Chapter Summaries

After AC Milan clinched the Serie A title nine rounds early, Dejan Lu fielded endorsement offers, enjoyed a lakeside picnic with teammates, and watched Moratti promise to strengthen Inter Milan. Milan kept winning and prepared to face Dortmund in the Champions League, with the squad arriving in Dortmund at the end of the chapter.

• Foreign newspapers praised AC Milan’s record-breaking season and Dejan Lu’s influence, while Galliani told Dejan Lu that sponsors were eager to offer him endorsement deals.
• Dejan Lu met Totti, Buffon, and Redondo for a lakeside picnic, where he stunned them by skipping a stone across the lake more than twenty times.
• Moratti promised reporters that Inter Milan would pursue top players, though some Inter players and their agents indicated they preferred to stay until their contracts expired.
• Milan beat Atalanta 2–0 on March 23, maintained its perfect record, and secured a place in the Italian Cup final.
• Dortmund manager Hitzfeld told Bild that Dortmund would not back down from AC Milan, and Milan’s squad flew to Dortmund at the beginning of April.

AC Milan prepared to face Dortmund in a Champions League semifinal amid hostile home support, while Buffon fell ill before the match. Dejan Lu reassured Sacchi, handled the press conference with jokes, and drew a Marco Reus experience card as the teams headed onto the pitch.

• Milan's players settled into their Dortmund hotel, and Paolo Maldini warned them to be cautious with unfamiliar food.
• Buffon developed diarrhea overnight, prompting the team to worry that Rossi might take his starting place.
• Sacchi warned the squad to avoid further illness, and Milan players chose familiar Italian food before traveling to the stadium.
• At the press conference, Sacchi denied rumors of a flu outbreak, while Dejan Lu deflected transfer questions with jokes and Hitzfeld said Dortmund would defend and seek chances.
• Sacchi admitted he was anxious about small problems disrupting Milan, and Dejan Lu reassured him before returning to the locker room.
• Dejan Lu drew a 2013-2014 German Cup match experience card for Marco Reus, then joined Milan as both teams entered the fiercely hostile Westfalenstadion.

Milan dominated the opening of its Champions League match against Dortmund, with Dejan Lu repeatedly breaking through the defense. After Dejan’s shot hit the crossbar, he scored from a free kick to give Milan the lead.

• Dejan Lu and Van Basten combined in a rapid attack that ended with Totti’s shot being blocked and Albertini’s follow-up going over the crossbar.
• Dejan Lu used a rabona turn to fool Ricken, then dribbled past Dortmund defenders and struck the outside of the crossbar with a shot.
• Milan pressed Dortmund, and Paolo Maldini repeatedly disrupted their attempts to build attacks.
• Reuter fouled Dejan Lu near the penalty area and received the match’s first yellow card.
• Dejan Lu curled the resulting free kick over the wall and into the net off the inside of the post.

Dejan Lu led AC Milan to dominate Dortmund away, scoring early and assisting Totti twice before adding a long-range goal himself. With Milan holding a 4–0 lead and three away goals, the tie appeared all but over as Sacchi prepared a substitution.

• Dejan Lu opened the scoring with a free kick, and Totti celebrated as Dortmund’s home crowd booed.
• Dejan Lu won the ball after Redondo dispossessed Andy Müller, then sent Totti through with a curling pass for Milan’s second goal.
• Dortmund nearly pulled one back through Herrlich’s header, but the ball struck the post and went out.
• Totti scored again from Dejan Lu’s precise pass, giving Milan three away goals and leaving Dortmund’s players and supporters discouraged.
• Sacchi sent Davids to warm up as Milan continued to control possession and Dejan Lu organized attacks with Redondo and Albertini.
• Dejan Lu struck a curling long-range shot over Kroos and into the net, extending Milan’s lead as Westfalenstadion fell silent.

After Milan eliminated Dortmund, Dejan Lu helped Buffon abandon a risky plan to confront thieves, then became the target of jokes after returning empty-handed from a fishing trip. He secured Buffon’s return to the starting lineup and prepared for Milan’s match against Juventus, where the teams’ choice about a guard of honor remained uncertain.

• After Milan flew home, Redondo explained to Totti that Dejan Lu passed to him because he was young and made good runs, not because Dejan Lu was worried about scoring.
• Dejan Lu comforted The Princess after Henry called with a nightmare, and the two joked together before the next day’s match preparations.
• Totti and Buffon visited Dejan Lu, who talked Buffon out of confronting thieves and agreed to take him fishing; the three returned without catching anything.
• La Gazzetta dello Sport published photos of the failed fishing trip, and reporters, fans, and Paolo Maldini teased Dejan Lu about it.
• Dejan Lu asked Sacchi about Buffon’s place in the lineup, and Sacchi said he wanted Buffon back but also planned to give Sebastian playing time; Sacchi gave Dejan Lu a fishing book.
• Before Milan’s match against Juventus, Dejan Lu drew a Míchel Platini single-match experience card, while Buffon and the team wondered whether Juventus would form a guard of honor for the champions.

