"Breaking! Bilic to Step Down as National Team Coach!"
"Bilic to Take Responsibility for World Cup Elimination, Steps Down as Coach!"
"Croatia Confirms Bilic's Resignation, New Head Coach to be Appointed!"
"New Coach a Mystery?"
"Will Old Kranjčar Return to Coaching?"
"Who Will Be Croatia's Next National Team Coach?"
July 28th, 17 days after the conclusion of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Following the end of FIFA-related protests, Bilic's resignation quickly followed.
His sudden announcement stunned many in Croatia and across Europe.
Even though Croatia was eliminated, they had matched their best-ever World Cup performance—a feat in itself.
Not to mention, Bilic had led Croatia to win the 2008 European Championship. This sudden news shocked everyone.
Including the Croatian internationals.
Mandzukic called Suker directly.
"Bilic is resigning!"
Mandzukic yelled into the phone, clearly shocked.
Suker responded in a serious tone,
"What happened exactly?"
Recently, Bilic had seemed to get along fine with the national team.
Although there had been disagreements before, they had resolved them.
The World Cup campaign had gone fairly well.
So why resign so suddenly?
Everyone—including Suker and the rest of the national team—was confused.
Mandzukic hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said:
"Well... maybe it's not such a bad thing. I mean... we all know he's not exactly... top-level."
At that, Suker and Srna both fell silent.
"The media says he'll give a televised address tonight at 8 PM, resigning officially and announcing the new head coach."
"Can you even watch Croatian TV where you are?" Mandzukic asked, surprised.
Suker:
"I installed a satellite dish. I can receive Croatian channels."
With that, Suker turned on the TV and tuned in.
The news broadcast was still on.
Bilic's televised address would start in five minutes.
"Who do you think the new head coach will be?"
"No idea," Suker and Srna both shook their heads.
"It better not be old Kranjčar! I hate his tactics."
"Highly unlikely," Suker analyzed. "Kranjčar already failed once. No way they'll put him back in charge so soon. If it were up to me, I'd pick Van Stoyak instead!"
Mandzukic's eyes lit up. "He's a great choice!"
Srna nodded thoughtfully. "He is a good candidate."
But that seemed unlikely. Croatia preferred homegrown coaches.
And Van Stoyak didn't really have any "credentials."
Unless Bilic reveals what happened during the Euros.
"Doesn't matter who it is—unless it's Van Stoyak. If the new coach makes us unhappy, we'll shut him out again!" Mandzukic said fiercely. "We won't tolerate that nonsense!"
At that moment, the screen changed from advertisements to a live broadcast.
In front of a backdrop filled with Croatian Football Federation logos,
Bilic sat in the center.
To his left was Van Stoyak.To his right was—
"Huh?"
"What?"
Suker and Srna both widened their eyes.
They wiped their eyes and looked again, making sure they weren't mistaken.
On the other end of the line, Mandzukic was dying of curiosity.
"What? What happened?"
Srna:
"The new coach just showed up!"
"What? Who the hell is it?" Mandzukic shouted.
Suker said calmly:
"His name is Besic."
Mandzukic: "..."
Bilic wore a grey suit. Sitting in front of the dense crowd of reporters,
They stared at him with confused or curious expressions.
The pressure at that moment was immense.
Bilic knew—after today, his reputation might be in tatters.
But some things had to be done.
Croatia wanted to go further.
They wanted to wear the crown.
And that meant clearing away all obstacles—starting from within.
Besic glanced at Bilic with a complex expression and whispered:
"It's not too late to back out."
Bilic turned and smiled bitterly.
"You think this is some prank speech? This isn't April Fool's Day."
Van Stoyak sighed.
"You didn't have to go this far."
Bilic shook his head.
"Croatia is small. If we want to win the World Cup, we have to go all in. No problems, no secrets—everything must be out in the open."
"I wanted to be a great coach, but clearly, I'm not up to the task. But I believe—there is a purpose for me somewhere!"
"We're too easily satisfied. Making the semi-finals already feels like enough. Even if we reach the final and lose, fans and the public will say, 'We're a country of just 4 million—this is already a miracle.' But without ambition and belief, we won't get any further!"
