Serb forces might well abandon all restraint, firing rockets deep into Albania and Macedonia, in an attempt tohorrify and destabilise those countries, by selecting targets such as refugee camps.
The character has to be someone who's actions horrify us, but whose enthusiasm and ability to make the system do his bidding turn him into the hero against our will.
If you want that element of sporting romance, the team also allowed its two stars to race against each other in a way that would horrify today's stars - without any sniff of team orders, on the basis of may the best man win.