081. Evolution, not change (1)
The best soccer player of all time produced by France.
The commander of arts soccer and the conductor on the field.
Zinedine Zidane.
There is probably no soccer fan in the world who does not know his name.
This is because from the 1990s to the early and mid-2000s, he was always ranked first or second when asked who was the greatest soccer player.
At such times, there is always an argument over Ronaldo and Zidane, and Zidane's fans often bring up this story.
-France, led by Zidane, achieved a win rate of 80% in 100 games.
Many people make fun of Zidane by questioning his hair, but no one has any doubts about his national team career.
Zidane is France's all-time number one, having led the Les Bleux team to not only winning the World Cup but also winning the European Championship (Euro).
To put it to the extreme, France without Zidane is like a tiger with its hands and feet tied.
And what's even more amazing about him is that he achieved incredible records not only for the national team but also for his club.
Won the Italian League, Spanish League, Champions League, etc.
His record is embarrassing to say the least.
One word is enough, without any grandiose rhetoric.
The best midfielder in soccer history.
A pioneer in art soccer who turns the game into a state of art with only build-up.
He became Hoyoung's tutor.
In fact, tutoring was not something that was done just because the president asked for it.
First of all, a mentor must give up his or her time, but it is rare for a mentor to help a youth whom they have never met before.
Of course, players like Raul who are very loyal are willing to accept it, but Zidane was not a player whose loyalty to Madrid was as high as Raul.
Moreover, it was a huge decision to give time to a 14-year-old Korean player who was neither of the same nationality nor from Europe.
Initially, Perez's request was to tutor for about one hour a week, but Zidane voluntarily increased the tutoring time significantly.
Of course, starting a tutor didn't mean things would change right away.
The effects usually start to appear as early as a week or as late as three months, but Hoyoung learned very quickly.
At the same time, a big change occurred in Zidane.
While conducting tutoring, he was greatly impressed by Hoyoung's mentality.
Passion and mature attitude about soccer.
That was reviving Zidane's dead passion.
Should I say that I have a new goal?
In fact, until he met Hoyoung, Zidane had no further goals.
I had already swept the trophy in the world's major tournaments, and my physical strength was slowly declining, so I thought I should retire after this World Cup.
Since I had nothing more to achieve, I thought it was right to retire cleanly.
To put it simply, I wasn't as interested as I used to be.
At one time, soccer was everything in his life, but now other things were filling his emptiness.
Wealth, fame and family.
Maybe that's why soccer didn't feel as fun as it did back then.
Until just a few days ago.
But it was different now.
"Faster!"
"yes!"
As if it had never happened before, the passion was revived again.
With all my heart.
Soccer brought their hearts together.
The two became a true teacher and student, transcending borders, age, and race.
It was a sight that would bring a happy smile to anyone who saw it.
In fact, Zidane's raising Hoyoung had a strong meaning of contributing to the development of the soccer world.
It was because I felt that if I raised that boy with determination, he would become a truly great athlete.
'He is at a level where he can perform well even if he is put in La Liga right now.'
However, there was no need to rush.
If you get too greedy and send him to a professional league and he gets hurt, the problem becomes more serious.
'The minimum level of development must be completed.'
Entering the professional league without even that accomplished was like entering the battlefield naked.
Time was needed to reduce risk and develop Woo Ho-young into a great player.
"Huh…"
Hoyoung, who was walking around the training ground with two soccer balls attached to his toes, let out a breath.
I was training to improve my ball control, but controlling multiple balls at the same time is usually not difficult.
But Zidane did it.
Whether there were two, three, or four soccer balls, they moved naturally as if they were one with the balls.
"You have to know how to have a conversation with the ball."
Zidane always said that.
He said that only then can he become one with the soccer ball and at least reach that level before he can even touch his own territory.
"Phew…."
"Is it difficult?"
"I will do it even if it is difficult."
Sounds obvious.
Isn't this the moment that Hoyoung so desperately wanted?
It was for this moment that I chose Real Madrid over other prestigious clubs.
Every minute and every second was a waste.
Even if it meant my heart would explode, I was determined to do so when I could be with Zidane.
Zidane stuck out his thumb.
"It's good fighting spirit. Soccer players must always have the soccer ball with them. The moment you become distant from the ball, your mind becomes distant as well. "Keep that in mind."
"yes."
"Rest for 5 minutes first."
Zidane was extremely cold and strict at the training ground.
However, his heart to teach Hoyoung was sincere.
Eventually, Zidane opened his mouth.
"Your basic ball sense is excellent, so if you train properly at this intensity, you will quickly rise to the level."
"thank you. So what kind of training do you do next?"
"What if minimal ball control is achieved? Then you have to learn how to be a manager on the pitch."
"okay."
Hoyoung's eyes lit up at the wonderful words.
Zidane said, lifting his chin.
"Five minutes have passed."
"yep."
The teacher comes into the classroom as soon as recess ends.
Seeing Zidane like that made Hoyoung's heart pound.
