After the gathering, Suker returned to the hotel to rest.
They were scheduled to stay in Italy for nearly two weeks; the first week would be internal training, and the second week would consist of two warm-up matches against the Italy National Team.
There were two matches: the first was an exhibition match, and the second was an internal match.
This time, the Croatia National Team was not fully assembled; for instance, players in the Premier League, such as Modrić and Vida, couldn't make it back since they don't have a winter break.
Bešić led the remaining players in joint training, which served as a transition during this period without matches.
Although the weather in Italy was a bit chilly, there wasn't the heavy snowfall of Croatia, nor was it so cold as to make one's legs tremble, so the training environment was quite good.
Furthermore, the accommodation and training facilities provided by the Italian Football Association were excellent, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in training.
Daily training focused more on team cohesion.
Suker finished his basic training and sat on a nearby bench to rest; Mandžukić, Vukojević, and others also finished their respective training sessions and gathered around Suker.
"Italy is really great! If we had stayed in Croatia for training, we might not have been able to train if it snowed!"
Mandžukić sat directly on the ground; he didn't mind that it was cold.
Vukojević, standing nearby, grinned, "No training? With the coach's personality, he'd just drag us to the weight room for strength training."
For Bešić, not training was impossible; except for big wins, when he occasionally gave them half a day off, he basically never gave these players time to rest.
Mandžukić glanced at Suker and suddenly said, "The Ballon d'Or topic has been very hot recently!"
Vukojević: "The time is almost here. Once the winter break ends, the Ballon d'Or announcement will be right around the corner!"
After speaking, both looked at Suker.
Suker turned his head: "Why are you looking at me?"
"You have no thoughts?" Mandžukić said, "You and Ronaldo are competing so fiercely right now, do you really have no thoughts?"
Suker grinned, "That's all hype! If the result were too obvious, who would still think there was suspense? Based on my honors last season, even if they gave it to me, I'd be too embarrassed to accept it!"
Last season, Cristiano Ronaldo won a treble, including the Champions League, and was the golden boot award winner in both the Bundesliga and Champions League. If he didn't win the Ballon d'Or with such honors, and it was given to Suker instead, he would truly feel ashamed.
Of course, Real Madrid also did a lot of commercial promotion for Suker, but the results were there, and some things couldn't be avoided.
If Suker had achieved some more substantial honors, he would have had a chance, but Real Madrid's performance last season was poor for various reasons, which dashed Suker's hopes.
For Suker, he wasn't counting on it this time; aiming for the next Ballon d'Or was the real priority.
"FIFA invited you to the awards ceremony, didn't they?" Mandžukić asked.
Suker nodded, "That's right!"
"Are you going?"
Based on Mandžukić's understanding of Suker, this guy would likely not go if he knew he couldn't win.
However, Suker said, "Yes! Of course, I'm going!"
It wasn't a sole France Football award; this involved FIFA.
He still had to give face to the latter!
Mandžukić looked at Suker with some surprise, but before he could speak, Bešić walked over with a pile of equipment.
Everyone looked closely, and when they saw the oxygen-restricting masks, their expressions all changed.
It was over!
Hellish physical training was back!
Especially for players who had been slacking off in club training, they couldn't slack off here.
One by one, they collected their oxygen-restricting masks with long faces, while Bešić took out his computer, and through the transmitted signals, he could understand the players' specific physical conditions.
It was good if it stayed the same!
If it declined, Bešić would certainly give these guys some extra training.
The first day of training was still spent in vomiting.
Bešić didn't say anything, but his expression wasn't good; apart from a few individuals, many players' physical fitness was not up to standard.
Of course, there were some older players whose physical fitness naturally declined, but it was incomprehensible for some young players to experience a decline in physical fitness.
Among them, what displeased Bešić the most was that even young players like Kovacic had problems with declining physical fitness.
After training, Kovacic was pulled aside by Bešić for a private talk.
From his expression, it was clear he wasn't going to have a good time.
Indeed, when Kovacic returned to the cafeteria, he had a long face and looked extremely terrified.
Mandžukić waved to Kovacic, who immediately ran over.
"What did he say?"
Mandžukić asked curiously.
Kovacic was completely distraught and said with a terrified expression, "The coach said if my physical fitness doesn't meet the standard in the remaining time, he'll kick me out of the National Team!"
Mandžukić, Suker, Vukojević, and the others exchanged glances.
This… sounded familiar!
When they first joined Dinamo Zagreb, Bešić always used this trick to scare them.
One scare, and it worked every time!
No one dared to slack off!
However, they didn't think it was a bad thing.
On one hand, young players really needed a wake-up call, especially someone like Kovacic, who had a smooth journey all the way.
This guy, at a young age, stood out from the youth academy, then quickly became a core player in Dinamo Zagreb, and even joined Real Madrid at an extremely young age.