AC Milan celebrated their title before facing Juventus, while Dejan Lu suspected Juventus were using performance-enhancing drugs and warned his teammates to expect a physical battle. Milan struggled to find openings, but Dejan Lu scored after a counterattack and left Juventus trailing.

• Juventus applauded Milan as the newly crowned champions entered the pitch, and both teams fielded strong lineups for the match.
• Dejan Lu noticed Juventus players looked unusually muscular and warned Baggio and Totti that something was wrong; Totti and Baggio recognized the concern from their past experience with the club.
• Juventus used their physical strength to challenge Milan, but Paolo Maldini, Redondo, and Albertini helped Milan withstand their attacks and build chances.
• Dejan Lu repeatedly drove at Juventus's defense, but Peruzzi stopped his pass to Totti and kept the score level.
• Redondo and Albertini dispossessed Zinedine Zidane, and Totti led a counterattack before passing to Dejan Lu, who shot past Peruzzi to give Milan the lead.

Dejan Lu scored for Milan against Juventus, but Vieri equalized just before halftime after a physical, cautious first half. The teams went into the break at 1:1, with Dejan Lu and his teammates joking in the locker room about Juventus’s strength and Totti asking Baggio for a way to calm his heart.

• Dejan Lu scored a long-range goal after spotting a way to avoid Juventus’s crowded defense, giving Milan the lead.
• Juventus pressed Milan through Zidane and Vieri, while Milan’s defenders and midfielders repeatedly disrupted their attacks.
• Baggio nearly scored from Totti’s improvised pass, but Iuliano cleared the ball before Savićević’s cross was headed away and Albertini was hurt in a challenge.
• Zidane set up Vieri to equalize late in the first half, and Buffon then blocked Zidane’s near-post shot before halftime ended at 1:1.
• Milan’s players found bruises in the locker room and complained about Juventus’s physical play, while Totti asked Baggio about an incantation to calm himself.
• Baggio named the Clear Heart Incantation, and Dejan Lu joked that cursing out every filthy word would cleanse Totti’s heart.

Milan pressed Juventus throughout the second half, and Dejan Lu scored a free kick to put Milan ahead before setting up Totti for a late third goal. Milan led 3–1 as Juventus struggled to recover.

• Sacchi instructed Savićević to seek more set pieces, while Baresi rallied Milan before the second half began.
• Milan created early chances, and Delivio received a yellow card after fouling Dejan Lu; Totti confronted him.
• Dejan Lu cut through Juventus’s defense and hit the post, then Baggio won a free kick that Dejan Lu curled around the wall to score in the sixty-seventh minute.
• Sacchi replaced Savićević with Davids as Milan reinforced its defense, while Buffon launched a counterattack that ended with Davids crossing for Peruzzi to claim.
• Dejan Lu won the ball back, combined with Baggio and Redondo, then used the outside of his boot to thread a pass into the box for Totti, who scored to make it 3–1.

AC Milan defeated Juventus 4-1 after Dejan Lu completed a hat trick, then celebrated the victory together. The next morning, Dejan Lu discovered his wallet was missing, but Milan police returned it to him at Milanello.

• Juventus made two substitutions, but Dejan Lu stole the ball, broke through their defense, and won a penalty after Peruzzi fouled him.
• Dejan Lu scored the penalty to complete his hat trick, then Sacchi replaced him with Reiziger as Milan defended their 4-1 lead.
• Milan held on to win, and Baresi and Baggio discussed the hard-fought victory with reporters before Sacchi criticized the referee at the press conference.
• Dejan Lu said he preferred to face Manchester United in the Champions League final, then joined his teammates at a fan-run bar to celebrate.
• After taking a taxi home, Dejan Lu realized his wallet was missing, but Milan police delivered it to Milanello the next morning.

Dejan Lu turned the recovery of his wallet into a public event with Milan police, then watched Milan advance through a strong run of results toward the Italian Cup and Champions League finals. In the Italian Cup final against Inter Milan, Inter took an early lead while Dejan Lu stayed on the bench and warned Van Basten to pull back his investments.

• Dejan Lu presented an honorary banner to Italian police officials, and the Milan police later announced a campaign against theft that improved security across the city.
• Manchester United beat Juventus 3–1 on aggregate, with Cantona scoring twice, and joined Dejan Lu’s Milan in the Champions League final.
• Milan beat Inter Milan 3–2 in the league, maintained its unbeaten run, and then reached the Italian Cup final against Inter after beating Vicenza.
• Before the final, Dejan Lu drew a Maicon Douglas Sisenando single-match experience card and told Van Basten to withdraw his investments because a financial crisis was approaching.
• Inter Milan’s Zanetti scored from long range in the eleventh minute, giving Inter the lead as Dejan Lu watched from Milan’s bench.

