The All-Around Center Forward

In the final two rounds of the 2008/2009 Serie A season, AC Milan won both matches, but still couldn't shake Inter Milan from the top spot.

They fell short by just 2 points, but without any direct confrontations left, no other Serie A team could stop Inter's rising momentum.

Inter Milan was too solid—Or rather, Mourinho was too solid.

Although AC Milan kept closing the gap after Suker's return, they ultimately failed to overtake Inter and missed out on the 2008/2009 Serie A title.

Inter Milan, after years of pressure, finally claimed the crown.

At the same time, Mourinho became a beacon of hope for their rise.

The biggest blow: starting next season, Suker would leave Serie A.With Suker gone, AC Milan's overall competitiveness would plunge sharply.

Though Inter Milan's squad would also lose Ibrahimović to Barcelona, the impact wasn't as severe as Milan's loss.

On May 30, the 38th round marked the end of the Serie A season.

AC Milan took home the UEFA Europa League title this year—a valuable trophy amid a tough start.

In the Champions League, the final between Barcelona and Manchester United was fiercely contested, going into extra time and almost heading to penalties.

In the final moments, African cheetah Eto'o sprinted past Manchester United's defense, securing the Champions League trophy for Barcelona.

This season, Barcelona achieved the treble: Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey.

After one year of preparation, Guardiola finally demonstrated his formidable leadership.

They replicated Ferguson's treble feat, making Barcelona a team feared across world football.

Facing such a rival, Real Madrid felt enormous pressure.

As one of La Liga's two giants, seeing Barcelona dominate so spectacularly and claim all honors left them anxious.

This season, Real Madrid had won nothing.

Their Champions League run also continued the usual disappointing pattern.

However, in May, with Florentino Pérez officially elected as Real Madrid president, talks to sign Suker began.

Now, many Real fans eagerly awaited the arrival of the Croatian superstar.

They believed Suker's arrival would solve their aging frontline problem and add new strength.

On June 1, Real Madrid officially announced the start of Suker's transfer.

Having already negotiated previously, the process was incredibly swift.

By the end of just one morning, Real Madrid and AC Milan had completed the deal.

That afternoon, Real Madrid's press office held a conference.

Florentino Pérez, the newly elected president, announced that Suker would arrive in Madrid on July 1.

After medical checks, he would officially join the club.

With everything settled, Real fans were overjoyed.

At this moment, they needed a boost, and Suker was exactly that.

Anyone who had seen Suker play knew how powerful he was.

Though Real fans loved Raúl, the truth was he was aging.

They needed a younger striker.

And Suker was the perfect choice.

The whole football world talked about the "One-Hundred-Million Man."

This record-breaking transfer fee made Suker the center of attention in football worldwide.

At this time, Suker was preparing to move out of Milan.

Since he had already decided to leave, he didn't hesitate.

He packed his belongings early and sent them to Spain.

He himself would arrive in Madrid before July 1.

During this period, Suker planned to visit Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, revisiting old places.

"Be careful with this box—it's full of trophies. Don't break them."

"Move those boxes out first, the rest come last!"

A mover holding a dog asked,

"What do we do with the dog?"

Luna, panting and curious, looked around.

The dog was excited, thinking her owner was playing with her.

Suker thought for a moment and said,

"Put her with Kaká for now. When I get to Spain, I'll arrange to have her shipped over."

"Alright, I guess that's the only way."

Suker didn't know many people in Madrid yet; he couldn't just ask his new teammates to look after the dog.

The villa's belongings were quickly packed and loaded.

Suker didn't have much to take—just some trophies and personal items.

All the furniture would stay behind.

After all, he had bought this villa; there was no need to move everything.

His new home in Spain would be fully furnished once he arrived.

Soon, everything that needed to be moved was gone.

That evening, Suker invited his Milan teammates for a dinner gathering at his home.

Gattuso, Pirlo, Inzaghi, Nesta, Kaká, Pato—all showed up.

Even Maldini flew in from the United States.

Over ten people gathered in Suker's villa.

In the yard, a barbecue was set up.

Everyone grilled and enjoyed the meal together.

Suker didn't cook; instead, he chose to thank his teammates with a barbecue for their years of support.

"This one's for us to send Suker off!" Pirlo raised his glass.

The expressions around were somber.

Unlike others, Suker seemed resigned—his departure felt like accepting Milan's imminent decline.

Though everyone tried to keep the mood light, they couldn't hide their sadness.

Maldini looked at everyone's faces and felt helpless.

He was one of the first to know about Suker's departure and was mentally prepared—unlike the others who had just been told.

"Spain's style is different from Italy," Maldini said, raising his glass to Suker."They focus more on technique, but I believe you'll perform excellently."

Suker's style was technical.

But with tactical demands, he could adapt to various styles, making him a nightmare for defenders.

Maldini always believed Suker would thrive anywhere.

After all, Suker could fit into multiple playing styles.

Except for the brutal fouling in the Premier League, it was hard to stifle his skills.

"Four years flew by too fast," Gattuso sighed."I remember when Suker first arrived in Milan—we had a dinner just like this."

Hearing this, everyone glanced around, filled with nostalgia.

The mindset they had welcoming Suker was still vivid, but four years had passed, and now he was leaving.

They all felt reluctant to say goodbye.

Still, they wished Suker the best.

"Things at Real Madrid don't seem great. If you ever feel out of place, you can come back," Gattuso said.

Suker shrugged and smiled.

Pirlo joked,

"Come back just like that? It's not that easy! Suker's transfer fee was a hundred million. If Real isn't losing money, could Milan even afford to buy him back for that?"

Gattuso snapped angrily,

"I was just saying it was a possibility. Shut up!"

Pirlo sighed,

"Anyway, we all want Suker to succeed in Spain. Honestly, we know Milan is declining. These past two years, we've almost been playing on Suker's back. In a way, we've been holding him back."

"If our form hadn't been so poor, with his Champions League performances, he could have challenged for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA Player of the Year."

"So I totally understand Suker's choice. If I were him, I wouldn't settle for less either."

Pirlo's honest words made everyone feel a bit uncomfortable.

But it was the truth.

They knew Suker's chances to improve at Milan were slim, as the whole team was dragging down his threat level.

And Milan couldn't invest enough to strengthen the squad.

Suker's decision to leave was understandable.

Besides, he was leaving Milan with a one-hundred-million transfer fee.

That was more than generous!