...After returning to the hotel, the Yugoslav players retired to their rooms earlier than usual after dinner. No one felt like sleeping, but everyone needed peace. Moša and Tirke, old "roommates", rolled over on the bed.
"Mosho, are you sleeping?" Tirke asked.
"Jok, he won't sleep. When I close my eyes, I see a full stadium and hear that roar from the stands..."
"Me too, when I squint I see the two of us on the right side of the field, you give me a long ball into an empty space and run to 16 meters, I run past the defender and cross as if from the run, and you catch the volley and score a goal... Do you believe that can it really be like that?”
"Of course I believe, how many defenses have we outsmarted so far?" And those Uruguayans are people…”
After a few minutes of silence, Tirke spoke again:
"May I ask you something?" Why does everyone call you Moša when your name is Blagoje?"
"Where did you come up with that now?" No one asked me that for years... And did you know that my first nickname was 'Croach'? As a child, I had blue eyes and almost white hair, so they called me Schwab. According to my mother's testimony, I owe my nickname 'Moša' to my uncle, who I rummaged through my pockets and took out some paper bills. The uncle then said: 'You are the real Mosha.' The mother almost got angry: 'What the hell, Mosha', and he replied: 'You see how much he loves money, and his hair is curly, like every Mosha's.' My brother Nikola liked that nickname a lot and that's how I became and remained Moša..."
"Well, if you like money - you do. Uncle didn't make a big mistake..."
"And you don't like them?" We were seven children, five brothers and two sisters, and my father was a coachman, it was never enough... If there was no football, who knows what would have happened to us. And let me tell you another secret? As a child, I supported 'Yugoslavia' and went to all their matches, Nikola and I even signed up for the youth team of 'Yugoslavia', but we soon left due to a misunderstanding with the coach and transferred to BSK."
"It was as if I was better... My father died in the war, in 1917, my mother, Reina, took my brother Marko, who was five years old, and me, when I was three, in 1924, and came to Belgrade from Krnjevo. We were poor people... When I started running for the ragtag, we called it 'Andrade', after the XNUMX Olympic champion – and tomorrow I'm playing against him! What is your life..."
"And you, as I recall, were in 'Yugoslavia'?"
"I did, in 1923 I started playing in Olimpija, in 1924 at the age of 14 I moved to 'Yugoslavia' and soon to BSK, because Radenko Mitrović offered me boots. For the first time in my life... It seems to me that you and I met in that year."
Milutinac and Mikica Arsenijević also did not sleep in the next room.
"I haven't been this excited in a long time. It seems to me since 1918, when I went to Jajince with my brothers Gojko and Dušan to wait for the vanguard of our army. Gojko was nine years old, Dušan was six and I was 12... Together with the soldiers, we entered the liberated Belgrade," said Milutinac without asking.
"When did you start playing football?" Mikica asked, just to continue the conversation.
"At the age of 14, I enrolled in the youth team of 'Yugoslavia', at 16 I made my debut for the first team..."
"Interestingly, I was also 16 when I wore the 'Mačva' jersey for the first time in Šabac," Mikica said and sighed.
"What's bothering you? Stage fright?"
"Well, I've never had stage fright." I think how proud my father would be of me if he knew that I was the best student at the Šabac gymnasium and that I graduated from the electrical engineering faculty, and of course, that we are in the semi-finals of the World Championship... He stayed at Mačkov kamen in 1914."
"My father Jovan, a retired colonel decorated with two Karađorđe stars, must be proud. And just how proud my grandfather would be..."
"Grandpa?"
"My maternal grandfather is Duke Radomir Putnik... I don't like to talk about it so that people don't see me through him and his heroism." I've always thought that every man should make his way through life on his own, but of course I'm proud of him."
"That's something you shouldn't hide and keep inside, you've already proven yourself enough both as a football player and as a person, soon you'll be a doctor too... Why did you choose medicine?"
