Chapter 84 - 82: Champion

Chapter 84: Chapter 82: Champion

What does it feel like to be a champion?

It’s quiet!

At Jirinsky Stadium, everyone was silent. Their eyes darted back and forth between the field and the clock.

No one shouted, no one clapped. They watched the second hand tick by with its relentless rhythm, their hearts filled with an indescribable emotion.

And yet, it’s also passionate!

Breaths grew shallow, heartbeats quickened. A rush of adrenaline left everyone in a state of extreme excitement.

On the pitch, at the 89-minute mark, Mostar Zrinjski led Sarajevo Railway Workers 1-0.

Including stoppage time, in no more than five minutes, Mostar would become the focus of all of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This small town would stand at the pinnacle of Bosnia and Herzegovina Football!

And in that moment, the emotions in their hearts were unleashed.

"Hold on!!!!"

"The championship!!! Win the championship!!!"

The fans were no longer idly chatting or maintaining their relaxed, camp-out-like attitudes.

One by one, they stood up, waiting with bated breath!

They craned their necks to look at the pitch.

They knew the championship was within reach.

On the field, the players were fighting with all their might.

They contested every ball, squeezed out their last ounce of energy to keep running, and repeatedly thwarted the attacks of the Sarajevo Railway Workers.

On the sidelines, the fourth official finally raised the board: three minutes of stoppage time.

Three minutes remained in the match.

Three minutes... to the championship!

"Get it!"

Suk went into a fierce slide tackle, knocking the ball away from Mejic’s feet. The momentum carried him sliding out of bounds.

But he didn’t linger. He immediately scrambled to his feet and turned back to defend.

"Stay sharp! It’s the last three minutes!"

After shouting, Suk immediately closed in on the opposing player receiving the ball.

Modric was also on the defense.

While fighting for possession, Modric and Vukocic collided and both fell to the ground.

But even as he fell, Modric managed to knock the ball out of bounds.

Vukocic watched the ball fly out of bounds, a look of helplessness on his face.

"Bosschenoqi! Get up there! Win the header!"

In the final moments of the match, Sarajevo Railway Workers still wanted to use Bosschenoqi’s height to score an equalizer.

But Mostar Zrinjski gave them no chance at all.

"I’m here!"

Kosopech rushed back, and along with Mashovich, they bracketed Bosschenoqi from the left and right.

One man might not win against him, but two made it much easier.

To make the header more dangerous, Mejic sent the cross closer to the goal.

But Mostar Zrinjski’s goalkeeper, Kish, let out a great roar as he charged out from the goal and leaped high.

He cleanly plucked the ball out of the air, hit the ground, and fell on it—all in one smooth motion.

"...There’s barely any time left. Sarajevo Railway Workers are still trying to equalize in the final moments, but Mostar Zrinjski’s defense is airtight."

"The proactive charge from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national keeper, Kish, defused the danger from that header attempt. Mostar Zrinjski is one step closer to the championship!"

"Mostar Zrinjski’s last championship win was in the Second Division League back in the era of the Former Yugoslavia!"

"To date, Mostar Zrinjski has never won a domestic top-tier league championship. Since the establishment of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League, they have always been overshadowed by teams from Sarajevo."

"But this season, this small town in Bosnia and Herzegovina called Mostar has delivered an astonishing performance!"

"The arrival of Van Stiake brought a whole new tactical philosophy to Mostar, while Modric and Suk have made the team incredibly solid on both offense and defense!"

"Kosopech, Mashovich, Kish, and the others... these players are destined to be written into the club history of Mostar Zrinjski!"

"That’s right! Their first championship is about to be born!"

The head referee was already looking down at his watch.

This gesture made the Mostar fans in the stadium grow restless.

How they longed for the referee to blow the whistle and end the match sooner!

They couldn’t wait to lift the championship trophy!

BANG!

While battling Vukocic for the ball, Suk collided with him.

The impact made Suk stumble, but even as he fell, he still managed to poke the ball away.

Just as Vukocic was about to regain control of the ball, Boban rushed in and booted it away with a powerful kick.

The camera panned up to Mostar’s clear blue sky!

The ball soared through the air, flying far away.

At the same time, a sharp whistle blew.

TWEET TWEET TWEET!!—

Three sharp blasts, the match was over!

ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—

The cheers that erupted from the more than ten thousand fans shook the heavens and the earth!

