Chapter 217: Sampdoria

The one thing football clubs fear most is teammates stealing each other's wives or girlfriends, or getting cheated on.

So, the club immediately brought in the involved parties—Suker and Inzaghi—for a talk.

After a brief investigation, they understood the full story and issued a statement to the public.

At first, AC Milan fans were genuinely worried.

On one side was Inzaghi, a veteran of the club.

On the other, their rising superstar.

A conflict between the two could easily tear the team apart.

But once they saw the official club statement, they couldn't help but burst out laughing:

"Suker was upset that Inzaghi didn't introduce him to any girls, so he disrupted Inzaghi's date!"

Reading that short explanation, AC Milan fans laughed like fools.

If any other team had released such a statement, it might have seemed fishy.

But with AC Milan's jokesters, pranks between teammates had long been a norm.

Still, Suker was inexperienced and hadn't anticipated the paparazzi's involvement.

As a result, a massive scandal exploded!

And while making up rumors is easy, clearing them up is a nightmare.

Even with an official announcement, multiple versions of the "Suker vs. Inzaghi over a girl" story spread all over Europe.

"I'm seriously the unluckiest guy ever!" Suker groaned.

Kaká scolded him, "I told you not to go. Filippo's always got some drama going on. He didn't include you to protect you. Unless you also want to become a wreck."

Suker: "…"

"Whatever, I'll just shut up for a while," Suker sighed.

"Well, not everyone wants to stay silent," Nesta chimed in, walking over with a smirk. "Deska just posted—she said if it's you, she'd totally date you!"

"Aaaahhhhhh!" Suker flopped onto the bench, scratching his head.

"So annoying!"

Maldini and the others chuckled at Suker.

To them, this wasn't a bad thing. It was a rite of passage for becoming a true star.

If you've never dealt with media rumors and tabloid nonsense, can you really call yourself a celebrity?

You need controversy or charisma to become a household name.

"Alright, time to get ready. We're heading out."

AC Milan was about to play the third round of the Serie A season.

They would be away against Sampdoria.

Once a member of the famed "Seven Sisters" of Serie A, this Genoa-based club had always marched to its own beat.

During Serie A's golden age—known as the "Little World Cup"—when superstars from all over the world gathered:

The Dutch trio, the German engine, Platini, Boniek, Falcao, Sócrates, Laudrup, Passarella…

Even underdogs like Verona and Udinese signed greats like Elkjaer and Zico.

Down south, Napoli famously brought in Maradona.

But Sampdoria took a different approach. Rather than invest heavily in transfers, they hired a then-rookie coach named Marcello Lippi and focused on developing youth players.

Maurizio Ganz, Enrico Chiesa, and Del Piero were all products of their system.

Their philosophy: "Spend less, achieve more."

The result was a young, energetic squad with a unique and fearless playing style.

In the 1990–91 season, they defied the odds, surpassing Inter and the reigning champions Napoli, and won their first-ever Serie A title.

The following season, they reached the Champions League final—just one step away from glory.

That era of Sampdoria was one of flair and passion, sparking a "Sampdoria Craze" around the world.

But as fate would have it, tragedy struck. Club president Paolo Mantovani died in a car accident, and the decline began.

By the 21st century, the glory days were long gone.

Still, Sampdoria clung to their past, forever reminiscing about that golden era.

Every season, they set ambitious goals.

Last season, they aimed to win their second Serie A title.

When that didn't happen, they boldly declared this season they were going for a domestic double!

Facing a formidable AC Milan, both Sampdoria's fans and officials talked tough:

"At the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, AC Milan will leave in defeat!"

"What a loudmouth bunch," Suk muttered as he read the headlines, visibly annoyed.

Already irritated by the recent gossip, this only fueled his fire.

Sampdoria wanted Milan to taste defeat?

Then Suker would answer them with a solo demolition job!

Just wait and see.

Sampdoria might talk tough, but their formation said otherwise.

