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089. Season finish (5)
June 2007.
The image of Woo Ho-young roaring as he single-handedly lifted the championship cup was featured on the front page of a Korean daily sports newspaper.
It was the first time that Hoyoung graced the front page alone since Zidane's interview during last year's World Cup.
['Real Madrid Youth' Woo Ho-young will be promoted to the adult Castilla team to the first team within two years]
Woo Ho-young (15), who competed with adult players at the world's most prestigious club, Real Madrid Castilla CF, said, "I will be promoted to the first team within two years. "I will do it," he said with bold ambition.
Real Madrid Castilla CF is the official reserve team of Real Madrid and can simply be called the second team.
What is special is that, unlike the English league, there is no second-tier league in Spain. For example, Manchester United's second team only joins other teams' second teams. This is because the English league has a league dedicated to the second division.
On the other hand, Real Madrid's second-tier Castilla will face a team in the second division regardless of the first or second division. Although it is Real Madrid's reserve team, it is completely independent from the first team and is treated as one team.
The opponents that Woo Ho-young will have to play against are prestigious clubs with a lot of experience in the first division (La Liga), such as Sporting Gijon 1st team, Malaga 1st team, Numancia 1st team, and Real Sociedad 1st team.
In other words, Woo Ho-young actually has to play as a member of the first team of a fairly prestigious club.
When making a slightly exaggerated comparison, Castilla, where Woo Ho-young joined, can be seen as one level below Reading FC (England's second division league), which is famous for Seol Ki-hyeong (29)'s team.
Castilla is a stage where many soccer players, including Real Madrid's hero Raul, have passed through…
– Hwang Tae-seok, sports reporter
Real Madrid Castilla is a team like a rubber band.
As the reporter said, when the player base is strong, it is at a level below Reading FC, and when it is not, it is at a level worse than the third division.
Last year, they barely avoided relegation by finishing 18th in the league.
On the other hand, Barcelona B (2nd division), which was promoted to the second division last year, showed off its spirit by rising to 9th place in the league thanks to the outstanding performance of top prospect Bojan.
It was a tremendous achievement for a second-tier team.
However, Real Madrid could also expect good results this year.
This is because Woo Ho-young, who has followed a path equal to or greater than that of Boyan, has joined.
The public's reaction was bound to be hot.
Most people responded saying they were proud and cheering for Hoyoung.
But as always, there were negative comments.
[There are three spots for first-team non-European players. Should we give one of them to an Asian kid?]
└Should I give it to him because he's crazy ? Real's first team is about to collapse right now. Woo Ho-young can enter that hell? These guys are overdoing it haha
└Well, I've already heard news about Higuain, a super promising player who was bought for 18 billion won, on loan. Real Madrid is a place to sell youth, not a place to raise them.
└But looking at what Perez was doing, it didn't seem like he was trying to sell Woo Ho-young. If that's the case, why leave Zidane as a tutor?
└They are playing media to sell it at a high price.
└I read a Spanish tabloid that Raul will be the tutor next time?!
└Marca? There was a rumor that it was a trash factory,
so it was natural not to believe it.
For an Asian who has difficulty obtaining Spanish citizenship, registering with Real Madrid's first team is as difficult as putting a camel through the eye of a needle.
However, even in these adverse conditions, there were people who infinitely trusted Hoyoung and encouraged him.
They were members of the Howooho fan cafe, which already had over 300,000 members.
A few days later.
Hoyoung received an international parcel from Uijeongbu, Seoul.
The sender was the fan cafe manager, 'Power Hyung', who collected and sent gifts from numerous fans in congratulations on Hoyoung's win and promotion.
It was full of thoughtful gifts, including bags, clothing, and everyday necessities, as well as portraits of Hoyoung's face and letters.
International mail did not only come from Korea.
Another mail origin is Recife, Victoria, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The caller was Monica.
-Hello, Hoyoung!
How are you? I'm fine. I'm busy with the national competition in December, but I'm working hard. They say that if you win there, they will send you to study abroad in Spain or Russia next year. Today I learned how to make farofa from Maria? I really want to do this to you too. Oh, by the way, I saw your face in an internet article. But since you can't see me, I'll put a picture in your letter today as well. Don't get hurt and stay healthy!