Of course, much of this was hype, but it also meant Kovacic had the value for such hype.
Currently, he was performing very well at Juventus, and there might even be a trend of him 'flying solo' or continuing to move upwards.
Young, rich, and surrounded by beautiful women, it was easy to get lost in the gentle embrace of temptation.
Also, the harsher Bešić's scolding, the more it indicated how much he valued Kovacic.
They weren't worried that Kovacic would be kicked out.
If Bešić was really pushed, he'd pull out his belt and beat those bad habits out of them!
Kovacic spent the entire week in apprehension.
He dared not slack off in the slightest during every training session, always giving his all.
And in the training matches, he also worked very hard, fearing that he would be singled out by Bešić for another lecture.
Kovacic was very afraid of Bešić.
Even bigshots like Suker could be handled obediently by Bešić, let alone a small fry like him.
If Bešić really wanted to deal with him, there would be no other voice in the entire National Team.
Therefore, he was cautious, fearing to anger Bešić again.
Bešić was also observing Kovacic. He knew that young players, facing the colorful world outside, were always curious and longing, and surrounded by women, his self-control was limited.
In fact, when Bešić saw some gossip about Kovacic in the news, he was already prepared to give him a lesson.
It just so happened that he seized an opportunity this time!
But just like Suker and the others thought, he valued Kovacic, which was why he used the most severe words to warn and even Pressure him.
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't bother; if someone didn't work hard, there were plenty of people eager to join the National Team, so it would simply be a matter of choosing new candidates.
"He's been training very seriously recently," Van Stoyak couldn't help but smile, "Young people still need a good scare. He has enough talent, but he hasn't experienced the baptism of lower-level League like players such as Suker. His growth has been too fast and too smooth, making it easy for him to become complacent!"
Bešić nodded: "That's why I talked to him privately. In comparison, Brozović is much more reassuring."
He paused, then continued, "Let Brozović play in the next exhibition match, and give Kovacic half a game in the internal match. He needs to be pressured; he must constantly feel pressure."
At this point, he waved his hand and asked, "How is Suker's condition?"
Van Stoyak smiled, "Do we still need to worry about his condition?"
Bešić: "It's always right to be careful!"
Van Stoyak: "From the data, compared to previous seasons, his physical strength and muscle mass have decreased significantly. Suker had told us about this before, so it's not a huge surprise. It's just that his burst period has shortened, and he can't play as recklessly as before, but he has successfully completed his transformation. And now, Suker's playing style allows us to have more tactical adaptability!"
Bešić nodded: "Suker's peak has passed!"
"On the contrary, I feel that the current Suker is in the most ideal state. Previously, he was strong, but his strength was individual, and his adaptability to tactics and formations was not high, mainly reflected in his simple and crude playing style. But now it's different; we have more tactical maneuvering space!"
Listening to Van Stoyak's lengthy discourse, Bešić couldn't help but smile and say, "What good idea have you come up with?"
"Something like that!" Van Stoyak said with a smile. "Modrić isn't here, so we can try it out!"
December 28th, Rome, the Capital of Italy.
The friendly match between the Italy National Team and the Croatia National Team was about to begin.
This match had been promoted for a long time. As one of the seeded teams in this World Cup, Croatia naturally received a great deal of attention.
Especially with the presence of phenomenal stars like Suker, their matches were also highly anticipated.
The entire stadium was packed with people, all looking forward to this match.
Although it was an exhibition match, the fans were still very excited. After all, both teams were strong European teams, so they naturally had high expectations.
In the Croatia locker room, Van Stoyak stood in front of the tactics board, setting up the tactics, while Bešić stood by his side.
The reason for this was that this tactical system was proposed by Van Stoyak!
Bešić didn't quite understand it, so he delegated authority!
Bešić's and Van Stoyak's tactical approaches were completely different!
Bešić was very good at using positional play, which meant dividing the front, middle, and back fields and meticulously executing various detailed tactics in each area.
Whether in attack or defense, it was mostly completed with a linear structure, which was a tactical guideline based on a traditional tactical system.
However, Van Stoyak had a more imaginative and unconstrained approach.
Just like the tactics he deployed this time, it was similar to Netherlands' total football, emphasizing full-throttle attack and rapid retreat for defense.
However, whether in attack or defense, it highlighted more of an interweaving running style.
The midfield was the core engine. In the front and back fields, apart from the center forward and center back, there was no specific role or position. Wherever a player ran, he had to fulfill the responsibilities of that area.
Of course, the complexity of the tactics was also very high, so it was not that easy to digest.
The overall running would be very chaotic at first, but this also precisely tested the organizational ability of the midfield and front field.
And this time, Van Stoyak handed this major responsibility to Suker!
He believed that Suker could do this job well!
"Suker, don't worry about how the opponent is running. Focus on our own players, always keep possession of the ball, and then attack through your vision and creativity, understand?"