Milan struggled against Inter Milan’s organized defense until Dejan Lu came off the bench and equalized with a spectacular shot from a tight angle. The match headed into stoppage time with Inter’s lead gone and Milan pressing for a winner.

• At halftime, Milan’s players discussed retirement-match ideas and business plans while Inter Milan held a 1:0 lead.
• Inter Milan defended deep in the second half, and Milan failed to create clear chances as Buffon and Zanetti stayed busy.
• After more than seventy minutes, Dejan Lu asked Sacchi to bring him on, and Sacchi replaced Savićević with him on the right wing.
• Dejan Lu immediately helped Milan attack, but Pagliuca punched away Davids’ cross before Milan could score.
• Redondo and Albertini helped move the ball forward, and Dejan Lu sprinted behind Bergomi before scoring from an almost zero-angle position.
• Hodgson grew furious as Inter Milan’s lead disappeared, while Sacchi and Tardelli celebrated and the match entered stoppage time.

Dejan Lu scored a late winner to give Milan the Italian Cup against Inter Milan, who had led for most of the match. After Milan celebrated and lifted the trophy, Sacchi explained that Dejan’s decisive goal had come from a planned tactical role, not from the team relying on him alone.

• Davids celebrated with Dejan Lu after Milan equalized, while Hodgson and Sacchi prepared for the possibility of extra time.
• Dejan Lu controlled the ball at the edge of the penalty area and scored with a volley that struck the crossbar and went into the net.
• The referee ended the match immediately after Dejan Lu’s goal, and Milan celebrated their victory as Inter Milan’s players mourned their defeat.
• Dejan Lu spoke with Totti and Pagliuca, then joined Milan’s players as they received their medals and lifted the trophy.
• After Dejan Lu completed a drug test and arrived at the press conference, Hodgson praised him, and Sacchi said Dejan had followed the team’s tactical plan.

Dejan Lu spent a quiet day at home with The Princess, who suspected she was pregnant, before learning that both she and Monica were expecting his children. Milan then dealt with Massimo Cellino’s threats ahead of the final Serie A match and traveled to Munich for the Champions League final against Manchester United, where Dejan answered reporters and Totti hoped to impress his father.

• Dejan Lu spent the day at home, and The Princess told him she might be pregnant; the next day he learned that she and Monica were both expecting children.
• Massimo Cellino said he would have Cagliari players injure Milan players for Manchester United, prompting a fine and heightened security for Milan’s 2–0 win over Cagliari.
• Sacchi’s Milan squad flew to Munich, where Dejan Lu answered reporters’ questions and urged them to help keep the airport crowd orderly.
• Totti told Dejan Lu that his father had come to Munich and that he wanted to prove his career choice was right.
• George Best said Manchester United’s chances were poor and called Dejan Lu the best player in the world.

As Milan and Manchester United prepared for the Champions League final in Munich, press intrusion and a hotel theft disrupted Milan’s preparations. The stolen property was recovered, and Dejan Lu caught Paolo Maldini trying to retrieve his diary, which revealed his plan for revenge over Dejan’s Ballon d’Or jab.

• Milan caught a British reporter secretly filming the team, while Dejan Lu and his teammates mocked a tabloid story implying Totti and Buffon were romantically involved.
• Dejan Lu, Redondo, Totti, and Buffon caught a thief in their hotel room, and the squad discovered that three rooms had been robbed by a gang with an insider at the hotel.
• Baresi told the players that the security company and hotel were negotiating over responsibility, while Dejan Lu urged the team to use its own chefs.
• Dejan Lu read that The Sun had tried to lure Ronaldo out of Manchester United’s hotel, prompting Sacchi to warn Milan’s players against strangers and rule-breaking.
• After Munich police recovered the stolen goods, Paolo Maldini rushed to retrieve his diary, but Dejan Lu caught him and read an entry vowing revenge for Dejan’s press-conference mockery about his Ballon d’Or ranking.

AC Milan prepared in Munich for the Champions League final as Dejan Lu teased Paolo Maldini over his diary and passed the squad’s free time with Chinese chess. On the eve of the final, the players received a day off, and Dejan Lu read the latest news and saved scratch-off tickets to try his luck before the match.

• Dejan Lu caught Paolo Maldini’s diary and made him promise to clean his boots for the next season in exchange for its return.
• Dejan Lu embarrassed Paolo Maldini by claiming he liked smelling dirty socks, then joined AC Milan’s hotel swim and watched Buffon cramp up in the pool.
• Dejan Lu and Redondo played Chinese chess during the team’s half-day break, and the game spread through the squad as Totti and Buffon took turns playing.
• Dejan Lu heard that Ronaldo’s agent had praised Milan during an interview and reflected that the timing would cause trouble for Ferguson.
• On June 4, Dejan Lu read competing lists of the final’s most handsome players and newspaper commentary about the teams, then asked a waiter to buy him scratch-off tickets before the match.

