Chapter Summaries

AC Milan and Manchester United battled through a tense second half as Dejan Lu covered the pitch in attack and defense. With Milan leading 3-2, Dejan scored a long-range free kick in the 88th minute to make it 4-2 and leave Manchester United with little time to respond.

• Dejan repeatedly disrupted Manchester United's attacks, tracking back to stop Beckham and Giggs and helping Milan clear their set pieces.
• Sacchi sent Baggio on for Van Basten, and Baggio's corner led to a scramble that Schmeichel smothered before launching a counterattack.
• Dejan intercepted Gary Neville's pass and surged forward, prompting Desailly to foul him and receive a yellow card.
• After Gary Neville fouled Davies near the right side, Dejan took the free kick from more than forty-two meters out.
• Dejan's falling-leaf free kick beat Schmeichel and gave Milan a 4-2 lead in the 88th minute.

Dejan Lu helped Milan withstand Manchester United’s late comeback attempt, then assisted Totti’s decisive goal with seven seconds left to secure the Champions League final and complete an unbeaten season. Milan celebrated as Dejan Lu exchanged shirts, spoke with opponents, and joined his teammates to receive the trophy.

• Ferguson brought on Scholes and Solskjaer, but Scholes was sent off after a reckless challenge on Reiziger, who left injured as Panucci replaced him.
• Dejan Lu launched a counterattack from Panucci’s throw-in, setting up Baggio, whose close-range shot was saved by Schmeichel.
• Dejan Lu stopped Manchester United’s next attack, carried the ball forward, and crossed for Totti to score with seven seconds remaining.
• The referee ended the match, and Milan celebrated its Champions League victory and unbeaten season while Dejan Lu congratulated Neville and spoke with Schmeichel, Beckham, and Ronaldo.
• Milan received its medals, and Baresi lifted the trophy as the stadium celebrated the champions.

After AC Milan’s victory over Manchester United, Dejan Lu revealed that The Princess was expecting a child and celebrated the title with his teammates. He left the banquet with The Princess and Monica, then received a message that set up a holiday trip to witness a historic event.

• Dejan Lu joined the press conference, where Ferguson praised his performance and Sacchi credited him with helping Milan defeat Manchester United.
• Dejan Lu confirmed that The Princess was pregnant and said their child would take the Lu surname.
• Milan’s players celebrated their title, and Paolo Maldini drenched Dejan Lu with champagne before the team headed to a club-funded celebration.
• Galliani offered to improve Dejan Lu’s contract, and Dejan Lu told him to discuss the terms with Monica.
• Dejan Lu left the banquet with The Princess and Monica, then received a message that made him announce they would witness history and watch the British flee.

Dejan Lu spent his holiday arranging retirement matches, endorsements, and a high-profile football invitational, then joined Milan’s title celebration at San Siro. Baresi’s emotional farewell left the crowd honoring his long career with the Rossoneri.

• Dejan Lu organized the Fiat & Adidas Super Invitational with Maradona's Friends, Milan Veterans, Juventus Veterans, and Boca Veterans, followed by a World Free-Kick Competition.
• Dejan Lu discussed Milan’s recruitment plans with Sacchi and considered signing players including Inzaghi, Nesta, Forlan, Rivaldo, and Terry.
• Dejan Lu celebrated with Milan’s team on June 14, accepted Baresi’s watch, and persuaded Van Basten to buy him a Ferrari 360.
• Dejan Lu arranged for Milan players and other guests to join a ceremony in Hong Kong, where he hoped the event would provoke the British.
• Sacchi thanked the staff and players at San Siro, and Baresi delivered an emotional speech about Milan giving him his chance and supporting him throughout his career.

The Hong Kong invitational tournament grew into an eight-team event, while Dejan Lu promoted Pokémon in Japan and organized preparations for the opening ceremony. Ferguson brought David Moyes to Hong Kong, the July 1 ceremony and celebrations took place, and legendary players began arriving for the tournament.

• Dejan Lu’s suggestion led Football World to air programs introducing the legends, while the tournament expanded to eight teams and attracted widespread attention.
• Dejan Lu finished his Pokémon promotional tour in Japan and flew to Hong Kong on June 26 with his girlfriends and friends.
• Ferguson arrived with David Moyes on June 29, and Dejan Lu showed them around Hong Kong before the ceremony.
• Dejan Lu and The Princess attended the July 1 ceremony, where Dejan Lu and Jackie Chan performed together during the televised show.
• Dejan Lu joined Ferguson and others to open Monica’s Hamburgers in Central, then continued sponsor appearances as the tournament approached.
• Pelé and Beckenbauer arrived in Hong Kong, praised the event, and credited Dejan Lu’s invitation for their participation.

