The team soon approached Dejan Lu about a contract extension.
His performances had been far too dazzling, and the club worried he might feel slighted if they did not renew his deal.
Although transfers were not so easy before the Bosman ruling, and contract extensions normally did not come this quickly, this was ultimately a special case. After all, no player had ever exploded like this in his debut.
The coaching staff had even spotted West German scouts near the training ground.
Based on their assessment, they were from either Dortmund or Borussia Mönchengladbach.
After the extension, Dejan Lu's annual income reached $200,000, roughly $4,000 per week, bringing him up to the team's average level.
Football income was not low, but players' salaries still lagged far behind those in other sports.
In Forbes' August rankings, Diego Maradona's income was only somewhere in the fifties, while Tyson ranked first.
That was why Dejan Lu took entrepreneurship so seriously.
Van Basten was amazing, right?
Yet throughout his entire career, he had only accumulated around 30 million euros in savings, and he even went bankrupt after investing in a bank.
Mount earned 15.15 million euros at Manchester United.
If he did not find ways to make money, he might not live as well after retirement as the younger generations of footballers.
While Dejan Lu was busy with matters on and off the pitch, he met someone.
His editor, Kumatani Gensuke.
After Urusei Yatsura, Weekly Shonen Sunday had entered a chaotic period. Although it had Ranma 1/2 and Legend of the Sword Warrior, its sales were still only half of what they had been at their peak.
That was why they attached extraordinary importance to Pokémon.
The moment they met, Kumatani Gensuke immediately bowed deeply, his forehead even striking the café table.
As soon as the server brought over the coffee, she hurried back to whisper to the owner, "Did this man do something to offend Dejan?"
"I heard Dejan has ties to the Calabria mafia," the fat owner said carelessly.
Dejan Lu's face darkened.
Who had started that rumor?
These Japanese guys went straight for this routine when they met someone, yet did not offer anything worthwhile.
Kumatani Gensuke said, "Mr. Lu, the president places great importance on your work. We have already begun preparations for an anime adaptation. I will be responsible for coordinating your work from now on. If possible, please fax your pages to us on time. I will also come to Italy often, and if you need anything, you can tell me."
Dejan Lu was somewhat surprised when the other man spoke Chinese.
Still, the proportion of elites from Japan and South Korea who knew Chinese was very high at the time, so it was not particularly strange, especially among people working in culture and law.
Works such as Detective Conan and Crayon Shin-chan contained many Chinese elements. Knowing Chinese really was helpful to an editor's career.
Dejan Lu curled his lip and said, "Can you get Shizuka Kudo to come keep me company while I draw?"
Kumatani Gensuke: ...
Although Shizuka Kudo had not debuted long ago, she was already hugely popular. Her annual album sales exceeded 5 billion yen, which came to more than $40 million.
If he had that kind of influence, he would not be working as an editor.
"Just kidding."
"You really are humorous, sir," Kumatani Gensuke said as he took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead.
He had a premonition that this teacher might be a little troublesome.
That evening, Kumatani Gensuke treated Dejan Lu and Monica to dinner, then gave them both gifts before leaving.
He would be on a business trip in Italy for some time, and he needed to thoroughly understand Dejan Lu's life and work.
Being a footballer who worked part-time as a manga artist was inherently unstable. After all, many things on the pitch could affect his updates.
"It's a Japanese watch, and it isn't cheap either!" Monica exclaimed.
"Keep it if you like it, but it will definitely depreciate."
Dejan Lu said, "Japanese goods will decline in the future."
"You don't think highly of them?"
Monica asked in surprise.
The Japanese were extremely wealthy now. Mitsubishi Estate had recently bought Rockefeller Center, and Japanese tourists could often be seen in both Milan and Genoa.
"Of course not."
Dejan Lu said.
There were too many analyses of Japan's economic decline in the internet era.
After enjoying its advantages, Japan would inevitably become a target of American sanctions once the Soviet Union's threat diminished. They had dumped far too many industrial products overseas.
Wealth without military backing was merely a castle in the air.
If he had understood this area better, Dejan Lu would have wanted to make a fortune off the Japanese.
He might as well check whether William Hill had odds on the Berlin Wall when he had time.
A few days later, in the Cup Winners' Cup, Dejan Lu started and drew an assist and a goal from Ødegaard, helping the team crush Norwegian side Brann 4–0 away from home and make a winning start in the Cup Winners' Cup as well.
After that match, the media's opinion of Dejan Lu rose even further.
More outlets mocked Milan's vice president.
With no other choice, Galliani could only accept an interview.
He said, "A player's performance must be observed over a long period. Some players have also scored hat-tricks, but their names are not among this country's outstanding forwards. We must be patient with young players, but we must also remain cautious. I do not think there was anything wrong with how I handled things. Inter Milan lost a match—what does that have to do with us?"
An influenza outbreak struck the team over the following period.
Players, including Dejan Lu, took turns resting due to illness, but fortunately, the team did not lose a single match.
This also put Mantovani on alert, and he began seeking ways to improve the team's medical conditions.
In the late 1980s, some teams did not even have a team doctor, or had only one for show. Players' injuries and illnesses were handled by hospitals or affiliated clinics.
During training, Roberto Mancini could not help joking, "That bald guy really has it out for you."
"Maybe because I made him misjudge me?"
Dejan Lu said with a shrug.
"Or maybe he's jealous of your hair," Vialli said with a snicker.
Lombardo shot him a fierce glare and cursed, "Why are you looking at me when you mention bald guys? I have hair on both sides. There's just none in the middle."
"Fine, the fans call your hair a highway."
Vialli said.
Lombardo's hairstyle was certainly quite distinctive.
While the players were fooling around, Boskov came to the edge of the pitch carrying a tactical board and said, "All right, tomorrow we travel to the Ruhr area for an away match. I know you're curious about the starting lineup, so I won't keep you in suspense. Dejan, you'll start..."
Laughter erupted across the pitch.
After all, the media had made all sorts of guesses about Dejan Lu's position, and even the dressing room made predictions before matches.
This time, the coach simply announced him first.
They did not think there was any problem with it. Dejan Lu's performances deserved recognition, and the team had won every match he had played in.
The Sampdoria squad soon boarded a flight to Germany.
Dortmund, the home side, was also on the rise. Last year, Horst Köppel had led the team to the German Cup and the German Super Cup.
As head coach, Coppel keenly recognized that in a 4-4-2 formation, an inverted winger like Dejan Lu, who liked cutting inside, could greatly supplement the team's attack, especially with two powerful strikers in the squad.
Thanks to Brave Water-Fried Bun and Walking Reading Machine for their tips.
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