June 30th!The day of the UEFA Euro 2008 Final has arrived!
From the opening match on June 8th to the final on June 30th, the tournament has spanned 22 days.And now, the biggest showdown of this year's Euro has finally come:
Croatia vs. Germany – the 2008 European Championship Final!
After battling through the group stages and multiple knockout rounds, both teams had proven their exceptional strength.
As a result, this match drew immense attention.
A large number of German and Croatian fans had already flocked to Vienna, Austria in advance.
The venue?Still the iconic Ernst-Happel-Stadium,Austria's most renowned stadium.Croatia had played most of their matches here, a clear sign of how much attention they were receiving in this tournament.
From the very beginning of the group stage, Croatia had been a hot topic in European media.
With Šuker and Modrić, Croatia's "Twin Stars", leading the charge, and the rest of the squad playing their roles to perfection, they carved a remarkable path:
Group stage domination
Quarterfinal: eliminated Italy (defending World Cup champions)
Semifinal: defeated Spain, creators of the famous tiki-taka style
Their win over Spain especially brought Croatia into the continental spotlight.
And as the undisputed ace, Šuker became the focal point of global media attention.
Many were now hoping to see him pull off the incredible feat of back-to-back Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year honors.
If Croatia won the Euro, Šuker's chances of claiming both awards would skyrocket.
Even though the World Player of the Year might still be influenced by the Copa América and other factors, the Ballon d'Or seemed well within his grasp.
Lately, Šuker himself had been overjoyed.
And for one simple reason:
He'd gotten another Diamond Card.
The Euro semi-final had earned him:
[Diamond Card – Special Type: Maldini's Will]
Though Šuker found the card a bit underwhelming—when activated, it massively boosted his fighting spirit and made him feel boundlessly energetic,it wasn't as absolute as a full status recovery card,but without such a card, this one still counted as a broken-tier ability.
Even if it wasn't very practical, Šuker was still excited.After all, if one Diamond Card came from a semi-final, the final might bring two—or maybe three or four, if he performed well!
"This is why international tournaments are worth it!""An absolute goldmine for farming cards!"
If it were possible, Šuker would play in a tournament like this every year.
And if Euro 2008 was this generous…
What about the World Cup?What kind of rewards would the World Cup final bring?
Šuker was beyond hyped.
Of course, for now, his focus was squarely on the Euro final.
Because this match would be critical to winning the Ballon d'Or.
Without his standout performance for Croatia, his club season with AC Milan alone might not have been enough to clinch the top awards.
But now, with Croatia's explosive rise, he felt confident.
"Two Champions League titles, one Euro title, back-to-back Ballon d'Ors, FIFA World Player of the Year—That'd make me the number one footballer in the world!"
"Let's go!""Go all out!""We have to win this Euro!"
Meanwhile, over at the Croatian commentary desk, the pre-match hype had already started.
Famed Croatian host Stijković smiled at his two guests, Boban and Bešić:
"Today we're joined by two special guests to analyze and predict this match!"
Boban and Bešić exchanged a glance.
"I'm not much of a tactical analyst," said Boban."Let's leave that to the experts."
He smoothly shifted the spotlight to Bešić.
Bešić thought for a moment before speaking:
"I support Croatia, of course.But we have to be cautious.With Vukojević injured, defense becomes a key concern.If we commit to a defensive setup, the team will have to play reactively—that'll test the youngsters' patience and composure."
"As for offense, I'm not too worried.We have Šuker—he'll tear through Germany's backline with his individual brilliance.What we need to do is maximize the space for him to operate."
"Lastly, I think Croatia needs a tactical shift.If we stick with the previous formation, it could be dangerous."
Stijković nodded:
"Yes, Vukojević's injury is unfortunate.If we had our full lineup, we'd stand a better chance.But since we've made it this far, I believe our boys can deliver.And I trust the Croatian coaching staff to support them well."
Boban couldn't help but grin wryly.
These people didn't know—the current Croatian coaching staff was basically a figurehead.
"Now, let's roll a short clip—Šuker recently made time to read some letters from his fans.Let's take a look."
Somewhere in Zagreb, inside a local home...
Young Brozović was furiously slapping Kovačić on the shoulder.
"It's on! It's on! It's on!!"
Kovačić winced in pain.
"How are you so sure your letter got picked?Tons of people wrote to Šuker—what makes you think you got chosen?"
"Wait—you didn't write one?" Brozović asked, turning.
"I was Šuker's ball boy once," Kovačić replied smugly."He even shook my hand. I don't need to write him a letter."
Brozović glared at him in envy.
Suddenly, from the TV came Kraushvić's voice:
"This letter is from a young fan in Zagreb—Brozović..."
Brozović's head snapped toward the screen.
"My letter!!!"
Kovačić's eyes went wide.
"No way... it actually got picked?"
On screen, Šuker smiled as he listened to the letter, then responded:
"I hope you shine in the B team,and I hope you make it into the first team soon.If someday you can stand beside me on the field,I know it will be a great help to me. Keep pushing!"
Brozović stared blankly at the screen, his smile frozen in shock.
Šuker just wished him luck...and even said he'd benefit from having Brozović by his side.
"Did you hear that?" he asked, voice trembling.
"I did," Kovačić replied with regret."Why didn't I write one too...?"
Eyes burning with determination, Brozović clenched his fists:
"I'm going to grow as fast as I can—I'll make it to the national team!"
"Me too!" Kovačić shouted.
The two young boys stared at the TV,gazing longingly at the distant figure of their idol.
Their dreams of one day standing beside Šuker had already begun to take root.
Back at the Euro 2008 broadcast team:
"Alright, now we turn the cameras to our commentatorKraushvić, who is live at the Ernst-Happel-Stadium in Vienna!"
The screen cut to a scene of raucous noise.
Then came Kraushvić's nearly screaming voice:
"We're at the Happel Stadium!There's still over half an hour until kickoff,but this place is already packed!Listen to this madness!!"
BOOM!!!!WAAAHHHHH!!!!CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!
Cheers, whistles, applause, and chanting—the entire stadium was like a boiling cauldron ready to explode.
The camera panned across the crowd.
Fans from both nations were bursting with passion.
Even before kickoff, they were doing the wave, building the hype.
The left half was filled with Croatian fans.
Busty Croatian models stood in the most visible spots, becoming the brightest spectacle of the crowd.
The German side was a bit more restrained, but still had plenty of scantily clad men and women.
At that moment, no one could stay calm.
The entire stadium was vibrating with raw energy.
Cheers burst from throats without conscious effort.
Applause and chants never ceased.
Every moment was a scene of pure, feverish intensity.
Kraushvić turned to the camera and shouted with passion:
"Behold! This is the stage of the UEFA Euro 2008 Final!"