Dejan Lu won the World Free-Kick Competition and then led Maradona's Friends against Brazil Legends in a star-studded exhibition semifinal. He scored early, while Brazil Legends answered with a slick attack that ended in a save, leaving the match in progress.

• Dejan Lu won the World Free-Kick Competition, with Mihajlović second and Deisler third.
• Dejan Lu drew the 1983–1984 Brazilian Série A experience card for Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira.
• Maradona's Friends and Brazil Legends began their semifinal, with Dejan Lu and Diego Maradona starting for the Friends.
• Dejan Lu tackled Zico, beat the aging Brazilian defenders on a solo run, and scored the opening goal.
• Brazil Legends combined quickly through Sócrates and Zico before Rivelino volleyed at goal, but Neri Pompido saved the shot.

Dejan Lu scored and assisted in Diego Maradona’s Friends’ testimonial tournament matches before their side defeated Milan Legends in the final. AC Milan then announced the signing of Filippo Inzaghi from Atalanta for $14 million.

• Dejan Lu watched Pelé score for Brazil Legends, then combined with Diego Maradona to score a header and celebrated by carrying him toward the stands.
• Dejan Lu scored on a fast counterattack after Matthäus and Diego Maradona broke through Brazil’s midfield, then left the pitch as Alemao came on.
• Diego Maradona’s Friends beat Brazil Legends 6–3 and advanced to the final against Milan Legends.
• Dejan Lu came on as a substitute in the final, recording a goal and an assist as Diego Maradona’s Friends won 4–3.
• La Gazzetta dello Sport announced that AC Milan had signed Filippo Inzaghi from Atalanta for $14 million after beating Juventus.

Dejan Lu returned to Milan after the holiday, helped Galliani weigh sponsorship offers, and hosted a dinner for his teammates as preseason approached. The chapter left off with Van Basten calling to recommend a PSV Eindhoven defender to Milan.

• Dejan Lu teased Buffon about Totti transferring to an Argentine high school, and Buffon asked Dejan Lu to help him obtain a university degree.
• Dejan Lu reviewed the transfer market as Milan pursued Inzaghi and considered several defenders, while Juventus added Chiesa and Montella to its shortlist.
• Galliani visited Dejan Lu to discuss sponsorship offers, and Dejan Lu rejected betting companies while considering the other brands and their advertising reach.
• Dejan Lu hosted a dinner for teammates, where Paolo Maldini discussed his new responsibilities as captain and father.
• Van Basten called Dejan Lu and said he wanted to introduce Milan to a defender from PSV Eindhoven.

Dejan Lu discussed Milan’s preseason, Stam’s transfer, and Totti’s discovery of a notebook about a lost treasure before having dinner with Totti and his father. The chapter ended with Totti stopping Dejan Lu from throwing away a shrimp shell because his father liked to eat them.

• Dejan Lu agreed with Van Basten that Stam was worth signing, then rejected Van Basten’s offer to invest with him.
• During Milan’s preseason, Dejan Lu, Costacurta, and Inzaghi joked about Maldini’s nightlife and chatted with their teammates at training.
• Totti told Dejan Lu that he had found a notebook describing expeditions to search for Mussolini’s missing treasure near Adanmello Peak.
• Dejan Lu saw reports of Deschamps joining Chelsea, Kluivert joining Juventus, and Ince joining Liverpool, then Milan signed Stam for eight million dollars and won a warm-up match 6–1.
• Totti invited Dejan Lu to dinner with his father, Enzo Totti, who thanked Dejan for looking after Francesco.
• Totti stopped Dejan Lu from discarding a shrimp shell and explained that his father liked eating them.

Dejan Lu joked with Totti and his father, planned Milan’s transfer targets, and then prepared for the Italian Super Cup against Juventus. Before kickoff, Sacchi took him to observe Lippi at the press conference.

• Enzo thanked Dejan Lu for looking after Totti, asked him to vet any future wife, and gave him a jade gift.
• Dejan Lu considered possible Milan signings, including Cafu, Sagnol, and Camonessi, while reading reports about clubs’ summer transfers.
• After Milan signed Zickler and closed its transfer window, the team traveled to Turin for the Italian Super Cup against Juventus.
• In the dressing room, Paolo Maldini scolded Dejan Lu and Billy for tricking him into a late night, while teammates shared stories about their vacations.
• Dejan Lu drew a Francesco Totti match-experience card before Sacchi summoned him to watch Lippi’s press conference.

At a tense press conference, Lippi stormed out after being challenged over Juventus's alleged doping, while Dejan Lu and Sacchi fielded questions before leaving. In Milan's Italian Super Cup opener against Juventus, Dejan Lu set up Inzaghi for the first goal, giving the new striker his first official Milan goal.

