The Bosnian police were very concerned about their only port. Therefore, upon receiving a report and conclusive evidence, they immediately launched an operation targeting Harun.
Suk didn't know how he would be punished, but at that moment, the coach dragged him out of the police station.
Orić is a large, obese man weighing over 100 kilograms. His height of 175 centimeters, combined with his bulky physique, gives off a sense of overwhelming mass.
He wore a blue tracksuit, and despite it being loose-fitting, it seemed tight on Orić.
A whistle hanging around his neck all year round seemed to identify him as the head coach.
Orić is also the coach of Mostar Wanderers, the Bosnian second-division team that Suk plays for.
Orić carried Suk to the corner of the street as though he were carrying a chick, then said with an angry face, "You promised me!"
Suk lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong and didn't say a word.
Seeing this, Orić became even angrier.
"Speak! Do you think I'll still believe you?" Orić said angrily. "The police have already issued a warning. If a similar incident happens again, you'll be sent back to Croatia. If you still want to play football here, then be honest."
Suk quickly raised his head and nodded like a pecking chicken.
Seeing Suk's childish face, Orić's anger dissipated quickly.
In fact, looking at this young man wandering in a foreign country, pursuing his football dream, Orić still felt a great deal of sympathy.
After saying that, Orić pulled Suk and stuffed him into a single-cab truck, then walked around to the driver's seat and started the vehicle.
Orić started the vehicle and said concisely, "Today is match day."
Suk raised his head in surprise. "There's no match today!"
Orić replied lightly, "The schedule has been changed."
Suk just nodded. In fact, changing the schedule in the Bosnian second division league is a very frequent occurrence. The financial situation of the entire league is poor, and the salary players receive is not high. To subsidize living expenses, many players choose to work.
Suk's situation was the same. After all, trying to play football while maintaining a living is a difficult thing.
For most players, the reason they are still playing football is simple: to be promoted to the Bosnian Premier League or transfer to a top-tier team.
This is the only way out for those still persevering.
Of course, there are also people like Ković who think they can't make a living from football and eventually give up, starting a different career.
While top European league players are making big money and dating beautiful women, these lower-league players are still worried about their livelihoods.
It can be said that football here presents two extremes.
Only a small group of people who pass through the single-plank bridge and make it into the top league can truly experience the joy of professional football.
The single-cab truck sped along the asphalt road. Orić controlled the steering wheel while taking a wad of paper from his pocket and throwing it over.
"The guardianship application has been approved. Saković won't be looking for you anymore."
Hearing this, Suk's face showed surprise.
"Approved?"
Orić smiled at Suk's happy expression and said, "Yes, it's approved. So, you kid, score a few more goals under me, and then transfer to a Premier League team in the future."
Suk unfolded the paper, looked at its contents, and smiled contentedly. "We'll be promoted to the Premier League together!"
Orić smiled but didn't speak.
"But do you really not want to go back to Croatia?"
Suk shrugged. "I don't want to go back and be a priest."
Orić nodded, as if he understood.
This series of events is tied to Suk's background.
Suk was originally a child from a church orphanage in Croatia. He was noticed by Saković, a believer who came to worship, during a football performance inside the church.
Saković, a coach involved in youth training in Bosnia, saw Suk's talent and wanted to cultivate it.
After some persuasion, he became Suk's guardian in Bosnia and brought him here for youth training.
The whole process was smooth, and Suk performed well.
But there was one issue: his body!
At the age of 14, Suk seemed to stop growing, and his height couldn't increase.
By the age of 15, when his peers had already surpassed the 170 cm mark, and some even reached 180 cm, Suk was still only 150 cm tall.
This caused great difficulty for him, especially as a center forward.
The two sides were completely polarized in their confrontations. While Suk was very agile, if his height didn't meet the standards, he was considered unqualified during youth training.
Moreover, Suk's talent wasn't at the level where Saković could overlook his height.
Eventually, Suk was removed from the youth training list by Saković and was set to return to Croatia.
However, the stubborn Suk chose to abscond and joined Mostar Wanderers.
After some time, Suk's performance there was impressive. Finally, after Orić contacted Saković, they agreed to transfer guardianship.
For Saković, getting rid of the trouble was enough.
The two reached an understanding, and the whole process was smooth.
