At Arsenal's training base, inside the head coach's office.
Wenger was reviewing the match reports.
Last season, Arsenal completed an epic unbeaten championship, which made both the Gunners and Wenger believe they had reached their strongest moment yet.
At the same time, Wenger's attention started to focus on the highest honor — the UEFA Champions League.
This season, Arsenal was determined to challenge for the Champions League title!
This was what Wenger and Arsenal needed most at the moment.
Arsenal drew a good group in the Champions League.
They were placed in Group E, and aside from PSV Eindhoven, the other opponents were not very threatening.
For Arsenal, they had to win the group to advance.
Only then would they truly deserve the status of the new English Premier League powerhouse.
There was a knock on the door.
Wenger softly said, "Please come in."
A staff member walked in holding a newspaper.
"Coach, you should take a look at this."
The staff handed the newspaper over.
Wenger looked at him puzzled, then took the paper and unfolded it.
His brow immediately furrowed.
"Dinamo Zagreb 3:3 Real Madrid, chaos in Champions League Group B!"
Wenger felt not only surprise but also deep unease.
He rubbed his temples.
He had hesitated too long; he should have acted last season!
Now things had become much more complicated.
Italian Peninsula, Italy, Milan.
AC Milan training base.
Ancelotti was chewing gum, looking at the match report with excitement.
In front of him stood a man with long flowing hair, deep-set eyes, exuding a special charm.
His name was Paolo Maldini.
"Looks like you're happy about something," Maldini said with a smile.
Ancelotti replied, "The team won, so I'm happy."
"That doesn't sound like the whole story," Maldini smiled. "You look like you're staring at Kaka."
Ancelotti blinked. "Is it that obvious?"
Maldini nodded firmly.
Ancelotti chuckled and handed over the newspaper.
"Take a look yourself."
Maldini took it and paused, surprised: "Real Madrid was held to a draw?"
"Yes!" Ancelotti nodded. "Keep reading."
"Dinamo Zagreb is a team made up of young players. Their youngest player is only 17, and several starters are 18 or 19 years old. Yet with this lineup, they managed to hold Real Madrid to a draw at home!"
"In this match, Croatian player Suker scored twice and was the key figure. As the successor to Davor Suker, his ability and performance..."
Maldini looked at Ancelotti.
"Are you interested in this Suker?"
Ancelotti smiled: "Boban recommended him and brought many match videos. And in those videos, I saw something incredible."
Maldini was curious; Ancelotti never used the word 'incredible' unless it was really amazing.
Ancelotti slowly dropped a bombshell.
"If Filippo could pass, dribble, organize, and still have unmatched speed, what would you say?"
Maldini was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
"Hahaha! You're joking. Filippo is unique, and if someone really had all those qualities, he'd be God!" This text is hosted at novel⟡fire.net
Ancelotti snapped his fingers and pointed at the newspaper.
"I found a young version of God!"
Suker held his head, stunned, looking at Srna.
This guy was shyly announcing his wedding date.
At the end of this season, Srna was going to get married.
"Dude, you're only 22, you should be more careful! Marriage isn't something to do on impulse. You can't just decide based on feelings now. You need time to grow together and communicate."
Suker was trying to stop him.
"I'm only 18, never had a girlfriend, a total rookie.
You're telling me you're getting married?
That's just to rub it in!"
"We've known each other since childhood, been a couple since 16, and have been together for seven years. We know each other well enough."
Suker: "So, you're sure about this?"
Srna nodded seriously.
"Yes, she's the only one in my life."
"Guys, let's give a round of applause and blessings to this brave man."
Suddenly, applause and cheers erupted.
Suk patted Srna on the shoulder with a smile.
"Wish you happiness!"
"You're coming to my wedding, right?"
"Of course!" Duimovic answered quickly.
"We wouldn't miss it. I'll smash the cake on your face, you lucky guy."
Everyone laughed heartily.
Srna scratched his head, showing a hearty laugh.
Srna's girlfriend's name was Mirela!
Mia was as common in Croatia as Luka was for boys.
They were the same age and childhood sweethearts.
Previously, Srna's football career was unstable, and Mirela hadn't graduated from university, so things had stayed .
Now Srna was a well-known Croatian full-back, and Mirela had completed her studies.
They decided to start a family.
Srna's wedding became a hot topic among friends.
Duimovic and others teased him nonstop.
But among the crowd, Modric stood far away, eyes filled with a hint of envy.
Suker went over to comfort him.
"Don't worry, you'll find a good girl too."
"I have to work hard and save money to buy a house first."
"You haven't saved enough?"
Modric's family rented a small house, never had their own home.
His biggest dream was to own a house for his family.
With his income in Croatia, buying a house was easy.
"I want a bigger house," Modric said seriously.
People's desires are endless.
The boy who once dreamed of a small home now dreamed of a villa.
Dinamo Zagreb holding Real Madrid to a draw caused a huge shock in Croatia.
Especially for the Croatian league teams, it was a big tremor.
They realized they were facing a very strong team.
Losing was only natural.
Maybe because of this mindset, Dinamo played more relaxed.
Besides matches, recently, many unfamiliar faces appeared in Dinamo's stands.
As the team's chief scout, Jategenic noticed many peers.
They came from different leagues and clubs, all working for different employers.
But they shared the same goal.
To evaluate Dinamo's young players and estimate their transfer value.
No doubt, after this season, Dinamo would find it hard to keep these young players.
Of course, Besic and Jatagenic never planned to keep them.
They had completed their mission, even exceeded expectations.
Every game after that was breaking records.
Their names were deeply engraved in Dinamo's history.
For Besic, given the situation, keeping players was impossible.
He had to figure out how to sell them at a good price, to good clubs.
Besic was not a heartless coach.
He wouldn't abandon Croatia's future stars.
Good prices were one thing, but opportunities for the young players were important too.
Of course, he also respected players' wishes.
So far, Besic hadn't talked about transfers yet.
At least, not until after the Champions League ended.
Because with the Champions League underway, the players' values would rise.
How much would depend on their performance.
Riding this momentum, Dinamo's second Champions League group match was coming.
They would travel to Italy to face Roma.
For Dinamo, this match was crucial.
The result would determine their trajectory in the group stage.
Last training session before the match.
Besic watched the youths running on the pitch, disciplined defensive posture, tight formation.
He couldn't help but feel emotional.
Was this still the Dinamo he coached that was only about offense?
They say big matches can promote growth, and it was true.
After the Real Madrid match, in just a week, the growth of these young players was visible.
Previously loose defense became much more rigorous.
With shouts, they moved with order.
Full-backs advanced only when the moment was right.
Gaps were quickly covered.
The team's overall cohesion was strong.
Dinamo now might not be perfectly balanced, but their defensive improvement was remarkable.
After all, they had been tested by top stars from Real Madrid!
"Alright, training's over for today. We leave tomorrow night."
Under the excited gaze of the youths, Besic said firmly:
"We're going to conquer Roma!"