The Copa del Rey match had concluded.
The training enthusiasm at Real Madrid had surged.
Or rather, they were provoked by Guardiola's comments.
At first, it didn't seem like much—just cooperating with Suker. But soon they realized that although cooperating was fine, they didn't want to become mere tools with a single function.
They were individuals too, with their own pride.
To make it to Real Madrid, none of them were nobodies.
They cooperated with Suker because it helped them win. The tactics, though straightforward, were effective in creating fighting strength.
But Guardiola's mocking remarks hit a nerve, making them feel both humiliated and angry.
The problem was—they had no counterargument.
They did rely on Suker.
They indeed played around him.
But they refused to become his sidekicks.
Because of this, Real Madrid launched an intense wave of training, hoping to adjust their own condition.
But form is one thing; system is another.
Real Madrid needed a system!
This issue even alarmed Florentino Pérez.
As someone who had served as Real Madrid's president for years, Pérez knew the importance of a system well.
Many people mocked the idea of a "system player," but the truth was: the ability to fit into a system was key.
This problem had to be fixed.
Florentino took it seriously, as he had already made the same mistake once.
During the first Galácticos era.
Back then, Real Madrid had Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo, Raul, Carlos, Beckham—a galaxy of stars.
But because of imbalance between offense and defense, they failed to achieve meaningful results.
That failure cost Florentino his job.
A collection of superstars without a cohesive system was bound to fail.
So Florentino reformed the club.
Nowadays, the players he signed were more targeted, not just flashy forwards.
For example, Alonso, Arbeloa—players who balanced the lineup.
Now, however, the problem didn't seem to be with the players, but with the coach.
Florentino's secretary approached Pellegrini.
"I believe our tactics have no issues. People talking about 'Suker dependency' are just afraid that we've unlocked his power, which they can't counter."
Pellegrini said firmly, "You can call it dependency, but I call it Real Madrid's single-core system."
The secretary had a headache. He couldn't win a technical debate with Pellegrini.
"But the president still hopes to see some changes," the secretary conveyed Florentino's message.
Pellegrini frowned, feeling frustrated.
He had been coaching at Real Madrid for a while, but it seemed like everything he did was under scrutiny. What was the point of hiring him as coach?
"If we don't win something this season, then I admit I failed. You can do whatever you want with me. But right now," Pellegrini said seriously, "please don't interfere with a coach's decisions!"
The secretary found it difficult.
They didn't want too much conflict with Pellegrini.
But he was reaching into areas he shouldn't.
"Sir, I think you misunderstood. The president has no intention of meddling with the first team. That was Calderón's style. But as club president, Mr. Pérez must take responsibility, and he wants to understand the plan in more detail."
"You want me to write another report?" Pellegrini hated these reports.
The secretary smiled. "It's not a report—just a form of communication. A way to understand each other."
"Only when the management and coach understand one another can we work better together, right?"
Pellegrini pursed his lips and sighed.
"Fine, I'll prepare some documents for you."
The secretary bowed slightly with a smile. "Much appreciated!"
Meanwhile, in Florentino's villa.
Florentino was pruning his grapevines.
Casillas stood nearby holding the grape bag.
Florentino clipped a bunch of grapes and dropped it into the bag, and a hand immediately reached in.
Casillas grimaced.
Florentino calmly asked, "What's your opinion on our tactical system?"
Casillas quickly responded, "That's the coach's responsibility. We're just players—we follow, not overstep."
Florentino said nothing.
He cut another bunch of grapes, tossed it in, and again, a hand pulled them out.
Casillas' cheek twitched.
Florentino asked softly, "Suker, what do you think?"
Suker squatted behind Florentino, munching on a bunch of grapes. "A system is necessary."
Florentino nodded slightly—they agreed.
"Barcelona has a system. For a team to be strong, it must rely on tactical structure," Suker continued as he popped another grape into his mouth. "Back in the 20th century, with the rise of the WM formation, the era of star domination ended. With the right tactics, a lower-tier team could beat the elite."