Suk lived up to Orić's expectations, scoring 9 goals for the team last season, and this season, he had already scored 8 goals in 11 rounds, leading the scorer list.
It's hard to imagine that this 150-centimeter-tall teenager has had such a remarkable performance in the physically intense Bosnian league.
The truck drove off the asphalt road and entered a mountainous area.
On the bumpy dirt road, the truck shuttled through the narrow path and continued forward.
Soon, the surrounding grass faded away, and a simple archway came into view.
Two slender bamboo poles supported a banner that read, "Welcome to Mostar Wanderers" in Croatian.
Yes, Mostar Wanderers is a team that brings together Croatians.
After passing through the archway, a stadium surrounded by a waist-high fence appeared.
But compared to a stadium, this place could more accurately be called a pasture.
The lawn was in terrible condition, with patches of brownish soil and a sticky feel. The nets on both sides were tattered, with dead knots tied at the holes, making the entire net look very rough.
In the distance, herds of cattle were grazing, their breath mixing with the scent of grass and cow dung.
It can be said that the environment here makes many opposing teams uncomfortable, but for Mostar Wanderers, this is the perfect home field.
Compared to opponents who aren't used to the field, the Wanderers, who always play here, know the stadium like the back of their hands, including where the pits are, where the grass is bad, and which way to pass the ball to slow it down.
When Orić and Suk arrived at the stadium, many people had already gathered.
The football market in Bosnia and Herzegovina's professional league is not very strong. Sometimes, even the Bosnia and Herzegovina Premier League games can't draw 1,000 spectators. However, in this game, Mostar Wanderers had nearly 150 fans, and with the residents watching from the surrounding area, the number exceeded 200.
Mostar Wanderers is a second-tier team, but they have one of the most popular football markets in the entire second division.
Suk wasn't sure why, but there were always a lot of fans at every game.
A ticket costs 30 marks, which is very cheap, and some even sneak in to watch the game, managing to skip the ticket fee.
However, the fans still voluntarily gave their ticket money directly to Orić.
Orić was busy collecting money, while behind him, a group of Mostar Wanderers players, including Suk, were preparing for the match.
Suk sat on the ground, changing into his red and black striped jersey.
To be honest, Suk didn't like the jersey because the horizontal stripes reminded him of a prison uniform.
But since it was the home jersey, they couldn't refuse.
After putting on the jersey, Suk took out his shoes from the truck.
These were tattered shoes, the leather on the toe was peeling, and there were even a few holes, but they were still wearable.
Finally, he inserted his shin guards into his socks and patted them lightly.
In the Bosnian league, shin guards are essential for protecting the legs. Even someone like Grealish would have to wear standard shin guards, or his sexy calves would be ruined.
Once dressed, Suk began to greet his teammates.
"Boss, pass me the ball more today!"
Suk greeted the man wearing the number 10 jersey, the oldest player at around 30 years old.
His name was Ivan Mlinar, the team's captain, and he was 35 years old.
Mlinar was the most famous carpenter in the entire Mostar town. Like his meticulous hand skills, he also had excellent foot skills.
Mlinar was the core of Mostar Wanderers' offense and also the one who fed Suk the ball.
It could be said that the main offensive connection of Mostar Wanderers was between Suk and Mlinar.
Mlinar twisted his waist to warm up and smiled at Suk.
He also liked this little teammate who could always score goals.
After all, who likes to lose?
After greeting the captain, Suk turned his head and shouted to another player, "Bakic, concede fewer goals today, don't make it harder for me."
Bakic, the goalkeeper of Mostar Wanderers, was a super sieve.
He always fumbled the ball!
According to coach Orić, the opponent only needed to shoot, and Bakic could somehow stuff the ball into his own goal.
After Suk shouted, a bald young man stood up, yelled, and rushed towards Suk, but Suk deftly dodged. After several twists and turns, he managed to knock down the bald goalkeeper named Bakic.
Everyone burst into laughter.
While the Mostar Wanderers players were chatting, on the other side of the field, Sarajevo FC, their opponents for the game, was also watching them.
Sarajevo FC, despite its powerful name, was a weak team.
After all, teams in the second division were similar. Their situation was comparable to that of Mostar Wanderers, but as the capital's team, they had better treatment.
Once both teams finished their final preparations, they lined up for the match, and the game began amidst the cheers of the fans.