The All-Around Center Forward

The year 2009 was a remarkable one.

In 2008, the Olympics held in the capital of a great Eastern nation had stunned the world with its immense scale and grandeur.

Then came the 2008 European Championship, where Croatia delivered a sensational performance.

A spirited group of young men, led by Suker, shocked the world by winning the trophy in their first European Championship appearance. Their "Rhapsody" resounded across the globe.

By then, Suker and his Croatian teammates had become global icons.

The 2009 Champions League also drew massive attention.

Manchester United and Barcelona were neck and neck.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi became the most talked-about stars of the year.

Although AC Milan had been eliminated from the Champions League and Suker had no chance to participate in its latter stages—The dream of a three-way rivalry couldn't materialize.

Even so, the Champions League final was highly anticipated.

More importantly, football was stepping into a new era.

Suker had fired the first shot of this new generation, leading the transition from the likes of Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo, into the age of Suker, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi.

This new era was just as exciting, and football remained as fiery as ever.

Some people's youth ended here—But many others were just getting started.

In the 2008/2009 Europa League, after Suker's return, AC Milan went on a hot streak.

After defeating Inter Milan and taking advantage of Juventus's slip-up, they climbed to second place in the standings.

Now, they were just two points behind the league leaders.

The first half of their season had been bumpy, but the second half was a fierce chase.

That was AC Milan's main theme this season.

But those two points would be hard to recover.

With only a few matches remaining and Inter's opponents not posing much threat, Mourinho's Inter had stabilized and were only improving.

AC Milan had few opportunities left to mount a comeback.

Fortunately, they still had the Europa League to fight for.

The Europa League final was held at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.

This is the home ground of one of Turkey's big three clubs—Fenerbahçe.

The final featured Shakhtar Donetsk vs. AC Milan.

Historically, AC Milan had never won a Europa League title.

Compared to their eight Champions League trophies, the lack of a single Europa League title was striking.

This final, then, was a fresh opportunity to claim a brand-new piece of silverware.

Though to be honest, it was a bit of a consolation prize—after all, they were only playing in this competition because they were eliminated from the Champions League.

The Europa League final acted as a curtain-raiser for the upcoming Champions League final, scheduled three days later between Manchester United and Barcelona.

That match would draw the world's attention.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi—two of the brightest stars, and the only ones remotely capable of challenging Suker's accolades.

Naturally, their showdown drew intense media focus.

When Suker and the Milan team arrived in Turkey, they were surprised to see a familiar face at the hotel.

"Boss?"

Suker was stunned.

It was Maldini, who had retired a year ago, appearing at the hotel with his family.

"Suker, long time no see."

Maldini looked the same as always.Despite retirement, he hadn't gained weight—proof of his self-discipline.

Unlike many former players who let themselves go after retirement, Maldini clearly took care of himself.

Suker, Gattuso, Kaká, Pirlo, Ambrosini—all rushed over, happy to see him again.

Suker ran his hand through Maldini's hair, which had been cut short from its trademark long flow.

"Why the haircut? It used to look cool."

Maldini smiled:

"I've retired. I wanted a fresh start. Don't like it?"

"Nope." Suker answered bluntly.

Maldini laughed and gave him a playful kick, which Suker dodged easily.

"Paolo, are you here to cheer us on?" boomed Gattuso. "Watch this—I'll bring back the Europa League trophy for you!"

"Ooooh~~ Ivan's gonna win us a trophy~~""The mighty Ivan, coming for European glory~~"

Suker and Pirlo teased in mock excitement.

Maldini looked at the lively group and smiled:

"You guys haven't changed a bit."

He then turned to Ambrosini:

"You've done really well."

Ambrosini smiled a little awkwardly and glanced at Suker, Gattuso, and Pirlo.

The truth was—the three of them had been more subdued this season.

Maybe it was Maldini's presence that lightened the mood and brought them back to their old selves, if only temporarily.

"I'll be at the stadium tomorrow to cheer you on," Maldini added."Now I'll leave you to it."

As Maldini and his family left the hotel, Suker and the others checked in.

In his room, Suker tossed his suitcase by the wall and flopped straight onto the bed.

Kaká followed suit.

"Three more matches," Kaká said.

Suker turned his head.

"Three matches… and then you're gone."

Suker nodded.

One Europa League final, and two league games (home and away).

The 37th league match, at home, would be Suker's farewell.

His final appearance at San Siro in an AC Milan jersey.

The fans were already cherishing that match deeply.

Kaká looked a little melancholic.

He had turned down Real Madrid's offer—planning to stay one more season in Milan.

As for the future… that was still uncertain.

They didn't say much after that.After unpacking and eating a light dinner, they went to bed early.

Istanbul was a painful place for Milan fans.

Even though years had passed, returning there still brought back negative emotions.

They had avenged their loss to Liverpool, and that helped—But the stain of the "Istanbul Nightmare" was never truly erased.

Europa League Final Night.

The entire city of Istanbul was buzzing.

Though the Europa League didn't have the weight of the Champions League, this final still drew attention—thanks to AC Milan and the star power of Suker.

The stadium was more packed than usual.

Many local fans were there just to watch Suker,and as a result, AC Milan's supporters far outnumbered Shakhtar's.

"The Europa League Final is about to begin. Facing Shakhtar Donetsk, can AC Milan win their first-ever Europa League title?And can Suker, before leaving Milan, gift the club one last trophy?"

Amid cheers from the crowd, the players walked out of the tunnel.

Starting Lineups:

AC Milan (4-3-3):

GK: Dida

DF: Zambrotta, Nesta, Šimunić, Jankulovski

MF: Gattuso, Pirlo, Beckham

FW: Pato, Suker, Ronaldinho

Shakhtar Donetsk (4-4-2):

GK: Pyatov

DF: Kucher, Vyacheslav, Brandão, Chygrynskiy

MF: Willian, Ilsinho, Fernandinho, Hübschman

FW: Luiz, Jelavić

"What are you doing here?"

Suker stared in surprise at Jelavić.

The latter scratched his head, thinking Suker had forgotten him.

Back when he was just a benchwarmer at Dinamo Zagreb, they hadn't interacted much.

But Suker still remembered him.

"I just transferred this year," Jelavić explained.

Suker nodded.

"Good luck!"

Then he returned to his lineup.

Soon, both sides were lined up and ready.

The match was about to begin.

All eyes were on the pitch.

Shakhtar Donetsk, from Ukraine, had a real shot at glory—winning the Europa League title.

But standing in their way was a mountain called AC Milan.

Still, no matter how tough it seemed, they had to try.

Especially for Jelavić, who saw this as his chance to prove himself and rejoin Europe's top leagues.

AC Milan was formidable—But Shakhtar weren't without hope.

That said, if they couldn't stop Suker, nothing else would matter.