"For a big club, this is the foundation of building a dynasty. The importance of a system cannot be overstated."
Florentino nodded again, putting down the shears. He looked out at the grape vines, his eyes distant. "Pellegrini might not be the right fit for Real Madrid."
Casillas stiffened.
Suker shrugged, staying silent.
Florentino cut more grapes and placed them in the bag. Suker reached in for another.
Casillas shook his head helplessly.
Florentino paused, then took the bag from Casillas and placed it farther away.
"I'm not planning to sack the coach right now. At the very least, Pellegrini will stay until the end of the season."
"But do you have any suggestions for a new coach?"
Suker immediately replied, "Ancelotti!"
Florentino nodded. "We've reached out. But his team said they're not ready to leave Chelsea. They want to finish the season strong, maybe win the league, before making any decisions."
Suker sighed. That was Ancelotti's style—loyal and committed. Looks like "Captain Madrid" won't arrive early.
Suker kept snacking on grapes and moved directly in front of the bag.
"I have another candidate," Suker said.
"Who?" Florentino asked.
Suker: "Mourinho."
Mourinho had done well at Real Madrid.
If not for personality conflicts and locker room drama, he wouldn't have been let go.
That aside, Mourinho was arguably the most suitable option now.
Florentino nodded with admiration.
It was strange—he and Suker always seemed to be on the same page.
"Mourinho is indeed a great fit. His reputation is strong, and he's doing well at Inter. I'm seriously considering him."
Florentino stared at Suker.
Suker was too embarrassed to keep stealing grapes.
Florentino nodded. "Alright. I understand your stance. That's enough for today."
He stood, stretching his back, and dusted off his hands. Looking at the bag, he sighed, "The grape harvest isn't great this year—too many pests. Looks like I'll need to spray pesticide."
Suker: "..."
Suker and Casillas rode back to the training base.
"What do you think the president meant?" Casillas asked.
"What else? He's preparing to move against Pellegrini—just testing our reactions," Suker said.
Casillas and Suker were the two biggest voices in the Real Madrid dressing room.
With Raul set to leave next season, their influence would only grow.
Even though Florentino had great control, he still had to account for the players' stance.
If they fully backed Pellegrini, he would stay.
If not, Florentino would act.
The truth was, Pellegrini lacked that top-level prestige, like a Champions League trophy.
Florentino wanted not just a luxurious squad, but a top-class coach too.
Back at the club, both players claimed they had just attended a team event.
No one knew they had been summoned by Florentino.
And they weren't about to reveal what was discussed.
Florentino was preparing to replace Pellegrini—this wasn't the time to oppose him.
November 1st – La Liga Round 9
Real Madrid vs. Getafe.
Suker started and scored twice in 90 minutes.
Real Madrid 3–0 Getafe.
After 9 rounds, they remained unbeaten with an 8–1–0 record.
Still, they sat second in the table.
Barcelona was first with 9–0–0.
They just refused to lose!
Barcelona was rock solid—unless they faced Real Madrid head-on, beating them was nearly impossible.
Real Madrid wasn't much easier.
At this point, Barcelona was at their peak (Dream Team era), with terrifying control.
Real Madrid hadn't reached their peak yet.
In the scoring chart, Suker led with 17 goals.
Messi followed with 15.
As the season progressed, teams were adjusting to the pace. Scoring wasn't so easy anymore.
With more research into Suker and Messi, their goal rates dipped a little.
Still, compared to others:
Villa had 10 goals. Higuaín had 8.
November 2nd – Champions League Matchday 4
Real Madrid traveled to Milan.
An away game against AC Milan. A win here would almost guarantee qualification.
Suker returned to Milan for the first time in over four months.
When the team arrived at the airport, many Milan fans had gathered.
When they saw Suker, cheers erupted.