"I thought that I would be able to help people the most." You see how much disease, injustice, poverty there is... I don't know if the government really corrupts people, but the majority of politicians are greedy people, eager for power for the sake of personal enrichment. We need to fight for a fairer world, if we all raise our hands, nothing will ever change."
"You are right, but let politics and politicians go now." I'm more concerned about whether we'll be able to hold off those quick-footed Uruguayans tomorrow…”
"We will be able to, for sure. The same recipe as against Brazil: attack from the start, to surprise them. They will think that we were scared and that we are only looking to concede as few goals as possible. We have a chance, believe me…”
"Oh my God..."
It was around 22 p.m. when Ivica Bek went out to the terrace of the room he shared with Jakša. He looked at the cloudy sky and thought how nice it would be if tomorrow, at least a little, the sun warmed up. Playing in France, in Sete, which is on the coast, he got used to the pleasant Mediterranean climate. His roommate Yakša had a conversation:
"I see that in some newspapers they write your last name with 'ck' at the end." Where did that come from?"
"That's how it's originally written, my father was originally German. My mother was Czech. I was born in Belgrade, in Čuburi, and the only language I know is Serbian, only Serbian was spoken at home..."
"Now you also speak French..."
"I say, but you know it cost me to overcome him." Complicated language. It says 'njuška' and you read 'muzzle', Ivica joked about the French orthography.
"To tell you the truth, I envy you... It's not bad here in Belgrade either, but I would love to go abroad." I hear that some American managers are interested in me, but because of the Doctor and the Papuan, I can't even talk to them."
"Only you defend tomorrow like you did against Brasilia, the whole world will be looking for you," Ivica encouraged him.
"I could stay here, people love me, they recognize me at every step." Let my friends from the orphanage in Novi Sad see me now..."
"Orphanages? I didn't know you were in an orphanage…”
"And where would I be... Father died in the war, mother poor in Kolašin." They sent me to Novi Sad, but as soon as I grew up a little, I ran away and settled in Belgrade, primarily thanks to football. They saw me from Sokol in a field and took me to the club, I will be forever grateful to them."
"I also grew up without a father, and football helped me a lot." I was only five years old when, in 1914, my father drowned and soon my brother too... My mother looked after me like a little water in the palm of her hand, she didn't even want to hear about football, but my friends convinced her and at the age of 16 I made my debut in to the first team of BSK," Beck said quite sadly.
Bane Sekulić, as an already experienced international, calmed down his roommate Moma Đokić.
"No matter what you do, they don't eat the ball." We showed that we can handle everyone," he encouraged the young half.
"It's easy for you, you've played so many big games, and I'm only 19 years old," Moma complained.
"You have to believe in yourself, that's the key to your success not only in football but also in life." When I was a kid delivering food from the 'Šiško' pub in Čuburi, I dreamed that the day would come when some kid would bring me food... You were already lucky because you came directly to the youth team of 'Yugoslavia', the road led me to the red jersey through 'Javor', 'Dušanovac', 'Karađorđ' and Sokol until I found myself in 'Yugoslavia' in 1922. Oh, what a youngster we had. Nikola and Moša Marjanović, Baja Dragićević, Steva Luburić... If Nikola and Moša hadn't gone to BSK, we would have won a few more titles, not just two."
"How did you get to France?"
"We were on tour in that country in 1926, I played well, they noticed me, they asked if I would come and already in 1927 I found myself in Montpellier." A beautiful town by the sea, Mediterranean climate, friendly people, they love me... I'm really happy in France, but I will return to finish my career here. After this success of ours, doors will open for our players, not only in France."
"I am not attracted to playing abroad. I graduated from the Trade Academy, I will find a job in the civil service, I will play for 'Yugoslavia'. Maybe I'm not too ambitious, but it's really nice for me in Belgrade. And my native Kuršumlija is not too far either," said Moma Đokić and tried to fall asleep.