• A reporter questioned Lippi about Juventus's alleged doping, and Lippi angrily denied the accusation before walking out.
• Sacchi said Milan would keep its 4-4-2 formation and that its transfer business was basically complete, while Dejan Lu declined to criticize Juventus directly.
• Dejan Lu drew a Gianpiero Bonipeti Single-Match Experience Card, and Paolo Maldini took over as Milan captain.
• Milan and Juventus began the Italian Super Cup at Alps Stadium, with both teams fielding their new captains and summer signings.
• After Juventus's opening attack was halted, Redondo sent a long pass toward Dejan Lu, who flicked the ball into the penalty area for Inzaghi to score.

AC Milan led Juventus at halftime, then Dejan Lu scored a spectacular bicycle kick from Totti’s back-to-goal pass to extend the lead. Inzaghi resolved to stick close to Dejan Lu and Totti, whom he dubbed Milan’s Three Musketeers.

• Inzaghi celebrated Filippo Inzaghi’s opening goal with Dejan Lu and Totti, while plotting to build a friendship with Dejan Lu to secure his place in Milan’s lineup.
• Stam dominated Juventus’s attacks, and Milan went into halftime with a one-goal lead as Sacchi planned to substitute Dejan Lu to protect him from injury.
• During halftime, Paolo Maldini and the other Milan players discussed conspiracy theories, investments, and ideas for Totti’s fashion brand without settling on a name.
• Dejan Lu sprinted past Juventus defenders early in the second half, and Totti set up another attack with a clever overhead pass after Ferrara’s clearance struck Inzaghi.
• Dejan Lu scored with a flying bicycle kick, and Inzaghi decided to stick with him and Totti as Milan’s Three Musketeers.

After Milan defeated Juventus in the Italian Super Cup, Dejan Lu enjoyed a quiet day at home before returning to training amid rumors and restaurant talk. At the Miss Italy 1997 final, Filippo Inzaghi received a note from winner Mara Carfagna and blamed his carefree views on marriage on Dejan Lu, leaving Dejan determined to confront him.

• Milan beat Juventus 3-1, and the players celebrated on the bus while Sacchi and Tardelli discussed the team's winning streak.
• Dejan Lu read optimistic newspaper coverage of Milan and considered Matracci as a possible tall defender before spending his day off gardening and drawing.
• At training, Dejan Lu and Paolo Maldini joked about nightlife, while Redondo asked teammates for advice about opening an Argentine barbecue restaurant.
• Dejan Lu attended the Miss Italy 1997 final with teammates, and Mara Carfagna won the contest.
• Dejan Lu passed Mara Carfagna's note to Inzaghi, who told a reporter that he followed Dejan Lu's example by avoiding thoughts of marriage.

Milan faced Lazio in the league, and Dejan Lu set up Filippo Inzaghi for an early goal with a backheel pass. The chapter ended with Milan leading after Inzaghi scored past Marchegiani.

• Dejan Lu drew a single-match experience card for Sergej Milinković-Savić.
• Totti and Paolo Maldini discussed Milan’s interest in signing Nesta before the match against Lazio.
• Milan and Lazio named their starting lineups, with Dejan Lu and Nesta set to face each other.
• Totti beat Signorini on the ball but lost possession after Nedved closed him down.
• Paolo Maldini passed to Dejan Lu, who backheeled the ball into Inzaghi’s run, and Inzaghi scored past Marchegiani.

AC Milan extended its lead over Lazio as Dejan Lu created two more goals for Filippo Inzaghi, who completed a hat-trick. Lazio struggled to contain Milan’s attacks, leaving Nesta frustrated by his lack of a direct duel with Dejan Lu.

• Dejan Lu’s movement and backheel pass helped Inzaghi score Milan’s opening goal, impressing Nesta and leaving Lazio’s defenders arguing over their marking.
• Nedved crossed for Boksic, but Stam headed the ball clear, and Milan launched a counterattack.
• Zickler passed to Dejan Lu, who flicked the ball through Amelia’s legs and played Inzaghi through to score Milan’s second goal.
• Dejan Lu reassured Totti that his movement and link-up play were helping the team despite his lack of a goal contribution.
• Totti intercepted Joković’s pass and set up a counterattack; Dejan Lu chipped the ball toward goal, and Inzaghi guided it in to complete his hat-trick.

After Milan crushed Lazio 5–0, Dejan Lu attended a party with teammates and met model Michelle Henzel. Milan then began its Champions League campaign with a 3–0 win over Košice, while the press discussed Dejan Lu’s Ballon d’Or rivalry with Ronaldo and Newcastle’s upset victory over Barcelona.