The moment the whistle blew, the entire stadium erupted.

The Mostar Zrinjski bench cleared out, everyone sprinting wildly toward the pitch.

After a grueling 90-minute battle, after a season of hard-fought struggle, they had finally seized this symbol of honor.

Champions!

They were the champions!

"...And that’s the final whistle! Mostar Zrinjski has defeated Sarajevo Railway Workers 1-0! They maintain their 5-point lead in the standings, which means they’ve clinched the championship with one round to spare!"

"Over the long ten-month season, Mostar Zrinjski’s performance has been nothing short of remarkable!"

"Time and again, they secured victories, time and again, they gave us thrilling matches. This championship is one they truly deserve."

"This is also their first domestic top-tier league championship!"

"Let’s congratulate Mostar Zrinjski! They are the champions of the 2002/2003 Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League!"

At Jirinsky Stadium, a huge number of fans vaulted over the barriers and poured onto the pitch.

The entire field was swarmed with people.

They chased after the players, celebrating ecstatically.

"Champions! Champions!"

"We are the champions!"

Oripé was heavyset, but at this moment, he was incredibly agile.

He was the first to reach Suk, grabbing him in a tight hug.

"Fuck yeah! That was awesome!!"

"A championship! You brought a championship to Mostar!"

"We are the champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina!!"

With that, Oripé lifted Suk up and placed him on his shoulders.

Suk sat astride Oripé’s shoulders. He could see the fans below, their heads tilted back, their faces flushed with excitement.

Suk!!

Suk!!

Suk!!

They chanted Suk’s name.

Without a doubt, as the player who scored the only goal of the match and delivered an outstanding performance, Suk was absolutely the best player on the field.

Meanwhile, the Football Association observer for the match immediately filed his report.

Man of the Match: Suk!

His performance won Mostar Zrinjski a championship!

This result sent the crowd into another frenzy!

Perched on Oripé’s shoulders, Suk celebrated with the surrounding fans.

This day was destined to go down in the history of the small town of Mostar.

"Alright! We should calm down a bit now. The security staff has already cleared the fans from the field, and the trophy presentation is about to begin!"

A simple championship stage was already being set up in the middle of the pitch.

In front of the stage sat the championship trophy.

It was plain overall, like an oversized wine glass, but with a crown-like shape welded onto the top.

When the players returned to the field once more.

It was time for Mostar Zrinjski’s trophy presentation.

Following the staff’s instructions, they orderly walked onto the stage. A Football Association official presented them with their gold medals.

"You played exceptionally well today. I look forward to even greater performances from you in the future."

The president of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Association looked at Suk, extending a hand with a brilliant smile on his face.

Suk also reached out and shook it.

Once he was on the championship stage, Suk couldn’t wait and shouted to Oripé, who was in the nearby stands:

"Quick! Take my picture!"

Suk pointed at his gold medal, urging Oripé on.

Oripé took out his camera and aimed it at Suk, snapping a flurry of pictures.

"Come on! Let’s get a picture!"

Suk didn’t just take photos by himself; he also called over Modric, Stelk, Boamei, and others to take a group picture.

In the photo, their faces were beaming with brilliant smiles.

Although their jerseys were soaked with sweat, that’s precisely what made the emotions captured in the photo feel all the more real.

After the photos were done, Suk sat down right at the front edge of the awards stage, snagging the center spot.

Modric immediately ran over and sat down next to Suk.

But as Kosopech walked over carrying the trophy, Suk yelled loudly:

"Captain, don’t you drop our trophy!"

Kosopech immediately pretended to trip, startling everyone into a chorus of panicked shouts.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Kosopech let out a few hearty laughs.

OOH~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suk stretched out his hands, looking up at the trophy in Kosopech’s grasp.

To the drum-like beat of anticipation, Kosopech suddenly hoisted the trophy high.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Fireworks blossomed in the sky.

ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—

The cheers of more than ten thousand fans mingled together.

In this moment, the glory belonged to Mostar!

They were the champions of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League!

Oripé slowly raised his camera and captured this moving scene.

’He remembered the young boy, as if he had just arrived in Mostar, yet somehow years had already passed in the blink of an eye.’

’He had bravely taken the first step in his professional career and toward his dream—and it was the most brilliant step of all.’

Champions!

That word would always be so beautiful!