
Of course, the mighty AC Milan has the lion's share of support.
No matter how you look at it, a dark horse is still a dark horse. Climbing to the top is a Herculean task.
But AC Milan? They came into this tournament with the championship as their only goal.
April 6th.The entire AC Milan team arrives in Zagreb by plane.
They'll hold one training session here before tomorrow's match.
As the Italian stars disembark, each of them exudes charisma — even in training kits, they manage to look like they're strutting down a catwalk.
Led by Ancelotti, the lineup of stylish players follows behind him:
The commanding Maldini!
The dashing Nesta!
The refined and elegant Inzaghi!
The effortlessly cool Shevchenko, and...
The scholarly and warm Kaká, with his signature gold-rimmed glasses.
This group of guys could easily debut as an idol group — each one more handsome than the last.
Of course, Gattuso brought the average down a bit. Snarling as always, he strode ahead like a tiger, with Pirlo behind him, hiding a red face behind a mask.
"Forza Milan!"
"Forza Milan!"
"Forza Milan!"
Amid thunderous cheers, the AC Milan squad boards their team bus.
Inside, Kaká folds his glasses into a case and turns to the grumpy Gattuso, smiling:"Still mad?"
Gattuso shoots a death glare at Pirlo.
"Bastard!"
He lands another punch to Pirlo's gut.
What happened at the airport? Pirlo, feeling playful, sneak-attacked Gattuso with a "Thousand Years of Death" poke to the butt. The two of them chased each other around the terminal until Gattuso finally caught him and slapped him across the face — like swatting a fly.
Pirlo's face turned red, hence the mask.
Now smug again, Pirlo chuckled:"Did you see Ivan's reaction earlier? Priceless."
"I'll rip your damn mouth off!"
Gattuso grabbed Pirlo by the shoulders and shook him so hard his long hair went flying, leaving him dizzy.
Inzaghi, sitting in front, turned around and snapped:"Pirlo, stop messing with Ivan."
Pirlo shrugged, "I can't help myself."
Kaká curled up from the hit but burst out laughing anyway.
The playful crew arrived at their hotel, still joking around.
But Ancelotti immediately called for a tactical meeting.
"Tomorrow is the match. Make sure you all get proper rest tonight."
He added, "Pirlo, don't prank Gattuso again. He has a huge task ahead of him. Let him rest."
Pirlo smiled, "Fine. I'll give him a day off."
Wham!Another punch from Gattuso to Pirlo's stomach.
Pirlo retaliated by yanking out Gattuso's chair — sending him crashing to the ground.
The room erupted in laughter.
Gattuso, face red with embarrassment, chased Pirlo in circles.
"I swear I'll kill you!"
"I'm not crazy! You'll never catch me!"
Seedorf suddenly stepped in and grabbed Pirlo:"I got him, Ivan!"
"Nice work!" Gattuso shouted, vaulting over the table and pinning Pirlo to the floor, furiously tickling his ribs.
Pirlo convulsed with laughter, gasping for air.
Even Ancelotti could only shake his head helplessly:"Paolo, take care of them."
"Are you two done yet?" came Maldini's calm but commanding voice.
Instantly, Gattuso stopped. Pirlo stood up shakily.
"Back to your seats," Maldini ordered sternly.
They obeyed without protest.
Order was restored.
Ancelotti cleared his throat and continued:"Dinamo Zagreb is a very dangerous attacking team. They're young but their front line is extremely cohesive — especially their No. 9 and No. 10."
He elaborated:
"No. 9, Suker, born in 1986, only 19 years old, but he's already scored 10 goals in 8 UCL matches."
"That kind of efficiency makes him a lethal threat. Though he often starts on the left wing, he's two-footed and can dribble, create, and shoot. He's a multi-functional forward — the key piece in their offensive transitions. We must shut him down!"
Gattuso slapped his chest:"Leave it to me. I'll shut him up."
The room nodded in approval.
Gattuso, nicknamed "The Butcher," is a ferocious but clean defender — fearsome in looks, but fair in play.
Ancelotti continued:
"No. 10 is Luka Modrić, 20 years old — a midfield maestro with tremendous organization and control. Manchester United lost to him because he dictated the midfield tempo. We can't let him do that to us."
Pirlo nodded:"Don't worry."
As one of Europe's top midfielders, Pirlo was confident he could contain the young prodigy.
"I'll add one more thing — watch out for Suker's late runs into the box."
Ancelotti warned:"He reminds me of Pippo. He could be a silent assassin."
The defenders all nodded solemnly.
They'd spent extra time lately practicing against Inzaghi's ghost-like runs — prepping for precisely this kind of threat.
This was the quarterfinals. No one could afford to let their guard down.
After last year's quarterfinal exit, AC Milan is laser-focused on winning the title this time.
Ancelotti concluded:"Front-line buildup will be led by Kaká, with Pippo and Sheva finishing. That's all for now."
He gave one last sharp look:
"Pirlo — seriously, no more messing with Gattuso!"
Meanwhile, Dinamo Zagreb was also deep in tactical prep.
But compared to Milan's detailed breakdown, theirs was more straightforward:
"We'll all drop back together when defending. Our back line can't match AC Milan's strength, so we need numbers — outnumber them in every zone!"
"In transition, Suker may drop back to receive. If he's closely marked, he can push higher while Mario drops back to distribute."
Mandžukić gave Suker a thumbs-up:"I've picked up a few tricks."
Suker grinned:"Then I'll be waiting for your pass."
"You got it!"
Mandžukić and Modrić had been practicing coordinated movements — especially the classic "center-forward drop and distribute" patterns.
While Mandžukić lacked Suker's flair, his structured passing could still pose a threat — especially if it helped free up Suker to wreak havoc up front.
Yes — Dinamo Zagreb lacks the star power of AC Milan.
Milan had Inzaghi, Shevchenko, and Kaká.
But Zagreb would maximize their greatest weapon — Suker — and try to pierce Milan's mighty defense with a single deadly strike.
Theoretically, it was possible. Whether it would work, only tomorrow would tell.
That said, Zagreb was under far less pressure.
They had a calm mindset now.
They would fight for the win — but even if they lost, it didn't matter.
What mattered most was playing their style, playing beautifully, and showing their best on the Champions League stage.
Coach Bešić clapped his hands:
"All right, boys. Get some good rest. Tomorrow will be the toughest match we've ever played. Be mentally prepared — and don't be afraid of making mistakes!"
Fueled by his words, the players roared together, rallying their fighting spirit.
Inside, their hearts were burning with excitement.
Facing this legendary AC Milan squad in the Champions League quarterfinals?
It doesn't get more epic than this.