On the day of the Champions League final, Dejan Lu and Milan prepared to face Manchester United amid fan excitement, a lucky scratch-card win and a lively press conference. As Dejan Lu changed for the match, he drew a Cristiano Ronaldo single-match experience card, leaving the final about to begin.

• Franco Baresi dressed carefully in his expensive suit, and his teammates teased him for putting it on so early.
• Dejan Lu won the jackpot on a scratch card during Milan’s bus ride, and Sacchi rallied the team by declaring that God was on their side.
• At the press conference, Dejan Lu and Cantona joked with reporters, while Sacchi shut down questions about The Princess’s rumored pregnancy.
• Dejan Lu named David Beckham as Manchester United’s greatest threat and explained that he had left Manchester mainly because he disliked Manchester’s constant rain.
• Back in the dressing room, Dejan Lu drew a Cristiano Ronaldo Single-Match Experience Card as the team prepared for the final.

Dejan Lu and Milan faced Manchester United in the Champions League final, with both teams adjusting their tactics to target the opponent. Dejan Lu scored after a 90-meter counterattack, giving Milan the opening goal.

• Dejan Lu warmed up with juggling tricks and knuckling free kicks before learning he would start on the right to help counter Manchester United.
• Milan and Manchester United announced their lineups, and Baresi declined the captain's armband because this was his final official match.
• Dejan Lu beat Nicky Butt and Desailly with stepovers early in the match, but Manchester United cleared his attack and then threatened through Ronaldo and Andy Cole.
• Buffon denied Ronaldo, and Paolo Maldini cleared Beckham's corner as Milan weathered Manchester United's attacks.
• After Paolo Maldini cleared the ball, Dejan Lu sprinted from Milan's penalty area, received Totti's pass, and scored past Schmeichel to put Milan ahead.

AC Milan and Manchester United traded attacks as Dejan Lu’s goal gave Milan the lead and Cantona later equalized. The match stood 1:1 in the 33rd minute, with both teams pressing for another goal.

• Dejan Lu scored on a rapid Milan counterattack, and Van Basten and Totti celebrated with him.
• Milan targeted Beckham and Cantona with tight defending, while Butt and Phil Neville pushed forward to create chances for Ronaldo.
• Dejan Lu blocked Beckham’s free kick, then launched a series of attacks that ended with Schmeichel saving Totti’s shot.
• Ronaldo dribbled through Milan’s defense and forced Buffon to save his long-range shot.
• Ronaldo used a Scorpion Kick to redirect Beckham’s cross, and Cantona headed the ball past Buffon to equalize for Manchester United.

Dejan Lu and Ronaldo traded spectacular attacking displays in the Champions League final, with both sides creating dangerous chances. In stoppage time, Dejan Lu scored from a free kick to give Milan the lead before halftime.

• Ronaldo scored for Manchester United and impressed Ferguson, while Baresi warned Paolo Maldini that Ronaldo was dangerous and told him to tackle if necessary.
• Dejan Lu dribbled past Butt and Desailly, sent a rabona cross toward Van Basten, and watched his header hit the post.
• Dejan Lu repeatedly disrupted Ronaldo by marking him closely and contesting long balls, limiting Manchester United’s attacks.
• Ronaldo dribbled past Redondo, Albertini, Paolo Maldini, Baresi, and Coco before Buffon pushed his shot onto the side netting.
• Dejan Lu headed a long ball past Butt, started Milan’s attack, and won a free kick after Beckham fouled Coco.
• Dejan Lu curled the free kick over the wall and into the net, putting Milan ahead just before halftime.

Milan and Manchester United traded attacks in the second half, with Dejan Lu extending Milan’s lead through an astonishing header before Ronaldo cut the deficit to one goal. The match ended with Milan leading 3:2 and Manchester United still pressing for a comeback.

• At halftime, Sacchi urged Milan to keep disrupting Manchester United’s passes to Ronaldo, while Baresi lamented that his final official match was making him a backdrop for young players.
• Sacchi replaced Coco with Verchowod, and Manchester United brought on Giggs for Butt as both sides adjusted their defenses and attacks.
• Dejan Lu beat Desailly and helped launch Milan’s attack, but Parister blocked Van Basten’s attempt after Totti and Van Basten combined.
• Paolo Maldini sent a cross to the far post, where Dejan Lu leaped above the defenders and headed in Milan’s third goal to make it 3:1.
• Ronaldo broke past Albertini and Redondo, fooled Baresi with a Sombrero flick, and scored past Buffon to bring Manchester United within one goal at 3:2.