• Dejan Lu was substituted for Davids after Inzaghi completed his hat trick, and Nesta cramped up while watching him leave the pitch.
• Dejan Lu agreed to attend a party with Coco and Inzaghi, then traveled there with Redondo and Totti after Milan’s 5–0 win over Lazio.
• At the party, Redondo criticized a screenwriter’s film, and Dejan Lu spoke with Michelle Henzel, who later rested her head on his lap.
• Dejan Lu read that the media considered Ronaldo his main Ballon d’Or rival as Milan and Real Madrid were drawn into the same Champions League group.
• Milan beat Košice 3–0 in the opening round, while Faustino Asprilla scored a hat trick to lead Newcastle past Barcelona 3–2.

Dejan Lu and Milan traveled to Madrid for their Champions League match against Real Madrid, where he mocked Sanz’s promised bonuses and dismissed the club president’s attempts to provoke him. As match day arrived, Sacchi considered leaving Dejan Lu out of the squad but hesitated because Milan could lose without him.

• Milan won five consecutive league matches, while Dejan Lu discussed Henry’s talent and the problems caused by international duty and injuries.
• After Milan arrived in Madrid, Dejan Lu compared Real Madrid’s promised bonuses to rewards that could only be earned by beating Milan, then ignored Sanz’s media provocations.
• Dejan Lu, Totti, Redondo, and Buffon played blackjack at the hotel before Paolo Maldini called them to dinner.
• Sanz criticized Cruyff on television, and Milan’s players discussed Real Madrid’s strong lineup and Panucci’s transfer from Milan.
• On the way to the Bernabéu, Tardelli suggested leaving Dejan Lu out of the squad, but Sacchi hesitated over the risk of losing without him.

Dejan Lu began Milan’s match against Real Madrid on the bench, watched Real Madrid press aggressively, and urged Milan to move the ball faster. Milan took the lead through a Totti chip in the 24th minute, leaving Heynckes determined to equalize before Dejan Lu entered the match.

• Dejan Lu drew a single-match experience card for Karim Benzema’s 2018-2019 Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich, then learned he would start on the bench.
• Dejan Lu and his teammates warmed up at the Bernabéu, where Milan faced Real Madrid’s star-studded lineup and its loud home crowd.
• Real Madrid pressed high after kickoff, and Dejan Lu went to the touchline to urge Milan to move the ball faster and use the width.
• In the 24th minute, Paolo Maldini sent a long ball forward, Inzaghi flicked it backward, and Totti chipped the ball into the net to put Milan ahead.
• Heynckes decided Real Madrid had to equalize quickly while Dejan Lu remained on the bench.

Milan dominated Real Madrid as Totti and Inzaghi helped build a commanding lead, while Sacchi repeatedly sent Dejan Lu to warm up without bringing him on. Dejan Lu finally entered in stoppage time, scored immediately, and Milan finished with a decisive win as Real Madrid’s players left in silence.

• Maldini launched a long ball that Redondo headed through Real Madrid’s defense, and Inzaghi set up Totti to score Milan’s second goal before halftime.
• Inzaghi credited Dejan Lu’s presence on the bench with unsettling Real Madrid, and Sacchi told Dejan Lu he planned to tease the opposition by making him warm up without playing him.
• Sacchi sent Dejan Lu to warm up several times, but Milan scored from a Totti free kick deflected by Inzaghi, so Dejan Lu returned to the bench.
• In the second minute of stoppage time, Sacchi substituted Dejan Lu for Davids, drawing boos from the Bernabéu crowd.
• Redondo lofted the ball forward, Dejan Lu flicked it over Hierro and scored past Canizares, and the referee ended the match.

After AC Milan thrashed Real Madrid, Sacchi and Totti faced provocative questions at the press conference, while Heynckes’s criticism of Real Madrid’s former managers stirred further controversy. Back in Milan, Dejan Lu enjoyed the aftermath with Paolo Maldini and Adriana, then learned that a Madrid silversmith planned to commemorate his warm-up routine with a statue.

• Sacchi joked with Tardelli after Heynckes ignored him, then defended his decisions and AC Milan’s strength at the press conference.
• Heynckes blamed Real Madrid’s low Champions League coefficient on its previous managers, then left the press conference to comfort his players.
• Totti praised Dejan Lu’s influence and rejected the claim that leaving Roma had made him a traitor.
• Newspapers and Capello mocked Real Madrid and Heynckes’s remarks, while Dejan Lu laughed at the coverage.
• Paolo Maldini and Adriana visited Dejan Lu and the mothers-to-be, and Dejan Lu learned that a Madrid silversmith was making a statue of him warming up.