Dejan, Warm Up!

After several days of consideration.

Boskov still decided not to give Dejan Lu a chance to play just yet.

Young talents generally lacked mental toughness. Players these days would basically say in interviews that they were worried about their first appearance, that they could not sleep well the night before, and so on.

There were hardly any with strong mental resilience.

Boskov felt that with Dejan Lu's talent, he should all the more be tempered into having a mentality worthy of that talent. That would also reduce his exposure. He did not want a gifted player to lose himself in the spotlight.

He could not let the kid play only a few matches and become like a movie star, with more news off the pitch than on it.

A few years later, he would have replaced "movie star" with Beckham.

Managers all had similar concerns when they encountered players who received too much attention.

Soon, the team began summer training.

Dejan Lu's inconsistent performances caused by the experience cards only strengthened Boskov's resolve not to let him play for the time being.

Boskov turned to Pezzotti and said, "Don't put Dejan in the matchday squad lately."

Pezzotti had played in the lower divisions in his early years. A knee injury had forced him into early retirement, after which he had assisted Bersellini at Torino. That famous manager had led Inter Milan to a league title.

After leaving Boskov, he would become Lippi's assistant coach.

He was a kind old man who was especially good at communicating with players.

Pezzotti tried to persuade him. "How about putting him in the squad as a substitute?"

After all, Dejan Lu had received too much exposure lately. He felt that a young man like that must be proud; if he could not even make the squad, he would probably throw a tantrum.

"No need. I'll talk to him when the time comes."

Boskov said.

Pezzotti could only nod.

Hopefully Dejan would not get angry.

Judging by training, Dejan Lu's personality was quite good.

After Mannini returned from his trip abroad, Dejan Lu quickly became familiar with him as well. Marco Lanna, the only local player and a product of the club's youth academy, had been following Dejan Lu around the whole time.

For young people, Dejan Lu's unveiling ceremony had been far too devastating.

This young man, born in Genoa, whose farthest trip had been spending half a month in Rome one summer, had fallen instantly.

That was also related to the team atmosphere.

Compared to the giants, Sampdoria's players were no weaker, but the atmosphere within the squad was much better.

After Vialli turned down Milan, no one on the team had much desire to leave.

The gap between the starters and substitutes was also large, so there was little competition. The coach and club chairman were good people too.

Mantovani helping Dejan Lu find a home was only one small example. He even discussed the new season's kit designs and all sorts of club matters with the players, greatly downplaying his own authority.

Everyone discussed things like one big family. It would have been strange if the team atmosphere were bad.

"My mom is planning to open a restaurant. You all have to come support her when it opens."

After training, Lanna said.

"Don't worry. Dejan will bring reporters with him. The reporters are chasing him around now," Pagliuca said with a laugh.

He was even a little impressed by Dejan Lu. He could handle so many reporters without any trouble.

If it were him, he would have panicked long ago.

"Then it's settled. Dejan, you have to come!"

Lanna said.

"Don't listen to that kid's nonsense. Last time, he said his mom wanted to sell ice cream."

Roberto Mancini teased.

That also showed how uncertain players were about their futures in those days.

They earned more than ordinary people, but nowhere near the ridiculous sums of later years.

After careers lasting ten or twenty years ended, their income would plummet. Combined with the limitations of the era, they could only learn information through traditional media and the people around them.

That made them especially eager to make money.

That was what gave managers and agents who scammed players their opportunities.

All they had to do was scare the players a little, saying that some retired player had become a vagrant only a few years after retirement, then claim they had some high-return project. It was easy to scam players out of their savings.

The players' families were even more desperate to make money generate money, because they would live longer and had all experienced inflation. Who knew when the money in their hands would suddenly become worthless?

After more than a month of harmonious training, the Serie A opener was drawing near.

Television and newspapers reported on it one after another.

Because of all kinds of summer news, Dejan Lu had also gained quite a bit of attention.

Otherwise, with so many Serie A stars, without a World Cup or European Championship to your name, even making the news meant being tucked away in some corner.

The Three Horsemen, the Three Musketeers, Diego Maradona, Völler, and homegrown stars like Baggio and Roberto Mancini—someone like Balbo did not even rank among them.

The title of the Little World Cup was truly well deserved.

What disappointed Dejan Lu was that CCTV only broadcast Serie A highlights at this time. It would be another three seasons before they officially aired matches. However, Mantovani had already gone to negotiate the matter.