Sampdoria (5-4-1):GK: AntonioliDEF: Castellini, Zenoni, Pavan, Pisano, TonettoMID: Zauli, Dallabona, Volpi, DianaFW: Bonazzoli

AC Milan (4-3-2-1):GK: DidaDEF: Costacurta, Nesta, Stam, MaldiniMID: Gattuso, Pirlo, SeedorfFW: Suker, Shevchenko, Rui Costa

This match, Kaká didn't start and instead sat on the bench.

Suker took up the right attacking midfield position.

Since Suker could play on both flanks, Ancelotti adjusted accordingly.

This was also in preparation for the latter stages of the season.

Over a long campaign, problems inevitably arise. A single lineup can't carry the team all the way.

That's why Ancelotti began rotating early to develop chemistry between different combinations.

Especially between Suker and Shevchenko—he hoped to see some creative sparks.

Thanks to his previous excellent performances, Suker continued to start.

With Kaká on the bench, Suker also had more responsibility in driving the attack forward.

Rui Costa mainly focused on linking play and supporting Suker.

By now, the Milan veterans had realized it was time to make way for the new generation.

They no longer insisted on dominating tactics—as long as they could still be part of the squad, they were happy.

As Suker stood on the pitch at Sampdoria's stadium, the crowd showered them with boos.

When the camera zoomed in on Suker, the boos grew louder.

Some fans even shouted "Deska!"—mocking Suker with taunts.

Clearly, this was psychological warfare.

Suker rolled his eyes.

Only a fool would fall for that!

"Suker starts again today. Since joining AC Milan, he's integrated into the team seamlessly, showing no signs of awkwardness and bringing new dimensions to their attack."

"For Milan fans, they look forward to watching both midweek Champions League games and weekend Serie A matches!"

"They want to see this Croatian prodigy deliver beautiful passes at San Siro!"

"There's no denying—Suker has made AC Milan's offense more fluid and dynamic!"

"Now, against Sampdoria's five-defender, four-midfielder setup, how will Suker perform?"

Suker stared forward.

A 5-4-1 formation—also known as "one-wave tactic."

Ultra-defensive, waiting for a single counter.

Midfield and defense stacked densely, clogging all passing lanes.

Strength: solid defense.

Weakness: very little offensive firepower.

Counterattacks rely heavily on wing-backs sprinting forward.

Milan kicked off.

As soon as play started, Suk moved into Sampdoria's half.

Their four midfielders aligned diagonally toward Suk's side.

Clearly, they feared his attacking prowess.

Bam!Suker passed backward and then dropped deeper into his own half.

"No rush. Let's drag their midfield out a bit," Suker called.

Milan didn't push the tempo.

Even in the worst case, they'd leave with a draw.

So they stalled.

Suker wasn't some hotheaded player who only knew how to charge forward.

Different games, formations, and contexts require different tempos.

This one? Sampdoria clearly wanted to "draw or steal a win" at home.

If they even hinted at attacking, Milan could exploit it.

So AC Milan just parked in possession.

Sampdoria's midfield didn't press?

Then we'll just pass around in our half and let your striker chase shadows.

Frustrated? Then come press us!

Suker even drifted back to midfield.

Shevchenko strolled up front.

This wasn't laziness. It was tactical patience.

20 minutes passed.

Sampdoria occasionally won the ball, but Milan always took it back quickly and resumed their calm possession.

20 whole minutes of this!

Sampdoria fans started yawning.

Even the goalkeepers were losing focus.

Wham!

Suker passed back again.

Sampdoria's lone striker, Bonazzoli, lost it and slammed into Suker.

"Hey!" Suker raised his hand.

The ref rushed over and gave Bonazzoli a stern warning.

The striker was fuming.

He'd spent 20 minutes running his lungs out while his teammates just stood and watched.

He was being used as a decoy monkey.

Already frustrated by defensive tactics, this was unbearable.

Suker dusted himself off and grinned.

He could tell—Sampdoria's midfield was about to crack.

They couldn't hold back any longer.