"Ljubo, is it difficult to study in a foreign language?" Toške asked his roommate Ljubiša Stefanović, who, after graduating from high school in 1928, went to study law in Montpellier, where he played for a local club at the same time.
"If it's easy, it's not, but I was lucky enough to get a solid foundation at school, so it wasn't difficult for me to fit in." What do you ask, if you don't want to go to France too?"
"Well, I'm asking like that... I've just enrolled in construction in Belgrade and I don't plan to move until I finish my studies."
"Well, there is time for you, when you finish your studies you will be 24-25 years old and you will be able to choose."
"Yes, that's what I think too... You know, I'm a little sorry that I didn't play here, I certainly won't tomorrow either." I wanted the game..."
"You know that Bosko is a bit superstitious, he put the team together on the ship and there is no god to change anything..."
"I know, even when we left it was clear to me that I would not play, but when the game starts I see myself on the field... I have the impression that tomorrow I would 'eat' that right wing of the Uruguayans."
"I'll tell Vampire to eat it instead of you," Ljuba joked, referring to Dragoslav Mihajlović, whom no one was allowed to ask where his nickname "Vampire" came from.
The vampire shared a room with Đokica Vujadinović. Both were civil servants, Mihajlovic started working in the police and Đokica was a bank clerk. They were often rivals in training, Đokica was a forward and Dragan played a defender and had no mercy for anyone. His motto was that he "doesn't even know his own father" on the field. Đokica was a skilled dribbler, he often managed to deceive Mihajlović, and Mihajlović did not hesitate to stop him with his strength.
"I hope you saved some of your sharp starts for tomorrow," Djokica said to her roommate.
"But what, I'll throw their right wing into the stands if necessary," Mihajlovic said confidently.
"Be careful not to overdo it, so the judge doesn't kick you out." I am sure that the referee will be against us and we must not give him the slightest reason to damage us."
"You take care of how to break your half and back, don't worry about us in defense." We played well, we only conceded one goal, we just need Jakšu to start like he did against Brasilia."
"Almost, I'm not allowed to tell you, but I dreamed last night that I was going to score a goal," revealed Djokica.
"Dream this night that you gave another one, it will be good for us," retorted Mihajlović before he turned to his side and soon fell asleep with the sound sleep of the righteous.
Lala Najdanović was in the room with Božo Marković, whom everyone called Kangaroo because of his good jump. Lala used a good part of his free time to recruit Boža for BSK.
"What are you going to do in Novi Sad?" Do you know when 'Vojvodina' will be the national champion? By 'holy never'... If you come to us in BSK, you will have a chance, we have an excellent team and our time is yet to come."
"Well, I'm fine in Novi Sad..."
"I believe, but you are just one of the Markovics there." You Dušan, you Mija and Boža Marković... The fans can't remember you. Marković would be the only one with us," insisted Lala.
"Leave me alone, better think about how you will do tomorrow if Boško puts you in the team again."
"No way, Bane is coming back, he's recovered." And it's only fair that those who beat Brasilia play... And don't get me off topic. You know I'll be bugging you all the way back.''
In the only three-bed room, Teo Spasojević, Bane Hrnja and Šećerko Stojanović were not nervous because they knew they would not play, but they also felt some nervousness in their stomachs. Spasojević used his free time to read something from the textbook for the law faculty he enrolled in. He and Hrnjaček, as members of 'Yugoslavia', joked with the reserve goalkeeper Stojanović, who was a member of BSK.
"Listen, I can't wait until we get back and the state championships start." You must have been a bit rusty these two months without games, we will give you goals more easily," said Hrnjaček.
"You didn't make a fool of yourself either." "If there weren't those dancing girls on the ship and here in the hotel, you wouldn't even break a sweat," Šećerko said.
"You're so cute..."
"Well, they don't call me Sugar for nothing..."
"We will try to make your life miserable at the first opportunity..."
"Let us make life miserable for our hosts tomorrow, we'll do it easily at home..."