December 28th, just after Christmas, the small town of Mostar was bustling with crowds.
A heavy snow had fallen a few days earlier, and the snow piled on both sides of the streets was almost as tall as a person. The entire town was filled with pedestrians, and the comrcial streets were particularly lively.
This town, with a permanent population of only 110,000, was now packed with tourists from all over.
"Add tables outside!"
Bald Bakic, his stout belly heaving, grunted as he moved tables and chairs.
The entire shop was already crowded, and many people had started lining up.
Despite the cold weather, these people didn't mind sitting at tables outside, and as the shop owner, Bakic certainly didn't mind either.
After all, who would turn down money?
Bakic and his employees made several trips moving the tables.
At that mont, Mlinar walked past the front of the street.
"Captain!"
Bakic greeted him loudly.
Mlinar waved with a smile; "Business is good today!"
"It's been booming lately!" Bakic grinned widely.
Winter in Mostar wasn't the peak tourist season, but Mostar Zrinjski had organized an event to celebrate the club's 100th anniversary.
For this event, three-ti Ballon d'Or winner Suker, forr World Footballer of the Year Modrić, and forr Mostar Zrinjski head coach Van Stoyak would all be in attendance.
Additionally, the club had gathered old teammates from the 2002/2003 season for an exhibition match.
As soon as this news broke, all of Europe was abuzz.
Of course, this was largely due to the star power of Suker and Modrić, which drew hordes of tourists to Mostar.
Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina suddenly surged, even in winter.
Winters in Eastern Europe, with their heavy snowfall, were usually a ti to hunker down and stay put, but this winter was exceptionally lively.
The streets were filled with tourists coming and going, to the point where the town could no longer accommodate them all. Help had to be sought from surrounding areas to manage the massive influx of visitors, barely stabilizing the situation.
"The old players from the 2002/2003 Mostar Zrinjski team, most of them have already retired. I never thought we'd see them play together again!" Mlinar couldn't help but sigh.
If it weren't for Mostar Wanderers' small size and limited financial resources, they would have loved to organize sothing similar.
This kind of event really brought in the money!
Thanks to this event and the buzz around Suker and Modrić, both Mostar Zrinjski Club and the Mostar town governnt were making a fortune.
Various vendors had prepared in advance for the influx of tourists, but the sheer volu of visitors still took them by surprise.
The town even had to ask the state governnt for help—they simply couldn't handle such a massive flow of people on their own!
The state governnt was more than happy to assist, as everyone stood to profit.
As a result, after Christmas, the entire Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, centered around Mostar, was experiencing a wave of excitent.
Nurous reporters were also waiting at Sarajevo Airport for the arrival of Suker and Modrić.
It could be said that the entire country of Bosnia and Herzegovina was witnessing a tourism boom.
Sarajevo Airport.
The mont Suker's private plane landed at the airport, the reception was nothing short of extravagant.
Two fire trucks sprayed water from both sides, forming a water arch.
This was the highest honor for welcoming distinguished guests.
After the plane parked, the Pri Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina personally greeted Suker and Modrić, warmly engaging them in a series of activities.
Suker and Modrić were a bit bewildered—it all felt overly formal.
The entire process took two hours before they could finally break free.
In the business car heading to Mostar, Suker, Modrić, Skolk, and Boa sat together.
The four hadn't seen each other in a long ti and had much to catch up on.
"What happened with you guys? You didn't even make it to the Euro ?"
Suker, sitting in the seat behind the passenger side, asked.
Stelke sighed; "What could we do? We faced Portugal in the playoffs. We managed a draw at ho, but in the away ga, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in the first half alone. Our defense completely fell apart!"
Skolke pointed at Boa; "And then there's this guy, who insisted on competing for the Golden Boot last season and ended up injuring himself. He didn't get the Golden Boot and wasted half the season!"
Modrić looked at Boa; "How's your injury?"
"Recovering well!" Boa replied briefly, though he was inwardly anxious.
He had undergone surgery!
An injury like this could have long-term effects if not handled properly.
Now that he was finally able to return to the field, he planned to take his ti regaining his form.
"Enough about us, what about you two?" Skolke asked, then turned to Modrić; "How did you not make it to the Champions League knockout stage?"
Modrić's face fell.
Suker nearly burst out laughing beside him.
Skolke was still the sa as ever—his mouth ran without regard for the setting or others' feelings.
Modrić glared; "None of your business!"
Skolke was taken aback.
Modrić had indeed changed a lot. In the past, he would've kept his discomfort to himself rather than speaking out.
"You've beco much more outgoing!" Skolke remarked.
He rembered the old Modrić as a reserved young man.
Suker turned around; "Outgoing is an understatent! You haven't seen him when he's angry. Despite his small stature, he's got a fiery temper. I sotis wonder if he went to Manchester just to learn how to curse!"