That enthusiastic chairman was afraid Dejan Lu would be unable to show his skills to his compatriots and start thinking about leaving.

On August 26, Serie A officially began.

Dejan Lu did not even make the matchday squad.

He happened to stay in Genoa and study the system's new feature.

Mysterious Event: Mysterious items and props will appear from time to time. Their effects are unknown. You can use these props to help with your life and work, thereby raising your status in the football world.

Current Mysterious Event: Lucky Taxi—when you drive this taxi, good things will happen.

Dejan Lu: ...

Sure enough, a taxi was parked downstairs from his home.

Play football during the day and work as a night-shift driver at night?

In 1990s Italy, he could afford a house without working that hard, damn it!

For now, he had no interest in driving a taxi. This car could not keep him from getting injured the way riding a motorcycle did.

He would take it out for a test drive when he got the chance.

Dejan Lu and Monica watched a match at home. Sampdoria beat Lazio 2–0 away from home and got off to a flying start.

But the next day, Dejan Lu saw his own name in the newspaper.

La Gazzetta dello Sport had interviewed Galliani. Milan's vice chairman said, "All summer, we've been hearing the name Dejan. At first, I thought he was Slavic, but it turns out he's Chinese. I don't care where he comes from, but Rivera keeps saying in the newspapers that I made a mistake. Did I make a mistake? If he really is a genius, why didn't he appear in Sampdoria's match?"

Dejan Lu was a little dumbfounded when he saw the report.

What the fuck does your conflict with Rivera have to do with me?

Do you really think Lu is such an easy target?

But there was nothing he could do for now. He could only make a mental note of it.

When he got the chance, he would properly "take care" of Galliani.

The next day in training, Boskov found Dejan Lu alone.

"Coach."

After entering the office, Dejan Lu sat down on the sofa.

Boskov poured him a glass of water and said with a smile, "I read the newspaper. Don't take Galliani's words to heart. No one knows better than I do how much potential you have. I only hope you can adjust your mindset and not be affected by the media. Do you understand?"

"I didn't take it to heart."

Dejan Lu said with a smile.

He had already played in Bing Er. Why would he be afraid of sitting on the bench in Serie A?

It was not like they would stop paying him for sitting on the bench.

If the salary were higher, he would not mind never playing at all.

"It's good that you understand. I'll let you play at the right time."

Boskov said.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go back to training, Coach."

"Go on."

Seeing that Dejan Lu had no emotional reaction, Boskov breathed a sigh of relief.

But the second match immediately dealt him a blow. The team was held to a scoreless draw at home by Bari, with neither side scoring in ninety minutes.

The boos at home reminded them that the fans expected far more from the team.

Pezzotti asked worriedly, "Should we add Dejan to the squad? He's very strong on the ball. If he had played today, he could have drawn more defenders and made it easier for the others to find space. We might have won."

"No, no need."

After thinking for a moment, Boskov said.

He had already said it. He could not go back on his word after only two matches, could he?

Three days later, on September 5.

Sampdoria scored first.

But in the second half, Ascoli's Borislav Cvetković scored twice in succession, directly helping Ascoli turn the score around. Boskov felt awful.

The key was that there was nothing wrong with the team; Cvetković had simply performed too brilliantly.

A star's individual ability had changed the match. What could he do about that?

Was he supposed to scold the players over that too?

At that moment, Boskov thought of a player with outstanding individual ability.

They had even assigned teammates to Dejan Lu for his unveiling ceremony, yet he had not been used at all.

He quickly turned around and said, "Where's Dejan? Get him warming up, now."

Pezzotti looked innocent. "I asked you before the last match, and you said not to put him in the squad."

Only then did Boskov remember what he had said. He looked at Pezzotti with some resentment.

Why was he being so obedient at a time like this?

"Should we put Dejan in the squad for the next match?"

Pezzotti asked cautiously.

Boskov mentally recalled the schedule. The next round was against Inter Milan.

Although Lothar Matthäus was not much of a person, he was incredibly strong on the pitch.

In terms of presence, he was even more overwhelming than Diego Maradona. His explosive power was terrifying; anyone who dared not turn sideways to block one of Matthäus's shots was a true warrior.

Boskov really wanted to keep insisting and maintain the image of a strict manager.

But his neck refused to obey and nodded.