"No way! No way! Damn it! How did you become a king?! God! How can you have it all?!"
Mandžukić was yelling into the phone.
He had just been informed by Bayern Munich that he might be rotated, and then Suker was crowned at the Bernabéu.
No wonder Mandžukić's mentality exploded!
It's not scary when your brother is struggling, it's scary when your brother is doing better than you!
Suker was doing too well!
He had never seen anyone do so well!
He entered the Big Five Leagues, joining AC Milan with the Champions League Golden Boot, and dominating in that flourishing AC Milan.
After Shevchenko left, Suker naturally rose to power, leading AC Milan to a glorious Champions League two-peat, and even leaving Bayern Munich completely disoriented.
He joined Real Madrid and reached his peak. The terror of Real Madrid now shows how formidable Suker truly is.
After the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year merged, Suker was the first recipient.
This guy had five Ballon d'Ors, something others only dreamed of!
While they were still working hard for their clubs, toiling like oxen and horses.
Suker was actually crowned!
He wore the crown and became the King of the Bernabéu.
This was too damn unfair!
"What's the use of you yelling? He earned it with his strength," Vukojević said disdainfully from the side.
Mandžukić picked up his stinky sock: "Don't make me shove this stinky sock in your mouth!"
Vukojević rolled his eyes, turned his head, and stopped talking.
Mandžukić turned to the phone and said, "Big bro! How about I come to Real Madrid to find you? I can be Benzema's substitute, or even transition to another position. How about I make some money with you?"
Suker: "Alright! Come on over, I can still put in a good word."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mandžukić went silent.
You're actually taking it seriously?
Srna couldn't help but cover his stomach and laugh out loud. When Mario met Suker, he couldn't win a single argument.
"How does it feel to be a king?" Mandžukić asked curiously.
Suker: "It doesn't feel like much, besides, it's all media hype, don't take it seriously!"
"Bullshit!" Mandžukić: "Casillas has admitted it, and Marca reported it. Who doesn't know Marca is the mouthpiece of Real Madrid? Without the nod from your higher-ups, could they release such news?"
"Fans recognize you, the higher-ups approve, and teammates flock to you. Nobody would dare say anything even if you took a dump in the locker room!"
Suker didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Can you please not say such disgusting things?"
"It's just one principle!" Mandžukić sighed with emotion: "Look at you, then look at me. Life truly feels so damn unfair. You're a king, while I'm about to be exiled."
"Are you really leaving?" Suker asked.
Mandžukić: "I can't leave for now, but rotation is confirmed. Robert Lewandowski and Götze's transfers are confirmed; they are about to join Bayern Munich."
"Robert Lewandowski shouldn't threaten your position," Suker said.
Mandžukić: "You're overestimating me too much?"
Suker: "I'm not overestimating you, I'm overestimating Ronaldo!"
"You guy…" Mandžukić grinned: "But what you said is right, Robert Lewandowski, a pure striker, won't do well here!"
"Can he compete with Ronaldo for firing rights or tactical resources?"
"I can still set up goals for Ronaldo and drop back to organize. That guy can't do any of my work, so his arrival is bound to hit a wall."
"But this rotation really disgusts me. I yielded resources to Ronaldo for the Champions League, and I endured it. I was once the Bundesliga's top scorer, I gave up so much, and in the end, I get the cold shoulder. I can't swallow this!"
"Let's see how they handle it later. If they don't handle it well, I'll leave!"
Suker: "Have you thought about where to go?"
"Not yet, but Modrić called me to Manchester United."
Suker grinned, this was completely chaotic.
In the original timeline, Manchester United should have collapsed after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
At the very least, they wouldn't have done well for these few seasons, only slowly recovering after Mourinho took over Manchester United.
But now, Modrić's presence managed to stabilize Manchester United's foundation!
Although they lost the League title race, they could still secure Champions League qualification, preventing a collapse at the beginning of the season and the Head Coach being heavily criticized.
While he was on the phone, his phone suddenly started vibrating again.
Suker took out his phone and glanced at it.
What a coincidence, speak of the devil, and he appears!
"Modrić is calling, I'll hang up first," Suker said to Mandžukić, who also had something to do and immediately hung up.
As soon as the call connected, the same tone.
"What's going on? Are you really a king? The King of Real Madrid? I saw the newspaper this morning and was stunned! How did you do it?" Modrić's voice was filled with shock.
After all, being a king at Real Madrid, to some extent, was even more difficult than being the King of Manchester United.
"Everything needs to be kept in moderation. When the tide comes, you can't help but be pushed forward!" Suker shook his head and said, "I was also pushed into it."
"Stop being a pretentious ass!"
Suker: "..."
Modrić: "How does it feel? Is it awesome?"
Suker: "It doesn't feel like much, and there's no difference. It's just a title, and it's not an official one, so it doesn't mean much!"
"You're an active player, they won't give you an official title," Modrić said amusedly. "If they gave you an official title now, you'd be meddling in decision-making right after."