Banners were raised:
"Welcome home, Suker!"
"You're always San Siro's favorite!"
"Suker, long time no see!"
"Milan No. 10—Number One!"
Seeing these signs and passionate fans warmed Suker's heart.
Even after four months away, they hadn't forgotten him.
Now that he returned, they still welcomed him.
Of course, there were a few negative signs too—but nobody's perfect. Even Maradona got booed.
Suker ignored those and happily greeted the fans before heading with the team to their hotel.
At the hotel, Pellegrini called Suker in.
"This match, I plan to start you on the left wing," he said.
Suker's one-on-one explosiveness showed best on the wing.
As a central striker, he was powerful, but couldn't fully unleash his firepower.
So he would start on the wing to stretch Milan's defense, then move central in the second half when they were tired.
That would be the real use of the "cannon."
Pellegrini explained thoroughly and with great energy.
Suker felt a little sorry for him—Pellegrini probably didn't realize that Florentino was preparing to sack him.
"I understand, sir," Suker replied promptly.
"You're our absolute core," Pellegrini said sincerely. "I'll give you everything you need—tactical focus, locker room status, even the captain's armband."
Suker looked at him in surprise.
He saw Pellegrini's eager gaze.
Suker grinned. "Let's not go that far. I've never been a captain—I wouldn't do well."
"Everyone starts somewhere. I can help you get it. Even if not first captain, at least more authority in the locker room," Pellegrini smiled. "You just focus on playing well. Leave the rest to me."
Suker coughed awkwardly and excused himself.
Back in the dressing room, Suker said to Casillas, "Pellegrini tried to win me over."
"Win you over?" Casillas asked, surprised.
Suker nodded. "He knows his authority is weak, so he's trying to align with me—maybe even make me captain."
Casillas frowned.
Not just anyone could become Real Madrid's captain. Besides seniority, performance and nationality mattered a lot.
After Raul, the next captains were Casillas and Ramos—both Spaniards, which helped.
Later, Marcelo and Benzema became first and second captains.
With Marcelo benched, Benzema mostly wore the armband.
At this point, Real Madrid was in a transitional period.
Suker had never considered being captain—and this was his answer.
"Oh, and if he can't win me over, he might come to you next," Suker added.
Casillas smirked.
Pellegrini clearly didn't see the bigger picture.
Both Casillas and Suker knew he was on the way out—no chance they'd back him.
Suker returned to his hotel room.
Real Madrid's accommodations were excellent.
Unlike the standard rooms at Milan, here he had a full suite.
He shared the suite with Casillas, but they had their own separate rooms.
Suker's room had a huge floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the city and the distant San Siro stadium.
He stood by the window, taking in the Milan skyline, feeling emotional.
It was his first time seeing the San Siro from this angle.
The setting sun cast long shadows across the stadium—just like Milan's long road to revival.
That evening, the whole city of Milan buzzed with excitement.
Despite losing the first leg of the Champions League, fans still had hope for the second.
And with Suker back at San Siro, they were thrilled—even if he was now the enemy.
In the middle tier of the south stand, a massive banner hung:
"Suker! Milan No. 10! San Siro's favorite! Welcome home!"
Since he was an opponent, they didn't chant his name.
But through this gesture, they showed their love.
When Suker stepped onto the pitch for warm-ups, the stadium burst into applause.
Over 60,000 Milan fans stood and clapped.
No cheers, just a silent tribute.
Suker took a deep breath, placed his hand over his heart, and bowed in four directions.
The Milan fans loved him.
And he had once loved Milan too.
"It's been over four months. Milan fans deeply miss their No. 10. In his prime, he was their symbol!" the stadium DJ said warmly.
"Though he's left, we still applaud him."
"Suker, long time no see!"
"Suker, welcome home!"
The applause faded. Suker returned to his warm-up.
He may have once been their darling.
But now, he was the enemy.
The warm moment ended.
Now came the brutal match.