"I've thought long and hard—no one in the country dares to say the goal out loud."
"They're afraid to take responsibility.""They're afraid to have their hopes crushed."
"But someone has to ignite that fire—to point to the target. Only then can we move toward it!"
The press officer whispered:
"We're live!"
Inhale—exhale—
Bilic took a deep breath.
"Let's begin."
With the World Cup still fresh, almost the entire nation of Croatia was glued to their TVs.
Some were curious. Some confused. Some helpless.
Amid all these emotions, Bilic looked into the camera and spoke in a calm, steady voice:
"Hello everyone, I'm Slaven Bilic. It's been three years since I took charge of the Croatian national team in 2007. I've been fortunate to work with these outstanding players. We've shared great victories, hardships, joy, and even tears—but we carried that burden together."
"Everyone has responsibilities—big or small. A husband must love his wife. A father must raise his child. A child must honor their parents. As for me—my responsibility as head coach ends today."
His voice broadcasted across the nation.
"Croatia failed in its World Cup campaign. I take responsibility and hereby resign."
"Many are asking—weren't we good enough? Why resign? But I ask you—is that really all you want?"
Bilic looked earnestly at the camera:
"This team of incredibly talented young men amazed the world. They've been called a golden generation—but they only reached the semifinals due to limited leadership."
"These boys hold endless potential. We must support them, encourage them, and stand behind them."
"In tough times, we must unite.""When you lose faith, they'll give you a goal to restore it.""And when they're struggling, I hope you'll chant from the stands—let them hear your voices."
"That's what a team means."
"This is just the beginning.""Our goal should be something far grander—no regrets. Let's make this summer even more blazing, and fill Croatia's skies with laughter."
Bilic declared firmly:
"The mountain we must climb is called the World Cup."
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
At that moment, hearts across Croatia pounded.
The once-unthinkable dreams...
Now seemed real, as if traced in color.
Dreams... can come true.
Exhale—
Bilic slowly breathed out.
He pointed to Van Stoyak.
Besic shook his head and sighed.
On screen, Suker, Boban, and others also exhaled deeply.
"This is Van Stoyak, a Dutch coach. Since 2007, he has been my assistant. All those brilliant tactics and in-game adjustments—you thought they were mine? They were his."
"Ladies and gentlemen, he brought us our first European Championship. He deserves your applause."
The press room was silent—then erupted.
Wowwwwwwwwwww—
Cameras turned to Van Stoyak, flashbulbs flaring.
"Is he insane?"
Srna stared at the TV, shocked.
Bilic had revealed Van Stoyak's role—so the Euro 2008 secret...
Srna turned to Suker and saw the same heavy expression.
"One more thing."
Bilic stood and bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry—I lied to you. During Euro 2008, after reaching the knockout stage, a major rift developed within our staff. We had to make a choice."
"Van Stoyak and Suker pushed for high pressing. I insisted on defense."
"The players chose their side, and I had to yield. They were right—we won the championship."
"After that, I shamelessly stayed on. But now, I choose to reveal everything."
"Croatian football must grow in sunlight—not in the shadows."
"I don't want to steal honor. I return the credit to Van Stoyak and accept any investigation or criticism."
Bilic's voice trembled as he faced the camera.
Whether from fear or emotion—unclear.
But the point of no return had come.
"From today onward, I, Slaven Bilic, resign as Croatia's head coach. The new manager will be Besic, former Dinamo Zagreb coach."
With that, he bowed deeply once again and left.
Reporters sat stunned.
The bombshell had exploded.
By the time they reacted, Bilic and Van Stoyak had vanished.
Besic remained at the desk.
"Next, I'll announce the squad for the Euro qualifiers…"
Shouts erupted outside.
"Bilic is here!"
Seconds later, reporters stormed out in waves.
In the blink of an eye, the press conference was deserted.
Besic exhaled deeply, turning to see a lone cameraman.
The man yanked at his camera—failing several times.
Frustrated, he looked at Besic.
"Can you help me?"
Besic waved.
"Go!"
The cameraman ran out.