"I'm a midfielder—I have to talk more to boost morale!"
"Isn't that the defenders' job?"
"That's just an excuse, but... it's better than being mute like before!"
"You motherfucker! @#￥%...￥@@#, Suker! W$E#$#$#$%#$!"
Skolke grinned. When did Luka learn to curse like this?
Suker chuckled as he looked at Modrić, completely unfazed—or perhaps he was just used to it.
"Stop laughing, you ass!"
"I don't have a mother!"
Modrić paused, pursed his lips, and said, "Sorry! I didn't an it!"
This ti, it was Suker's turn to be stunned.
You bastard! Why bring this up now?
Skolke and Boa in the back seats burst into laughter.
During the journey to Mostar, the four of them joked and roughhoused, having a great ti.
A few hours later, the business car entered the town of Mostar.
Seeing the familiar town sign, Suker and the others felt a sense of nostalgia.
Following the road signs into the town, they were t with crowded streets, which slowed the car's progress significantly.
"So many people!"
Skolke couldn't help but exclaim; "It feels even livelier than Sarajevo!"
"Well, it's because these two are here for the event," Boa said, pointing at Suker and Modrić.
The car eventually made its way through the crowd and reached an uphill path.
Following the road up, they finally arrived at the club entrance.
The club's arched sign was still there, but unlike the old, rusty sign from before, it had been replaced with a brand-new one.
Against a blue background, white letters spelled out "Mostar Zrinjski Football Club."
The ground had also been renovated. The dilapidated row of low-rise buildings that once served as dormitories were gone, replaced by two small five-a-side pitches.
The four got out of the car and looked at the vanished dormitory buildings. Skolke sighed, "I wanted to take a look, but they're gone!"
"I even carved sothing on the dormitory wall. Guess I won't get to see it again!"
Suker and Modrić also scanned their surroundings.
It had been nearly ten years since they left Mostar Zrinjski, and they hadn't returned since.
Although Suker had visited Mostar a few tis in between, he never went to the club.
Over the past decade, the place had undergone a major renovation.
The old buildings were gone, and the club facilities, while not luxurious, were at least clean and tidy.
But sadly, they couldn't find any traces of the past.
As everyone was busy searching for mories, Suker suddenly walked toward the corridor leading to the locker room.
"I found it!"
Hearing this, the other three turned to look.
Suker led them to a shoe-washing sink.
"Boa's shoe-washing spot!"
Hearing this, Modrić and Skolke couldn't help but grin.
Boa narrowed his eyes; "Suker! Let's duel! In the traditional knightly manner—only one of us walks out alive today!"
"Let go! I'm going to teach this bastard a lesson... damn it! He even tried to make wash his shoes back then!"
Suker smirked.
So petty!
That was so long ago!
"I knew it was you guys from all the noise!"
A voice ca from behind.
The four turned around.
A 190 cm tall, still burly man with noticeably wrinkled skin stood in the corridor, holding the hand of a child around 10 years old.
It was Kosovic, the forr captain of Mostar Zrinjski.
"Captain!"
The four greeted him with smiles.
Kosovic also smiled as he walked over, a look of nostalgia on his face. "It's been almost ten years! The little brats from back then are now top superstars!"
The child beside him shyly glanced at Suker and Modrić, curiosity shining in his eyes.
After a brief catch-up, Kosovic led them to the locker room.
"Co on! Everyone's waiting!"
Soon, the five entered the locker room.
The noisy locker room instantly fell silent, punctuated by a few gasps of surprise.
The room was packed.
In addition to the "old-tir" starters from the 02/03 season, the current players of Mostar Zrinjski were also there.
They would be the opponents for the veterans in this anniversary celebration.
The current players of Mostar Zrinjski stared at Suker and Modrić with wide-eyed excitent.
These were figures they had only seen on TV and in the club's legendary portraits.
Seeing them in person was incredibly thrilling.
So even nudged each other, urging their teammates to ask for autographs or photos.
However, Suker and Modrić were busy catching up with their old teammates.
Haškić, Mašović, Hačić, Bobanic, Kamnar, Biljal, Kišh, Kosovic.
Except for Kerpčić, almost all the starters from the 02/03 season were present.
"Hačić, what's with that hairstyle?"
"Kamnar, how did you get so fat? Learn from the captain—he's kept himself in great shape!"
"Long ti no see! My good partner!"
Suker greeted each of his teammates in turn.
Earlier, these teammates had been a bit nervous. After all, they and Suker/Modrić were no longer in the sa world, and they felt a little uneasy.
But seeing how naturally the two interacted, they relaxed and began chatting warmly.
While the veterans chatted, the newcors stayed quiet.
Even the current captain, Barišić, didn't dare speak up, especially since Kosovic was the captain from one decade ago!
Just then, the locker room door opened again.
