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From the third division to Serie A, this is a colossal gamble. Sampdoria cleaned house by letting go of the Spaniard Víctor Muñoz but used their precious foreign player slot on an 18-year-old boy. Perhaps this marks the beginning of their decline this season. — La Gazzetta dello Sport
Monica Bellucci’s agent revealed that ever since meeting that boy, the promising model has changed completely. She no longer cares about her career, even terminating her contract with the agency. This is self-sabotage. Originally, Elite Model Management had arranged film opportunities for her, but Monica seems determined to become a housewife. — La Stampa di Torino
La Gazzetta del Milan refrained from making snide remarks. Rivera, when approached by reporters, took the initiative to speak on the matter: “I had previously convinced Galliani to sign Dejan, but Galliani refused. It seems I burdened Dejan with my advice. Galliani was very happy to say no; he didn’t care what kind of player Dejan was. He made a huge mistake, and he’ll soon realize it.”
Entertainment magazines and tabloids were even more inflammatory.
And then there was Dejan himself.
Having just left the modeling world, Monica had landed a contract endorsing a fashion brand. It’s hard to say this wasn’t due to her frequent newspaper appearances lately.
On one hand, she was already stunning.
On the other, she had been in the spotlight quite a bit recently.
These days, football salaries have an upper limit. Without entrepreneurial ventures, it’s impossible to live like the stars of Neymar’s generation.
So it’s no surprise that Dejan wasn’t highly regarded yet.
In football, after all, strength on the field speaks louder than words.
Fearing he might not withstand the pressure, Mantovani personally came to comfort Dejan.
Rivera had already publicly criticized the situation; Mantovani genuinely worried that AC Milan was set on poaching the young player.
Previously, Vialli stayed because his good friend Mancini was there, and he had played for several years.
What if Dejan decided to leave outright?
Even with a contract, Mantovani wasn’t the kind of chairman to be heartless.
Fortunately, Dejan had no intention of leaving.
Not wanting to risk complications, Mantovani decided to hold Dejan’s official unveiling ceremony in late June.
During this period, Dejan frequently appeared in newspapers and had already built good relations with his teammates.
Even the club’s young players, Enrico Chiesa and Paliuca, had bought RS500 motorcycles, inspired by Dejan.
The team was becoming familiar with him.
An early debut would also bring peace of mind.
The changes within the club puzzled him.
Previously, only Mancini liked motorcycles.
But next season, after training ends, the scene outside the Sampdoria base might look like a biker gang gathering, which made him smile wryly.
He’d have to remind them to ride safely sometime.
...
“I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t even had time to prepare for exams,” Monica complained, clinging onto his back the moment Dejan got home.
“Making money is always good. You’re the most beautiful woman in the Apennines now!” Dejan teased with a smile.
He had just visited Lippi, even though Lippi had already left Sampdoria.
By then, he had met most of the first-team players. The other new signings probably felt a bit lost with the new season approaching.
Everyone was new here; what’s your story?
Lippi liked Tuscan cigars, a rather niche taste in Italy. Dejan had specifically bought one before visiting him.
There was now a Panasonic VCR at home—previously branded as National, the company had gradually transitioned to Panasonic in recent years.
Monica, holding a VHS tape, said mysteriously, “Federica said this American movie is great, so I borrowed it.”
VCRs had dropped in price over the past few years, and tape rentals were booming.
For some, watching movies privately was more comfortable than in a theater.
After watching the beginning, Dejan realized Monica might have misunderstood.
She thought the tape contained something sensual.
But this was The Shining—a classic horror story by Stephen King.
Soon, the trembling beauty attacked Dejan’s arm with a pillow, her whole body shaking.
“Maybe we shouldn’t watch this?” Dejan asked.
“No!” Monica hid her face behind the blanket, revealing only half an eye.
Horror films had this addictive power, making people unable to stop.
Dejan felt uneasy watching, Monica gripping his arm tightly.
When it ended, it was already past one in the morning.
Dejan rubbed his arm and said, “Let’s sleep. We have the stadium unveiling tomorrow.”
“Mm!” Monica tucked her head into his neck, humming softly.
Just as Dejan drifted off, he felt his arm being shaken.
He opened his eyes to see the pitiful Monica, pulled her into his embrace, and patted her back.
“Sleep now, I’m here.”
This time, he wanted to lull Monica to sleep first.
Unexpectedly, she showed no signs of sleepiness and chatted with him until nearly dawn before dozing off.
Ring, ring, ring...
The landline phone at home wouldn’t stop ringing.
Startled awake, Dejan glanced at the clock and cursed, “Damn, I’m going to be late.”
He quickly threw off the covers and tapped Monica to wake her.
“Get up, we’re going to the stadium for the unveiling.”
“Huh?”
Monica, still groggy, rubbed her eyes, unaware of the situation.
Seconds later, she screamed loudly and scrambled toward the bathroom.
...
Luigi Ferraris Stadium.
This stadium was shared by Genoa and Sampdoria, built by the Genoa club.
It was renamed to honor the legendary Genoa captain.
The derby between the two teams was fierce, known as the Lighthouse Derby, but since Genoa’s relegation, the rivalry had cooled.
Later, Sampdoria also fell into decline, and the Lighthouse Derby lost its prestige; many people didn’t even realize the two were fierce city rivals.
This stadium, with a capacity under 37,000, saw over 40,000 fans flood in today.
Mainly due to the lack of entertainment, Sampdoria fans were curious about the foreigner who had stolen Italy’s most beautiful woman’s heart, appearing frequently in newspapers and on TV.
Mancini glanced at his watch and asked, “Shouldn’t it have started? Where’s that guy Dejan?”
“Who knows? Maybe he’s late,” Vialli joked. “In this, he’s very Italian.”
“He grew up in Calabria,” Mancini said.
Federica watched Vialli chatting animatedly with her husband and shook her head, wondering how they had so much to talk about.
Coach Boskov glanced at Mantovani and teased, “Seems our young prodigy has perfectly adapted to the Italian sense of time.”
Mantovani had called him back early to Italy just to meet Dejan.
With a smile, Mantovani said, “Young people always have their own things. I believe he won’t disappoint us. Rivera and Riva can’t both be wrong, can they?”
Though not an expert himself, he trusted the professionals’ judgment.
This was also one of the secrets to Sampdoria’s resurgence.
The stadium began to stir; the main figure hadn’t appeared, and the fans were growing impatient.
Jeers started to echo.
Genoa was a city known for its passionate and expressive fans, who were quick to show their displeasure.
“Paolo, do you hear that noise?” Boskov leaned in.
The crowd’s noise was too loud for a proper conversation.
Paolo Mantovani turned and asked, “What noise...?”
Before he could finish, the roar of engines drowned out his words.
The Sampdoria chairman’s eyes widened as a red and white motorcycle burst out of the players’ tunnel. Both riders wore helmets, but he immediately recognized them.
The bike slammed heavily onto the grass, hardly slowing, roaring straight toward the two men.
Before Mantovani and Boskov could react, the rider executed a sharp drift and stopped smoothly in front of them.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Even the DJ, who had been teasing Dejan about his tardiness, was speechless.
Cameras immediately focused on the center of the pitch.
Monica, on the back seat, removed her helmet, shook her long hair, and smiled, saying, “Sorry, Mr. Chairman, we’re late!”