Matheus's Revenge-Se é irmão, venha jogar bola(Ye Liangchen, o Enterrador do Amor)

Dejan sitting in the stands watched as Sampdoria easily defeated Bologna 3-0 at home.

Mancini, who had just returned from injury, played the full ninety minutes without making any significant impact. His eagerness to prove himself caused him to lose his usual composure. Fortunately, Bologna held a decent league standing, yet their defensive vulnerabilities were glaring, allowing Sampdoria to secure the victory with minimal effort.

The protagonists of the match failed to generate much widespread attention.

Instead, Prince Charles expressed a sense of disappointment during an interview.

He stated, "I did not travel to Italy, but I sat before the television. Many people told me that Dejan is the finest player, an elfin dancer upon the green pitch, yet I was unable to witness him take the field. Nevertheless, I must congratulate Sampdoria on their victory. Dejan is a friend of Britain, as are the other players of Sampdoria, and I hope one day to watch their match live at Wembley Stadium."

This remark drew considerable attention once more.

Coupled with the national television stations repeatedly broadcasting the footage of his unveiling ceremony purchased from the Italian broadcaster, Dejan was quietly emerging as the foremost idol in European football.

There were many exceptional footballers, and countless handsome players as well.

However, top-tier players were rarely strikingly handsome. Furthermore, in this era, motorcycles represented individuality and possessed an explosive appeal among the younger demographic.

A single tail-slide during the unveiling ceremony was enough to easily captivate young women who did not normally watch football.

It even drove a surge in motorcycle sales.

Suzuki profited immensely.

If they profited, then King Dejan must have been the one losing out.

Dejan resolved to reclaim this sum when negotiating his contract next year.

Since Monica had returned to school, Federica specifically invited Dejan to her home for breakfast.

"Have you never considered purchasing a house of your own?"

Mancini asked after waking up, having brushed his teeth without washing his face, and sitting down with a yawn.

"I have, but I haven't decided on a location," Dejan replied.

"You must not buy by the seaside; those tourists are idiots!" Mancini hastily declared.

Federica nodded and said, "Living by the coast makes it very easy for drunken tourists to try to break into your house, not to mention all sorts of other chaotic matters."

"Ah, a tourist city," Dejan sighed.

"You could buy a place right next to mine. That area is much quieter, and most importantly, it's relatively close to Milan," Mancini said with a hint of anticipation.

"We'll see when the time comes. I'll need to discuss it with Monica."

"Buying a house is indeed a major undertaking," Federica nodded in agreement.

For most Serie A players, after stripping away non-extravagant expenses, their remaining annual salary might not even suffice to purchase a home.

"The primary requirement is a good environment, complete with supporting facilities, and above all, good neighbors," Mancini said, raising an eyebrow.

Dejan nodded.

Being neighbors with this married couple would indeed be quite pleasant.

Mancini had a somewhat foul mouth, but he treated everyone very well.

Federica was simply an exceptionally fine housewife.

"The newspapers say the Japanese live long. Could it be because of sashimi? Let's eat Japanese cuisine in Milan after the match against Inter," Mancini said, holding a newspaper.

"You might as well attribute it to nuclear fallout; the Japanese are the only ones who have ever suffered from atomic bombs," Dejan retorted.

"Then why is it?" Federica asked with curiosity.

"It's a sham," Dejan explained. "To continue collecting their elders' pensions, Japanese youths fail to notify the civil affairs department even after someone dies, and they will even bury their elders or freeze them in refrigerators."

The Japanese were exceptionally professional when it came to fabrication, spanning from top to bottom. Corporations defrauded consumers, and their employees forged documents to wrongfully claim pensions, thus giving rise to the so-called longevity.

"Is that so? How disgusting," Federica waved her hand in disgust. Hearing talk of corpses while dining was quite detrimental to one's appetite.

Heaven knows how they could sleep peacefully knowing a relative's corpse was resting inside the refrigerator.

"Matthäus says he's coming to exact revenge on you."

Mancini raised the newspaper and spoke.

Dejan took it and saw Matthäus’s large face plastered across the front page.

Matthäus told the reporters, "A single victory or defeat determines nothing. Inter Milan remains in the championship race. We were the champions of last season, and this season we wish to defend our crown. Sampdoria played very well, but we played with greater dominance. Better than me? I only recognize Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller as having individual abilities superior to mine; that was my feeling during the match. As for the loss, football is not a matter for myself alone."

Dejan: ......

Good grief, was Big Mouth Matthäus trying to ruin his prospects at Inter?

The rest of his words had no major flaws, but the final sentence practically implied that the defeat was the fault of his teammates.

Good lord, claiming credit for victories while blaming teammates for defeats—even if one thought that way, one could hardly voice it. No wonder Matthäus was so thoroughly disliked.

During the previous match, it felt like he still held some standing at Inter, given his undeniable prowess.

Dejan had been curious about how he eventually fell out with his teammates.

Seeing this now, witnessing the whole team celebrating his injury really came as no surprise.

The match against Napoli had just passed, and the Italian Super Cup was generating significant buzz.

The East Germans were celebrating as if it were New Year's. Previously acting as a spoiler on the pitch before ultimately cheering for King Dejan, they had now reverted to supporting Inter. The speed of their shifting stance was faster than a student being stripped of activist honors.