Two familiar faces walked in.
It was Oripe and Van Stoyak.
Oripe had since moved up to the club's managent, serving as the technical director. For this centenary veterans' match, he would coach the current team.
As for Van Stoyak, he would coach the veterans' team.
Van Stoyak smiled at everyone. "Gentlen, long ti no see!"
Kosovic stared at Van Stoyak in surprise. "Coach! Why are you bald?"
Van Stoyak froze, his face quickly darkening.
Suker, Modrić, and the others desperately held back their laughter, struggling to keep straight faces.
Mostar Zrinjski's Centenary Veterans' Match Press Conference.
Suker and Modrić attended the event and accepted interviews.
Suker: "I'm very happy to be back in Mostar. Although I only played here for one season, for , this was the start of my professional career. I'll never forget that Mostar Zrinjski gave , soone under 160 cm tall, a chance to play professionally. This will always be my ho club!"
Modrić: "It's been so many years without us realizing it, but I still occasionally dream of the glorious 2002/2003 season. We won everything together. I grew here, and I won many honors here. Like Suker, I'm very happy to be back and to play alongside my forr teammates!"
Suker smiled. "Alright! Next, look forward to our veterans' match! December 30th, see you there!"
During the two days of preparation, Suker and the others spent most of their ti drinking, joking, and catching up.
Even the head coach, Van Stoyak, joined in.
Among the team, only Suker, Modrić, Boa, and Skolke were still active players. The others had long since retired, so there was no need for discipline.
This event was all about reminiscing, and the match was just an exhibition.
However, on the day of the veterans' match, they still geared up.
Mostar Zrinjski's ho stadium had been renovated.
It had been upgraded from a stadium that could hold only a few thousand people to one with a capacity of 20,000.
But even that wasn't enough to accommodate the enthusiastic fans.
Nearly 100,000 fans poured into the stadium for this match.
To manage this, the club hastily removed all the seats, converting them into standing terraces and adding extra levels to accommodate more fans.
In the end, over 80,000 fans attended the veterans' match.
This was four tis the stadium's official capacity, making the scene incredibly lively.
Suker and Modrić were used to such crowds.
But for the others, the scale was sowhat intimidating.
Especially for the current Mostar Zrinjski players, who were accustod to crowds of only a few thousand, facing over ten tis that number was daunting.
Not to ntion, they were up against Suker and Modrić.
Van Stoyak stood on the coaching sideline, looking at his teammates seriously.
"We're going to play defensively and counterattack. First, we need to solidify our defense. After intercepting, look for Luka imdiately. If that's not possible, just boot the ball forward and let Suker chase it!"
"Our strategy is simple: get the ball to Suker!"
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
Suker shrugged, indicating it was no problem.
The veterans' team wore Mostar Zrinjski's ho blue jerseys, but the numbers were uniformly [100], symbolizing the centenary.
"Ladies and gentlen! I'm Basodaci, the comntator for this veterans' match! Now, I just want to say—Suker! Luka! Long ti no see!!"
Whooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!——
The entire stadium erupted into thunderous cheers.
They were almost in tears!
It had been nearly ten years since they left!
They had countless tis reminisced about that beautiful sumr, the brilliant link-up play of the "Mostar Twin Star."
And now, they were back.
Veterans' Team (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper: Kišh.
Defenders: Skolke, Mašović, Hačić, Kerpčić.
Midfielders: Boa, Kamnar, Modrić, Biljal.
Forwards: Kosovic, Suker.
"After kickoff, just loft the ball to !"
Suker said to Modrić.
Modrić nodded; "We should give the fans a proper welco gift!"
The two got ready.
The mont the whistle blew, Suker passed the ball and imdiately sprinted forward.
The ball reached Modrić's feet. He turned in a circle, completed his pivot, and imdiately launched a pass.
The ball flew toward Suker's position.
Suker jumped slightly, controlling the ball with his chest, then tapped it down and quickly turned.
Suker looked up toward the goal. It was about 30 ters away. Seeing the opposing goalkeeper's positioning, Suker decided it was enough.
He dribbled forward, took a few steps, and unleashed a powerful shot.
The ball rocketed toward the goal like a cannonball.
Before the goalkeeper could react, the ball hit the net!
Swish!
A spectacular long-range goal!
The stadium fell silent for a mont before erupting into deafening cheers.
Comntator Basodaci shouted into the microphone.
"The goal scorer is—"
Suker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!——
The entire stadium went wild!
Tens of thousands of fans roared in unison.
The cheers surged, just like nine years ago, when they passionately chanted Suker's na.
The young man who had given them a scorching sumr!
A glorious season!
Forever etched in their mories, now stood once again on their field, scoring in such a spectacular fashion.
No one could stay calm at this mont.
Mostar Zrinjski's Centenary Veterans' Match had officially begun!
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