The All-Around Center Forward

Another Milan Derby.But this one felt different.

Since Mourinho took over at Inter Milan, the team's overall intensity had visibly improved.

Even though the chemistry wasn't quite perfect yet, their defensive strength under his guidance had already become evident.

Mourinho had trained this team into a well-drilled unit—particularly in zonal and linked-up defending—and they displayed a whole new range of attributes during matches: fighting spirit, resilience, hunger...

While the pieces were still clicking into place, Inter fans were hopeful.

Inter Milan had long been dubbed the "Graveyard of Superstars."From Ronaldo, Figo, Zamorano, to Vieri...And younger talents like Recoba, Ventola, Mutu, and even Pirlo—they all struggled at Inter.

Then there were players like Bergkamp, Baggio, Seedorf, Pirlo, Cannavaro, and Mutu—who all thrived the moment they left Inter. This made it clear: the issue wasn't player quality, but rather tactics, management, and overall club environment.

Even when they had stars, Inter were consistently crushed by AC Milan.

And after Suker's explosive rise, Inter nearly had mental breakdowns on multiple occasions.

Back then, Inter always seemed unstable.

Even when they had the lead or controlled the match, they just couldn't close it out.

But now, Mourinho had begun to forge Inter into a cohesive machine.

You could see it clearly—from their structured game phases.

In the past, Inter players seemed lost. They didn't know what to do unless a star dictated the tempo—and even then, the team lacked coordination, which ultimately cost them matches.

Now? Their gameplay was broken into segments every ten minutes, with clearly different strategies: attack, defend, press.

They moved as one unit—like a disciplined army.

It wasn't perfect yet, but the transformation was real.

That's why Inter fans began to believe in Mourinho.

This Portuguese madman was indeed bringing something new to their club.

And they hoped there was more to come.

March 15th.

Crowds of Inter fans poured toward the stadium, proudly wearing their blue and black jerseys.

The Nerazzurri were shouting chants like "Long live Milan!" as they marched, determined to take down AC Milan on their home turf.

On the other side of town, the Rossoneri fans (AC Milan supporters) stood tall as well.

In the first half of the season, Milan had lost to Inter away.Now they were ready to get their revenge at home.

Their biggest source of confidence?

Suker was back.

With Suker on the pitch, they feared no one.

Not Inter.Not Mourinho.No one.

"Suker? In my opinion, he's not even a proper striker.He's not as strong as Drogba, not as agile as Messi, not as explosive as Ronaldo.He seems to dabble in everything, but that's actually a problem—he lacks a defining strength.I prefer players with clear traits.Suker has none."

On TV, Mourinho coldly dismissed Suker.

Despite all of Suker's accolades, Mourinho didn't hold back.

Suker, watching this on television, showed no reaction.

Anyone familiar with Mourinho knew—this was textbook mind games.

He loved playing with off-field narratives to influence on-field performance.If he could mess with a key player's mindset just by talking, why not?

"Such arrogance!" Kaká frowned.

Anyone would be annoyed by such a comment.

Especially someone like Suker, who was notoriously petty.

But this time, Suker seemed weirdly calm—which made Kaká suspicious.

"You okay?"

"What could possibly be wrong?" Suker stretched, unfazed.

Kaká pointed to the TV hanging in the locker room.

"You're not gonna clap back?"

Suker shrugged:

"Scoring goals is the best form of rebuttal."

Bull.Kaká didn't believe him.

Suker was the type to never let things go.

If he was being quiet now, it only meant he was planning something bigger—like winning, then rubbing Mourinho's nose in it.

As the players lined up in the tunnel, tension filled the air.

The two head coaches walked out first.

As Mourinho passed, Suker subtly leaned into him, and their shoulders bumped.

Mourinho turned sharply to glare at Suker.

Suker raised an eyebrow in return.

They didn't speak—but their eyes locked in challenge.

Mourinho recognized the move immediately—Suker's way of retaliating.

Mourinho scoffed and brushed off his shoulder, as if brushing off dirt.

Suker simply smiled, pointed to his own eyes, then at Mourinho.

"I'll be watching you."

Understanding the message, Mourinho turned and walked on.

Suker rejoined his teammates in the line.

The head referee watched the whole exchange and sighed.

As an Italian ref, he had officiated three Inter matches this season.

And every single time, Mourinho had clashed with opposing players.

In one extreme case, both coach and player were sent off with red cards.

Without a doubt, this Portuguese man was a walking disaster magnet.

Because of him, the referee committee had to adjust their refereeing standards just for Inter.

Inter games had become nightmares to officiate.

If you gave light calls to the opponent, Mourinho would scream about rigged refs and unleash hell in the post-match presser.

If you favored Inter, he'd still scream—and then sue you.

The media loved it, though.

They were obsessed with Mourinho's antics—sometimes more than the match itself.

In many games, he was the main character, not the players.

Now, the players stood ready.

The starting lineups were announced:

AC Milan (4-4-2):

GK: Dida

DEF: Favalli, Kaladze, Šimunić, Jankulovski

MID: Kaká, Gattuso, Pirlo, Beckham

FW: Pato, Suker

Inter Milan (4-4-2):

GK: Julio César

DEF: Maicon, Rivas, Chivu, Srna

MID: Stanković, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari

FW: Ibrahimović, Adriano

WHOOSH!!!

The crowd at San Siro exploded.

AC Milan fans roared, cheering their team on.

The Inter supporters tried to respond—but their voices were drowned out by the roar of the home crowd.

On the touchline, Mourinho was furiously gesturing, whipping up the visiting fans with energy and chants.

Soon, the Inter fans found their rhythm, and their chants began piercing through the noise.

Mourinho gave a big thumbs-up to the stands.

The fans erupted again.

Before the match had even started, the cameras were already focused heavily on Mourinho.

He was more animated than most players.

But he had succeeded—the Inter players were fired up, morale was high.

In terms of pre-match atmosphere, Mourinho had already taken control.

Suker looked at Mourinho from the pitch.

This Mourinho was still young and fiery, lacking the stability and polish of later years—but brimming with aggression.

He picked fights with everyone, doing whatever it took to win.

His drive to win was borderline obsessive—which made him great, but also dangerous.

At this stage, his defensive system wasn't fully refined.

It was tough—but too rigid.

The lack of flexibility would inevitably lead to cracks.

And Suker?

He was the spear to break the shield.

He would strike precisely at the weakest point, to tear Mourinho's fortress apart.