"Dejan, Dejan, Dejan..."
"Dejan scored a brilliant long-range screamer! Even surrounded on all sides, he still found an opening with ease."
Cruyff shouted passionately.
He did not like Juventus either.
But not everyone had Zeman's courage.
If you dared to speak about Juventus collectively taking calcium supplements, never mind personal safety—you definitely would not be able to keep doing the commentary work you loved. You might even drag down your descendants, forcing your whole family to leave the Apennines with their bedding rolls.
Life was full of compromises and concessions.
Before trying to show courage, you had to ask yourself whether you were willing to pay the price.
That was why Cruyff, after worrying for so long, celebrated so wildly.
Too strong.
Given what Cruyff knew about Dejan Lu, Dejan Lu had definitely noticed something unusual about the opponents.
But Dejan Lu had scored in a way that reduced physical contact. That was his footballing intelligence.
Some players needed a top-class coach and a position they were familiar with before they could deliver world-class performances.
Some players could observe their opponents, find flaws in their tactics, and become the equivalent of a top-class coach themselves.
Dejan Lu was clearly the latter.
He was a player who could solve problems through his own efforts.
That had already surpassed the meaning of an ordinary player.
Sacchi understood that clearly.
Even Ferguson and Boskov understood it.
Any coach who had managed Dejan Lu would understand this trait of his.
His adjustments on the pitch would always come faster than a coach's instructions.
So even Sacchi had never demanded that Dejan Lu play a fixed role in the first half. If Dejan Lu's responsibilities on the pitch were nailed down, it would instead affect his performance.
Even players who relied somewhat on instinct would