Besic quietly arranged his files, muttering:
"That damn coach…"
"Whoa… Bilic actually revealed the truth?"
Srna gasped.
What a juicy drama—sleep vanished instantly.
Mandzukic exclaimed:
"How's he gonna survive this?!"
Suker shook his head:
"He probably already prepared for the fallout."
"What about you? You basically overthrew the coach," Srna said to Suker.
No coach likes rebels—especially someone like Suker.
Suker shrugged:
"What's done is done. What can I do?"
"Go sleep!" he waved at the phone."You too, get some sleep."
"Sleep? After that? Don't you want to talk about it?"
"Talk about what? About how you called Besic a dumbass?"
Mandzukic: "… I was wrong! Don't tell Besic—he'll kill me!"
The Next DaySuker picked up Kaka and Srna as usual—this time not forgetting Di Maria.
The four headed to the training base.
Kaka and Di Maria kept giving Suker strange looks.
Especially Kaka—
He knew his friend was bold, even rebellious.
But this rebellious?
During the Euros, Suker had helped overthrow the head coach.
Kaka couldn't even imagine doing something like that.
Di Maria asked curiously:
"How did you make that decision?"
Suker glanced at him.
"When you're pushed to the edge, you'll do it too."
"I couldn't!" Di Maria shook his head.
Not because he respected coaches more.
He just didn't have that kind of power.
Even Messi wouldn't dare.
If Maradona slammed his hand down—everyone would shut up.
When they arrived at the locker room—
The same stares appeared again.
Curious, cautious, impressed, surprised…
Pepe rubbed his freshly shaved head, eyes wide:
"You're fearless!"
He always thought Suker was tough.
But not this tough.
Pepe's bravery was physical.
He could fight.
But lead a revolt? Too big.
Ramos just gave a thumbs-up:
"Respect!"
Beckenbauer once overthrew Germany's coach and won the World Cup.
In 2008, Ballack tried the same with Löw and failed—getting kicked from the national team.
Everyone thought Beckenbauer's story was a one-time miracle.
No one expected Suker and Croatia to actually pull it off—right under everyone's noses.
Incredible!
Suker rolled his eyes.
"What are the media saying?"
He hadn't followed the news.
Ramos:
"Mostly praising you!""Some football analysts criticized you—but they got shut down fast."
Suker nodded.
History is written by the winners.
If they'd lost the Euros, Suker's name and reputation would've been destroyed.
Arrogant. Reckless.
So many labels would stick.
But Suker won.
Croatia won the 2008 European Championship.
Now, people called him decisive, brave, a leader.
As for Bilic—his public opinion was terrible.
This whole thing brought him nothing good.
Real Madrid Training Ground
One week later, Mourinho returned.
He scanned the team—
Everyone looked refreshed.
Satisfied, he nodded.
His eyes stopped on Suker, staring for a moment.
Suker grimaced.
He'd been labeled a troublemaker.
There was no way Mourinho hadn't seen the news—it had gone viral across Europe.
"This week we'll start tactical training. Faria and I will lead. Fitness training will continue weekly—Mondays for fitness, Wednesdays for intrasquad matches, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays for adjustments, and matches on weekends."
"Once the season begins, Mondays may become rest days."
Mourinho pointed at Faria:
"Morning is adaptation training. In the afternoon, I'll explain tactics in detail. Let's begin—"
Then looked at Suker:
"Suker, come with me."
Suker groaned.
He was definitely being singled out.
Mourinho led him to a corner of the pitch.
"I saw the news," Mourinho said seriously.
Suker sighed, trying to explain:
"It was a complicated situation—I can explain."
Mourinho waved a hand:
"I'm not saying you were wrong. I believe you tried to communicate first—but failed, right?"
Suker nodded.
Mourinho:
"Communication is important. But I want to say—I'm not Bilic. If something happens here, I hope you'll choose to trust me more."
His tone was collaborative.
Anyone else would've cracked down hard.
But Suker was Real Madrid's core player.
Even Mourinho had to handle it carefully.
Suker nodded immediately:
"Understood. I fully support you!"
Mourinho sighed and shook his head.
"This guy's impossible to read!"