Inside a guesthouse in Mostar.
After the match, Atgenich did not leave.
Instead, he planned to stay in Mostar for a while longer, partly to monitor the situation of Suk and Modrić, and partly for further observation.
Of course, he also needed to report to his boss.
Atgenich took a shower and opened a bottle of ice-cold beer.
Despite it being winter, a bottle of ice-cold beer after a shower immediately refreshed him, sweeping away all fatigue.
Wearing a bathrobe, sitting on the sofa, Atgenich took out his old-fashioned mobile phone and made a call.
The call connected quickly.
"Neil, it's rare for you to call me proactively, it seems your harvest is quite good!" Besic said with a smile on the other end of the phone.
Atgenich has never been one to make phone calls proactively unless he has a novel discovery.
And for Atgenich, this trip to Mostar was indeed a pleasant surprise.
"I apologize for questioning your vision before," Atgenich joked with a smile: "Now, in addition to discovering Modrić, you have another new talent in your pocket!"
"Oh?"
Besic's voice carried a hint of surprise.
Modrić is Besic's prized discovery among young players over the years, and now Atgenich is clearly comparing Suk with Modrić.
"Is he performing well?"
Besic couldn't help but become interested.
Although he had watched Suk's match footage, many details could only be observed on-site, which is why he sent Atgenich to investigate.
"Excellent!"
Atgenich said concisely: "He is definitely the type of player you like, running very actively during the game, and his control of the game is also very good!"
"His various abilities already meet the requirements of Dinamo Zagreb, of course, not in the center forward position!"
Besic: "I never intended to have him play center forward."
"He plays as a winger here, let me tell you my impressions!"
Atgenich paused and suddenly said; "Do you know how Bergkamp plays?"
"Bergkamp?" Besic was surprised.
As the undisputed absolute core of Premier League giants Arsenal, Bergkamp, known as the 'Ice Prince,' possesses abilities that are very strong in the entire football world.
"He plays like Bergkamp?"
"To be precise, it should be a combination of Bergkamp and Zidane!" Atgenich said; "That Dutch coach wants to play Total Football, but obviously, his positioning of Suk is not so clear. He has to do a lot of things throughout the game, which wastes a lot of energy and unnecessary running!"
"In my opinion, his most suitable positions are winger, attacking midfielder, and central midfielder. He is an offensive commander!"
Besic: "Modrić's passing is also good."
"Yes! But Luka is more suitable for organization and metronome work. In this game, Suk's passing penetration is much stronger than Luka's, and he is very fast and actively defends. To be honest, I don't know where to specifically place him, but he will definitely give you a big surprise."
"His passing is very good?"
Atgenich opened his hand and drew an arc, exaggerating: "Have you ever seen a curved ground pass spanning 30 meters? From the left side of the field, through a dense defense, to the winger on the other side. Although it didn't succeed, once this kind of passing ability and vision succeeds, it will be a super weapon that can directly tear apart the opponent's defense!"
Besic couldn't imagine it, but through Atgenich's retelling, he could understand a little. This should be a very impressive technique.
"So, do you think it's necessary for us to sign him?"
"We must sign him!"
Atgenich took a big gulp of beer.
"I want to see him play at the Maksimir Stadium!"
Atgenich's answer fully explained everything.
"I understand, after I return, I will proceed with the transfer operation!"
Based on his trust in Atgenich, Besic didn't even continue to ask.
"You're not at the club?" Atgenich was surprised.
Besic: "Yes! I need to make a trip to Germany for some matters!"
"Alright, I don't know what work is so urgent, but I wish you success."
Atgenich continued to drink.
Besic laughed; "Thank you for your blessings, you can also return to Zagreb for a vacation."
"No, no, no!" Atgenich waved his hand with a smile; "I have no intention of going back, I want to watch a few more games here, this is my vacation!"
Germany, the capital of Bavaria, at the exit of Munich Airport.
Besic, wearing a gray trench coat and sunglasses, waved to stop a taxi.
"Suit yourself, I have to go to work!"
After Besic hung up the phone, he got into the taxi and said in English:
"Grunwald, number 22-103!"
After reporting the address, the taxi drove off.
The Grunwald district is a famous wealthy area in Munich, about 7 kilometers away from the center of Munich, a town known as 'Bavarian Hollywood'.
Besic's purpose for this trip was to visit an old friend.
When the taxi arrived at the designated location, Besic also got out of the car.