Listening to Van Stoyak's words, Suker nodded to indicate he understood.
The former then focused on a few key tactical points for deployment before stopping.
"Will it work?"
Watching Van Stoyak finish speaking, Bešić asked in a low voice.
He had seen this tactical system, and to be honest, it was a bit too idealistic, but if it was executed, it would certainly be beautiful. However, to fully implement these tactical indicators required long-term cooperation and understanding.
But the National Team is different from a club!
The former can only gather every few months, and after a period of training, they immediately have to go out and play matches.
The latter, however, plays together year-round.
Therefore, clubs are more detailed and complex in their tactics.
The National Team, on the other hand, simplifies things. They don't have time to solve these complex problems one by one.
Even if they just solve them, new problems will arise a few months later when they return.
Therefore, the National Team has two tactical choices.
One is a simple and crude playing style!
The other is a hybrid-style tactic!
As for Croatia before, it leaned more towards the former, while also highlighting Suker's star role.
Bešić placed three core points in the front, middle, and back fields respectively!
Suker, Modrić, and Srna!
Building a complete tactical system around these three core points.
But the tactics Van Stoyak played out were far too complex. While they would certainly be effective if executed, they couldn't be achieved in a short time.
This was also Bešić's concern!
"Don't worry!" Van Stoyak grinned. "This tactical system looks flashy, but it's all a bluff. Everyone else just remembers the formulas and runs along the predetermined routes. The only variable is Suker!"
"I complicate simple things to confuse the opponent. Once this tactic succeeds, it can serve as a good way to mislead our opponents during the World Cup group stage!"
Bešić was stunned. "So, this tactic wasn't set up according to conventional tactics at all?"
"I'm not an idiot!" Van Stoyak chuckled. "Once this tactic is seen through, the opponent will immediately react and restrict it, and this restriction is very simple. However, as long as they play well enough, the problem won't be exposed too quickly, and it can still be misleading!"
"We will prepare according to your tactics. This is a smoke bomb for the opponent!"
Van Stoyak blinked and said, "We can't just pull out our real stuff in the World Cup group stage, can we? A little bit of deception works quite well."
Upon hearing this, Bešić finally smiled. He felt that Van Stoyak had thought things through very carefully.
Moreover, he respected Van Stoyak's ideas. After all, this guy had participated in the previous World Cup and had a better understanding of the World Cup schedule and preparation at various stages.
Bešić didn't know much about this aspect, but he was willing to learn from these experiences.
"Let's do it!"
On the field, accompanied by cheers, both teams' players began to enter.
The starting lineups were as follows:
Italy (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Buffon.
Defenders: Abate, Barzagli, Bonucci, De Sciglio.
Midfielders: Montolivo, Pirlo, Marchisio.
Forwards: Balotelli, Giaccherini, El Shaarawy.
Croatia (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Subašić.
Defenders: Srna, Ćorluka, Schildenfeld, Strinić.
Midfielders: Rakitić, Vukojević, Brozović.
Forwards: Perisic, Mandžukić, Suker.
Both teams used a 4-3-3 formation, but with different details.
Italy had Pirlo as a single defensive midfielder, plus Giaccherini as a central attacking midfielder.
The midfield and front field were in an inverted triangle formation.
Croatia's midfield was an inverted triangle, but their front field was a regular triangle.
This prepared Suker and Rakitić for inward movement and allowed for a possible shift to a 4-1-2-2-1 formation.
Suker was diligently jumping, making his final pre-match preparations.
From the stands not far away, there were bursts of calls for him.
When Suker turned his head, he saw many Milan fans waving Milan No. 10 jerseys and cheering for him.
It was just an exhibition match, so the nature wasn't that serious, and the fans were just having fun.
Suker smiled and waved to these Milan fans, eliciting bursts of cheers.
When Suker turned his head, Mandžukić and Perisic were already standing at the center circle.
This time, Suker did not take the kickoff, mainly to receive passes and guide the play.
In short, in this match, he was not a striker but played the role of a command center in the front field.
Suker hadn't played like this in a long time, but he didn't feel unfamiliar; instead, he felt a bit eager to try.
Sometimes, after scoring too many goals, a change of pace is nice.
Of course, the most excited were not Suker, but Mandžukić and Rakitić.
As a center forward, Suker had always occupied the primary shooting positions, so Mandžukić had to yield favorable areas.
As for Rakitić, as a midfielder, despite his strong attacking desire, he mostly needed to focus on linking play.
But in this match, he didn't have to worry about any of that, because Suker would orchestrate everything!
And he only needed to charge forward!
Rakitić had wanted to play like this for a long time!
Without a care in the world, just breaking forward, using his skills for vertical breakthroughs, and driving the team's attack.
This was much more interesting than horizontal transfers and distributions.
After Croatia's tactical change, these players were even more eager to try.