The All-Around Center Forward

At noon, Suker went to see Florentino Pérez.

"It's already in production. Since it's a custom model, it'll take some time—should be delivered to you in September."

Florentino smiled.

"If you need a car to get around in the meantime, the club can provide one."

Suker thought for a moment.

"For this next month, I'd appreciate it if the club could arrange a vehicle and a driver. I'll get my license as soon as possible."

Florentino nodded and then got up to pour him a hot cup of coffee.

"How are you settling in?"

"Not bad," Suker replied, taking a sip. "The beginning is always tough, but overall, the chemistry is developing well. Of course, we'll need real matches to see the true results."

"I have full confidence in you. Pellegrini told me he'll be starting you in the opening match. It'll be your La Liga debut—I hope you put in a fantastic performance."

Hearing the club president's well wishes, Suker smiled.

"I hope so too."

After a brief chat, Suker took his leave.

In their final pre-season friendly, Real Madrid comfortably defeated a second-division German team 2–0.

Originally, they had planned to face Bundesliga's Stuttgart, but due to unexpected issues, the opponent had to be changed last-minute.

After three warm-up matches, Suker had scored five goals, fully showcasing his quality.

Team chemistry was decent, although some weaknesses in the lineup remained—shortcomings that couldn't be solved in the short term. With the summer transfer window about to close, any major upgrades would likely have to wait until winter or even the next season.

This season, Real Madrid's objectives were clear:

In the Champions League: Break the dreaded Round of 16 curse.

In La Liga: Topple Barcelona and reclaim the league title.

In the Copa del Rey: Go all out for a deep run.

In the 2008/09 season, Barcelona had achieved a historic treble, while Real Madrid ended with no trophies at all.

With significant reinforcements over the summer, another trophyless season would be unacceptable.

The new La Liga season was set to begin on August 30.

For the 2009/10 season, Real Madrid's first match was a home game against Deportivo La Coruña—once known as the legendary "Super Depor."

But those glory days were long gone."Super Depor" had faded like a warm breeze in midsummer. Now, Deportivo was a mid-table La Liga team—no longer contenders for Europe, let alone the Champions League.

But for Real Madrid fans, a new season brings renewed hope.

Could the team unveil a brand-new identity? Everyone eagerly awaited the first game of the season.

August 30Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

As the red glow of the sunset bathed the stadium, the floodlights lit up across the iconic venue.

At the gates, giant digital screens displayed highlights and bios of Real Madrid's new signings—including Suker, Benzema, Alonso, and others.

Among them, Suker received the most attention.

With a €100 million transfer fee, all eyes were on whether Suker could become the key to Madrid's revival.

"So many people!"

A man in a black tracksuit and a media vest with a press badge around his neck stood near the entrance.

His name was Anthony, a columnist for Marca.

As a professional football journalist, covering Real Madrid's season opener—and especially Suker's La Liga debut—was an absolute must.

"They played three warm-up matches, but released zero info," a cameraman beside him grumbled."Are they trying to kill us with curiosity?"

Anthony winked.

"I've got inside info. What do you want to know?"

"Suker! How many goals did he score?" the cameraman asked excitedly.

Anthony held up one hand and raised four fingers.

"Four goals? Wow, that's classic Suker! Look at that efficiency!"

"Not just Suker. Raul got three, Higuaín two, Benzema and Alonso one each."

"That's 11 goals in total?" the cameraman was even more hyped.

"And Suker had two assists too. But we also conceded a lot—defense is still an issue."

"Suker may have opened up our attack, but he can't fix the defense too!"

"Right. At least we won't see that awkward situation from last season—playing a whole half with zero goals."

Last season, Real Madrid had serious struggles in attack—and their defense wasn't much better.

Truthfully, ever since the Galácticos Era I, Madrid's defense had been a problem.

Only when Mourinho arrived did the team establish a true defensive backbone.

As Anthony and the cameraman headed toward the entrance, they saw many fans already wearing Real Madrid jerseys—especially those with the number 9.

That was Suker's number.

From the moment his signing was announced, Suker's shirt became the team's best seller.

Clearly, he was now the most popular player at Real Madrid, and carried the weight of fan expectations.

As they walked into the stadium, all they heard from fans was speculation about Suker's La Liga debut.

"How many do you think he'll score?"

"Two!"

"Two? I say three!"

"A hat-trick on debut? That's tough."

"Hey, it's Suker we're talking about! We know how scary he can be!"

They remembered how badly Suker used to punish them—and now, he was one of them.The satisfaction was immense.

"What do you think?" Anthony asked the cameraman.

"Hat-trick!" he declared. "It's Suker!"

Anthony sighed.

He felt like people were getting carried away.

Sure, Suker was strong, but getting a hat-trick in a debut isn't easy.

Of course, he wanted Suker to do well too—he was also a Madrid fan.

But he feared that if fans expected too much and Suker didn't deliver, they'd quickly turn on him.

For now, though, Suker's relationship with the Madrid fanbase was perfectly harmonious.

In the VIP section, Florentino Pérez was present in person.

They had spent big this summer—especially that €100 million for Suker.

Florentino wasn't just splashing cash for fun—he wanted results.

He firmly believed that Suker was worth more than every euro spent.

ROARRRRRRRRR!!!

The stadium erupted.

Both teams had taken the pitch to warm up.

Naturally, Suker was among them—and the entire Bernabéu exploded when he appeared.

Suker!! Suker!! Suker!!

Fans roared his name over and over.

The massive stands echoed with waves of chants—like invisible tides crashing over the players.

Raúl looked up in awe.

Few players were welcomed this wildly before ever playing an official match.

Benzema looked stunned too.

There really is a difference between a star and just a player.

Higuaín frowned deeply.

Though he had joined Madrid earlier, Suker was the undisputed focus.

Florentino gazed across the pitch, eyes fixed on Suker.

"Let's see what you can do."

Even the club president was eager to witness what the €100 million man would deliver.

The warm-ups ended quickly.

Players headed back to the locker rooms for final preparations.

The match was about to begin.

Spanish commentator González bellowed:

"Welcome to the first round of the 2009/2010 La Liga season—Real Madrid vs Deportivo La Coruña!Are you ready, folks? The new season is here! What changes will this reborn Real Madrid bring?"

"And can Suker rescue Madrid's struggling offense?Let's find out—together!"