Surrounding them were rows of townhouses, the roads meticulously cleaned and tidy. Despite it being winter, there was still a hint of greenery, making the overall scene less cold.
Before Besic was a four-story mansion, its entrance surrounded by a low, white wooden fence.
Through the fence, one could see a meticulously maintained lawn and an outdoor swimming pool.
Of course, in this season, no one in their right mind would choose to swim here.
There was a doorbell at the entrance.
Besic gently pressed the doorbell, and after a short while, a man in a bathrobe came jogging out of the villa.
"Hey! Besic! My good friend!"
The man before him appeared to be around 35 years old, with a slicked-back hairstyle and a chin resembling Emil Chau's.
This person was the Croatian superstar, Davor Šuker, who, under the summer sun of France, wore the red and white checkered jersey and won the World Cup Golden Boot with 6 goals.
Davor Šuker, wearing a bathrobe, was shivering slightly in the cold wind. He urged Besic, "Come in! Come in! It's too cold here!"
At Davor Šuker's invitation, the two entered the mansion.
The entire space was enormous. Upon entering, one was greeted by a magnificent and spacious living room.
Davor Šuker closed the door. The house had a wood-burning heating system, making it very warm.
"Want a beer?"
Without waiting for Besic's response, he ran to the refrigerator and took out two bottles of dark beer.
"Germany produces a lot of dark beer. Winning the Bundesliga championship is also celebrated with dark beer. Although we don't have that opportunity, we can still have a taste." Davor Šuker handed over a bottle of beer, then sat on the sofa. After inviting Besic to sit down, he asked, "So, what brings you here to see me?"
Besic and Davor Šuker were teammates when they played for Dinamo Zagreb, and they had a good relationship.
Even after Davor Šuker went to Europe, their relationship didn't end, and they often kept in touch.
Besic didn't have Davor Šuker's talent. During his playing career, he was relatively mediocre and failed to make it to the top European leagues. However, he had some talent in coaching and achieved considerable success at Dinamo Zagreb.
"This isn't very close to Munich 1860, where you play!" Besic asked, not cutting to the chase.
Davor Šuker nodded; "Yes! But the environment here is very good. Besides, I'm retiring after this season."
With that, Davor Šuker took out a cigar from the table and said, "Want one? I had someone specially bring it from Brazil."
Besic glanced at the cigar and suddenly said, "Play for another year!"
Davor Šuker was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand with a smile, "Hey! Buddy, I'm old. Since joining Munich 1860 in 2001, I've only scored 3 goals in total."
"Two seasons! Three goals!" Davor Šuker shook his head; "These are all telling me that I should retire. I can no longer keep up with the pace of the top leagues."
"Not the top leagues!" Besic reached out, took the cigar from Davor Šuker's hand, and put it back in the humidor, saying; "I mean, go back to Dinamo Zagreb! Play there for a year, and then retire at the Maksimir Stadium. I think that would be the perfect ending!"
Davor Šuker looked at Besic and suddenly said, "Do you want me to teach others how to play football?"
Besic was slightly surprised and said, "How did you know?"
Davor Šuker grinned: "Because you sound exactly like the Professor. But you're more honest than him. Even after I left Arsenal, the Professor never admitted that he bought me to find a teacher for Henry!"
"I'm tired of teaching this kind of thing, especially teaching a Frenchman!"
Davor Šuker was still very concerned about their loss to France in the 1998 World Cup semi-final.
"Not teaching a Frenchman, but teaching Croatians!" Besic said seriously; "You have a wealth of experience that the entire Croatia doesn't have. You've played in the top leagues and know how to train. These are things we don't have."
"In 1998, we lost to France, but we really played well at the time. You need to pass on these valuable experiences so that we don't make the same mistakes and we can go further!"
With that, Besic placed a folder on the table.
"The current situation at Dinamo Zagreb is very bad. We've even reached the relegation zone. I will stabilize everything this season, but next season, our task will still be very arduous, especially in terms of the fans. We need to give them confidence, and you, as a Croatian hero, are definitely the perfect candidate!"
"Here is a document. I believe these are the future of Dinamo Zagreb, and also the future of Croatia."
"In 1998, we were eliminated in the semi-finals, but I believe that one year, the whole world will hear the last note of the rhapsody!"
"Šuker, come back! For your unwillingness, and for our future!"
Besic's voice was powerful and resonant, which also plunged Davor Šuker into a long silence.