He knew Suker too well. With his personality, the more say he was given, the bigger things he would stir up.
If he really got official recognition, it probably wouldn't be a good thing either.
Modrić: "Has Croatia contacted you for World Cup promotion?"
Suker: "I already did it. It's your turn this time."
Modrić sighed: "I've had so many interviews these past few days, I'm almost sick of it!"
"Just bear with it," Suker said with a smile. "The enthusiasm back home is very high this time. We're aiming for the championship, so how can we not do good promotion?"
Hearing this, Modrić also smiled, then sighed with emotion: "I never thought that a casual remark back then would actually lead to seeing hope."
Suker: "Casual? I thought you were serious!"
"Serious?" Modrić smiled bitterly: "How old was I back then? I hadn't even played in the Big Five Leagues, and I dared to covet the World Cup? I was just bragging, of course, it was also to motivate myself."
After a pause, Modrić exhaled: "Maintain your form well. For the World Cup, we still have to rely on you, King!"
Suker grinned: "Don't tease me!"
Modrić smiled, and after they chatted about some trivial matters, they hung up.
However, another call immediately followed.
"Suker, come to my party tonight!" Casillas extended a party invitation.
If it were before, Suker would have refused.
But now was not before. Casillas had publicly supported Suker, which had brought Suker many benefits in his career and financially. There was no reason to dwell on past issues.
"Do I need to bring anything?" Suker asked.
Casillas laughed and scolded: "Are you calling me a pauper?"
Suker couldn't help but burst out laughing, then said, "I'll be there!"
In the evening, Suker arrived on time. Although Casillas didn't ask, Suker still brought a bottle of red wine.
"Hey! Buddy!"
Casillas saw Suker and gave him a warm hug.
Suker also took out his red wine: "I got this from the boss, perfect for you!"
"Oh!" Casillas was a bit surprised.
Florentino had a hobby of making wine and loved to give his homemade wine to others.
But this one was clearly not made by Florentino; it was a treasured wine. Florentino didn't give away such red wines, at least he had never seen him do so.
Therefore, Suker taking it out once again proved how highly he was valued by Florentino.
"Let's go, the party is about to start!"
Casillas happily accepted the red wine.
"Party?" Suker looked slightly surprised: "Are there others?"
"Of course!"
When Suker walked in, he saw Ramos, Carvajal, Isco, Nacho, and other Spanish local players.
Suker's expression showed a slight unease, but he concealed it well.
This gathering, to put it plainly, was Casillas's farewell party.
After all, immediately after the season ended, the World Cup would begin, and there would be no time for a farewell.
Therefore, they held it now.
Moreover, only some local players who were familiar with Casillas were invited.
Suker glanced around and saw that he was the only non-native player.
Casillas was very happy, so he naturally spoke more.
Although he was no longer the captain and had little say in the locker room, he was still the leader of the Spanish natives.
After all, he still held the position of captain of the Spain National Team.
Casillas warmly entertained Suker, and his words subtly suggested that Suker should get along well with these Spanish native players, even hinting that these native players should follow Suker.
Casillas believed he didn't have such a long-term vision or precise control over the situation.
That's why he was in such a bad situation now!
But Suker was different!
Many things happened at the club, and Suker always made the best choices; even if he wasn't involved, he could still protect his own interests.
Therefore, he believed that if these Spanish native players followed Suker, they would at least have a stable time.
Ramos was the successor leader of the Spanish native faction, but Casillas felt that he was a hothead and somewhat unreliable.
Not only his own interests, but he might even cause the Spanish native players to lose their positions at Real Madrid.
But despite what was said, Suker didn't respond to a single word.
How could he respond?
Casillas was still Casillas, completely lacking in discernment.
Suker had just received the title of "King," and although it wasn't officially recognized, it had formed a concept.
With this identity, if he let the Spanish native players follow Suker, wouldn't that be letting Suker establish a dictatorship in the locker room?
If the boss above was weak or didn't care.
Suker wouldn't mind so much.
However, the president of Real Madrid was Florentino.
Would he watch Suker grow stronger and stronger in the locker room? To the point where there was no opposing voice at all?
This wasn't helping him; it was harming him.
If Suker continued to play for Real Madrid and continued to win honors there, then he would distance himself.
To be honest, Suker didn't enjoy this meal much.
What Casillas considered a good thing was, in Suker's eyes, a bomb that could blow him up.
Using the excuse of going to the bathroom, Suker went to the restroom.
After relieving himself, he simply splashed some water on his face; the cool sensation cleared his muddled head considerably.
When he walked out of the restroom, he found Ramos waiting at the door.
"Iker is doing foolish things again," Ramos said, shaking his head.
Suker wiped his hands with a tissue; "Then why didn't you stop him?"
Ramos shrugged; "How could I stop him? He's still the National Team captain, after all."