On the eve of the match, Dejan's pager received an unexpected message which read: Before I defeat you, you had better not lose first—Diego.

When Dejan called back, he found that the other party's cellular phone was powered off.

Looking at the message, Dejan smiled and shook his head.

Perhaps the best version of Maradona would be seen very soon.

...

Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.

The substitutes' bench.

The second half had just begun, and Sampdoria was already trailing by a goal.

"The boss probably wants to give you a bit more rest and test whether the others can pull off a win," Breda said, handing Dejan a handful of melon seeds.

"Thanks, I'll pass," Dejan declined.

He had no particular objections to starting or coming on as a substitute, but losing a trophy in November would undoubtedly impact the team's morale.

Inter Milan enjoyed a more favorable schedule, having rested a day longer than Sampdoria.

That gap was substantial.

Two days were simply insufficient for players to recover their physical stamina.

Pezzotti walked to the sidelines and said with a hint of concern, "Perhaps we should put Dejan on. Inter's counterattacks are too fierce today, and Baresi is in fine form; we aren't finding any openings."

"Let's wait a little longer," Boskov shook his head.

Earlier, he had intended to start Dejan, but seeing Matthäus's public statements, he grew somewhat worried that the German might resort to malicious tactics.

The match had already demonstrated that Matthäus was playing quite aggressively, and he feared Dejan might be injured by him upon entering.

The Italian Super Cup was not a heavyweight trophy; its prestige sat at the very bottom among all accolades. It would be disastrous if Dejan suffered an injury.

"Unique Inter, to me Inter is unique, the black and blue striped shirt, an unchangeable banner..."

Inter's club anthem was not yet the passionate "Pazza Inter"; the old club anthem "C'è solo l'Inter" also carried a lyrical style.

Interestingly, the final two lines of the lyrics stated that they would never steal a championship nor be relegated to Serie B, and the Nerazzurri had indeed lived up to that, having never suffered relegation.

"Dejan!!!"

Certain impatient supporters were chanting Dejan's name.

Dejan chose to draw a card.

[Ding! Because your good brother Vialli exercises extreme self-restraint and has never lost his composure, possessing a terrifying calmness, you have drawn a player with a somewhat volatile temper: Stefan Effenberg's single-match experience card for the 13th round of the 1996-1997 Bundesliga season, Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Hamburg.]

The Tiger!

Dejan had reason to believe this was deliberately targeting Matthäus.

Effenberg's most famous remark was his encouragement to his teammates in the locker room: "Work hard everyone, just win this match, and then Matthäus will be the only one among us who has never won the Champions League!"

And subsequently, Bayern defeated Valencia to successfully lift the Champions League trophy.

Furthermore, Dejan discovered an interesting detail.

Vialli was not someone easily befriended, as evident from his words and actions.

Yet unexpectedly, he had suddenly become one of King Dejan's good brothers.

Viewed this way, King Dejan's circle of brothers was growing ever larger, and brotherly football held immense promise.

Pezzotti once again rose and walked toward the sidelines.

Boskov waved his hand without even turning his head.

Matthäus had tackled opponents so fiercely that his football stockings had changed color; the veteran manager was genuinely worried.

"It seems Boskov is firmly resolved not to let Dejan play today. The fans might feel disappointed, but after all, the coach has his own considerations. Moreover, with very little time remaining in the match, whether Dejan plays makes virtually no difference."

Just as Rossi's voice trailed off, Alessandro Bianchi dribbled the ball into the penalty area and delivered a cross. Aldo Serena failed to reach it with a header in the center, but Matthäus, arriving at the far post, directed the ball into the net with his head.

"2:0!!!"

"Inter Milan has sealed the championship!"

"Matthäus has contributed both a goal and an assist today, utterly dominating the match. Most crucially, he has also executed numerous tackles on Giovanni Invernizzi and Lombardo. With Dejan off the pitch, Lombardo seems to have lost his magic."

"Dejan?"

Rossi let out a sharp cry of surprise as he noticed Dejan completing a brief warmup on the sidelines and walking directly toward the fourth official.

"Substitution!" Dejan said.

The fourth official tilted his head to look at Boskov.

Who makes a substitution without giving prior notice, and without even the coach nodding?

"Substitution, bring on number 3, Invernizzi!"

Boskov rushed to the sidelines immediately and called out, "Be careful out there! Losing the match doesn't matter, but do not get injured. The season is still long, and Serie A and the Cup Winners' Cup are our primary targets."

"Don't worry, Coach," Dejan smiled and nodded, moving to meet his teammate.

"Good luck," Giovanni Invernizzi said.

Though he shared the exact name with Inter's legendary figure, his capability was on an entirely different level.

Being able to play this long in the Italian Super Cup was already deeply satisfying.

Hmph—

Seeing Dejan enter the pitch, Matthäus could not help but snort through his nose.

With the 86th minute already reached and leading by two goals, coming on in such a situation—was he just waiting to share in a defeat with his teammates?

"What are you coming on for?"

Mancini, wearing the captain's armband, turned around and scolded, "The newspapers statistics show you haven't lost a match yet—do you want to taste defeat that badly?"

This fellow, even when expressing concern, wore that very expression.

Dejan smiled, waved his hand, and shouted, "Who told you we're going to lose? The match isn't over yet!"

Mancini looked toward the scoreboard. Beneath the 2:0 scoreline, the timer read 86:37; regular time had merely three minutes remaining.