[Zinedine Zidane]
Talents
-Maestro (T)
-Maestro's build-up (SU)
-Artistic ball control (SS+)
-Unrivaled ball trapping (S+3)
-Fantastic individual skills (S+3)
-Phenomenal pressure ( S+)
-(More)
(You can covet one talent when you meet the conditions.)
(You can acquire some of the senses when you covet T rank (Title). However, you must be over 18 to covet it.)
( Grade S or higher can only be earned by achieving hidden conditions.)
(Condition 1: Achieve the podium (top 3) in the Juvenil B League)
(Condition 2: Receive tutoring for 5000 minutes)
(Condition 3: Barcelona, Sevilla, AT Madrid Score each against Valencia CF)
(Condition 4: Receive Zinedine Zidane's know-how)
(Hidden condition: Open when one or more talents are desired)
In fact, Hoyoung had a rough guess after seeing Desailly's talent last year.
Top-class players like Zidane, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho are definitely at a level higher than S grade…
But when I actually see it, I can't believe it.
Compared to Zidane, his talent seemed shabby.
Of course, SS is not twice as big as S, but it is true that it has that much impact.
'Then how great was it at its peak?'
Zidane is currently 33 years old.
Even though he is approaching his 60th birthday as a soccer player, his talent shows that he is still alive and well.
'Even though a lot of the physicality has died, the technical skills and mentality are still alive and well. After all, he is the player who will win the Golden Ball at this year's World Cup.'
2006 Germany World Cup.
As Hoyoung knows, Zidane will lead France to the finals.
but.
He unfortunately misses out on the championship due to a headbutt in the final and final retirement game, but is honored with the Golden Ball (MVP).
Hoyoung is currently training with such a player.
Beads of sweat ran down my palms.
It was a shock every day.
The fact that I got to meet the best in the world and that I was learning soccer from him.
From the day the tutor started until now, every moment has been thrilling.
I thought this was how I would feel when I met Zidane. No, it was even more amazing than I imagined.
Despite his voice being uncharacteristic, his charisma was felt in every word he spoke.
It may have been because Hoyoung always valued Zidane so highly.
It's like the heart of a girl who met her idol…
Is that kind of sincerity conveyed?
Zidane did his best to help Hoyoung train.
Tuk.
He stopped the ball and opened his mouth.
"Are you still nervous about training with me?"
"Maestro (teacher) is my idol."
"You too can become someone's idol. "If you work hard, that is."
"I will kick the ball even when I die."
Hoyoung gritted his teeth and said.
Meanwhile, my fingertips were trembling slightly.
Courageous confession.
A smile spread across Zidane's face at that unconcealed appearance.
"We have one more week."
Zidane was scheduled to leave for his native France when La Liga closed a week later.
It was for the 2006 Germany World Cup.
And then retirement.
In other words, there was only one week left for Hoyoung.
'It's impossible.'
Due to the conditions, it was absolutely impossible to obtain Zidane's talent within one week.
But nothing is certain.
If Zidane continues to coach at Real Madrid, he will be able to continue as a tutor.
Common sense tells us that retirement does not mean that talent disappears immediately.
Anyway, what is certain is that I can spend one more week with Zidane.
It was an opportunity to learn his experience, know-how, and technology.
Even if it wasn't a talent, it was good.
This was a tremendous honor for an aspiring soccer player.
Hoyoung was just happy and grateful for that.
About a week had passed since then.
With the end of the Spanish league just a few days away, the Juvenil League was also slowly approaching its end.
Real Madrid Juvenil B, where Hoyoung currently belongs, has been on a winning streak since April and has risen to second place in the league.
If they win this game, they will take second place regardless of the results of other teams.
The opponent is UE Korne, who are currently in the upper mid-tier of the league.
If you look at it objectively, it wasn't a difficult opponent.
However, the fact that it was an away game was putting pressure on the players.
Additionally, UE Korneya's defense was excellent, allowing only 27 goals in 37 games this season.
In particular, the winning percentage in home games was good, and just looking at the home win against Barcelona, the league leader, showed how strong the defense was.
In the background was a left winger and fullback born in 1989.
He was the central point of the team, responsible for both attack and defense, and a top player who would later be responsible for the left line of the Spanish Invincible Armada.
Of course, his skills are not in full bloom now, but he has reached the point where he is listed in the top 20 Spanish prospects.
Although he does not have a large physique, the composure emanating from his dark eyes made the Real Madrid attackers nervous.
The players wearing white uniforms lost momentum before the game even started.
But the atmosphere was completely overturned when another player appeared.
Woo Ho-young.
His cold face without a single smile seemed to radiate some unknown charisma.
He had tremendous confidence that he could beat whoever his opponent was.
It was natural.
Because I received special training from Zidane over the past few weeks.
My hands and feet were itching to show it in the game.
Sure enough, the effects of tutoring appeared as soon as the game started.
It was quite different from the Hoyoung I had seen so far.
It was the type of soccer that a soccer prodigy who was trained by the greatest midfielder of all time could show.
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