Suker shook his head; "You guys don't need to worry about this; I'll handle it."
Upon hearing this, Ramos breathed a sigh of relief.
To be honest, he wasn't thrilled; it wasn't easy to become the leader of the Spanish native faction, and asking him to be Suker's subordinate again was something he truly couldn't do.
Therefore, he didn't quite agree with Casillas's approach either.
However, it was good that he and Suker shared the same idea.
He didn't want to be a subordinate!
Suker also wasn't willing to accept them!
"Enough about that, where are you going during the winter break?" Ramos asked.
Suker shrugged: "Find a place for vacation!"
Ramos's eyes were strange.
Vacation?
What nonsense!
In preparation for the 2014 World Cup, various National Teams would conduct further training and cohesion during the winter break, and there would also be some warm-up matches to maintain their form.
And popular teams like Croatia, Brazil, Germany, and Spain would intensify their training.
After all, the more attention they received, the greater their pressure.
Regarding National Team matters, both of them rarely mentioned it, and even if they did, it was always vague.
Spain was wary of Croatia, and how could Croatia not be wary of Spain!
The evening gathering ended.
Casillas had a great time, and others who didn't understand what was going on also had a good time, but only Suker and Ramos didn't have such a great time, though they didn't spoil the mood.
When the gathering ended, Suker didn't participate in the subsequent activities and went straight home.
The League was still ongoing.
Christmas was just around the corner, and the winter break was approaching.
After more than four months of matches, the positions of the major teams in the standings were basically settled.
Some teams performed poorly and were at the bottom, including some unexpected ones.
Valencia's performance at the beginning of this season was not good, so their ranking was relatively low, which was also their worst performance in recent seasons.
At the top of the standings, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona formed a unique tier of teams.
These three teams had hardly lost any games, with Real Madrid leading the way.
Atletico Madrid had completely risen, and apart from losing one game to Real Madrid, they hadn't lost any other games.
They were also currently the team with the most potential to threaten Real Madrid.
As for Barcelona, perhaps the impact of El Clásico was too great, leading to them being held to many draws afterward.
This also made them slightly fall behind.
The media also stated that Barcelona urgently needed to adjust.
This adjustment was more about mentality, and the defensive midfield position in the team's lineup was now a key area that Barcelona was urgently looking for.
After all, Busquets was continuously exploited by Suker!
Other games were fine, but when facing Real Madrid, he needed a more effective defensive midfielder; the original defensive midfielder would also work.
The weather gradually turned colder; it rarely snowed in Madrid.
However, on this day, a few snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
It wasn't heavy snow, but rather tiny snowflakes that were almost invisible, melting immediately upon touching the ground, as if scattered raindrops.
Before entering the winter break, Real Madrid only had one more game left.
After they played Valencia away, they could enjoy their winter vacation.
However, a vacation was a vacation, but all teams with World Cup spots had to return to their countries for training, so it was no different from not having a vacation.
Suker received more attention at Real Madrid, and posters and portraits of Suker could be seen everywhere on the streets of Madrid.
Even on some walls, Suker's figure was painted, and in some of these portraits, people even specifically depicted Suker wearing a crown.
This was also a part of the fans' recognition!
Ever since Casillas's remarks ignited the world, Real Madrid fans were the most excited.
They had absolutely no aversion to it; it could be said that if Suker wasn't good enough, then no one else would be.
What's more, Real Madrid had just signed another contract extension with Suker.
In this contract, Suker did not increase his salary, keeping it the same, and also gave up some image rights.
This was also a return to Real Madrid!
Even so, Suker's income still visibly increased significantly.
Salary accounted for a small portion, but income from other channels was soaring.
Suker didn't pay attention to these things, and he couldn't even calculate how much his assets were.
However, he ensured full tax payment, which made the Spanish tax authorities very happy.
With such a major taxpayer, generating revenue for them every year, who would they protect if not him?
Even some Spanish officials at various levels were pressuring the media to ensure that Suker's image in the media was beautified.
It could be said that Suker was living an extremely comfortable life in Spain now.
The more he earned, the more he paid in taxes.
Good image, earned more, paid even more!
Of course, there were also some individuals or groups who disliked Suker, or were envious, and thus maliciously slandered him.
However, Suker didn't need to do anything about these.
The Spanish tax authorities directly sent a court summons.
Due to Spain's high taxes, many people engaged in tax evasion; if these things weren't investigated, it would be fine, but once investigated, it was always accurate.
There was even a joke that if the Spanish tax authorities were willing, the entire Spanish population would be sent to court by them.
And this court would be an international court, because Spanish judges also stood in the defendant's box!
At such a time, Suker's full tax payment was like a white moonlight for the tax authorities.
And it was a white moonlight with astonishing output!
On December 22nd, the entire Real Madrid team arrived in Valencia, where they would play their last League match before the winter break.
The 17th round of the 2013/2014 Spanish La Liga season!
Valencia at home against Real Madrid!