-It was a letter from Monica, a girl who misses a boy
and has the rich sensitivity of a promising rhythmic gymnast.
Hoyoung read the letter with a smile on his face.
Then he took out the photo contained in the envelope.
This time there were seven.
"haha."
I saw Monica smiling shyly and holding out her V.
We exchanged letters regularly over the past year and a half, and Monica sometimes enclosed her own photos.
'I don't think it's been even two months, but things have changed again.'
It's been a year and a half since I last saw you.
Although the freshness radiating from her delicate face was still there, Monica had already become a lady.
Hoyoung placed Monica's photo in his album.
It was already filled with dozens of photos.
Time passed again and again.
By mid-June, most of the first-team players had returned to their home countries and joined the national team.
French players, including Zidane, went to France to prepare for the Euro 2008 qualifiers, and Brazilians went to Venezuela to participate in the Copa America.
Accordingly, Hoyoung also returned to Korea and participated in the international competition for about 10 days.
U-17 international youth soccer competition for 8 countries.
It was not a prestigious competition, but it was meaningful.
He led the Republic of Korea, which was considered the weakest team, to proudly took second place, scoring 7 goals in 4 games and sweeping various individual awards.
He also recorded a 30-meter mid-distance shot, becoming one step closer to Cha Bum-gon's talent.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo, who had not been called by the Brazilian coach, remained in Madrid and was enjoying a debauched private life.
It was also the time when Lucci's business began.
Towards the end of June, the sweltering heat began, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees.
Hoyoung, who spent most of his time at the training ground, felt like he was dying, but was able to get through it by using various remedies such as cool toes and cool towels sent by fans.
Since school was on vacation until early September, I had plenty of time.
But there was no vacation and Hoyoung was always in Valdebebas.
Although there was no longer a tutor, he was able to focus on improving his talent with the help of a personal coach provided by the club.
I ran without stopping to make up for my biggest weakness, my physical strength.
However, because it was a growth period, there was no intensive training.
A few days after that, there was a player call.
The call-up list included players eligible for promotion to this year's professional team (Real Madrid C Castilla) and players who were relegated from Castilla to Real Madrid C.
Everyone gathered at the Valdebebas 3rd Army training center and participated in a training match for the final selection.
Among them, the one who stood out the most was Woo Ho-young.
Military education.
Hoyoung, who emerged from Juvenil in just a year and a half, showed off his presence by scoring two goals that day alone.
The players who saw Hoyoung for the first time were amazed, and the youth team was very satisfied with Hoyoung's ability to adapt.
There were signs that the second division league would be a sensation this season.
Now all that's left is tutoring.
Hoyoung accelerated his training, looking forward to meeting his idol, Ronaldo, the eternal emperor of soccer.
In early July, the long but unusually short summer vacation came to an end.
Brazil's Ronaldo, who had been touring various resorts, began to feel stressed just by returning to Madrid.
Madrid, which he once thought would be his second home, has long since become a terrible place for him.
Various political and even threats from slanderous fans.
Even though people around me tried to stop me, I wanted to leave now.
He had already requested a transfer to the club and was receiving love calls from other clubs.
There was still one more year left on his contract with Real Madrid, but he just wanted to move on.
So, I went on this vacation to organize my thoughts, but there was one thing that had been bothering me for several months.
'Did you say Woo Ho-young?'
Perez President Zinedine Zidane.
And a fashionista agent named Giuliano Rucci, whom I met through his wife a few months ago.
Ronaldo constantly heard stories about Woo Ho-young from those three.
In particular, Chairman Perez has been making this request since March of this year.
The idea is to take it easy and teach one player while recovering his condition.
That was Woo Ho-young.
Zidane also recommended tutoring, saying it could be a good turning point in his soccer career.
And there was an agent named Lucci who had the same hometown and our personalities matched so well that we often had drinks together, and on those occasions, I had to listen to stories about Woo Ho-young.
Everyone around him was obsessed with that boy.
But Ronaldo couldn't understand their thoughts.
It was by no means against the boy.
However, he felt that Hoyoung was not that special.
I don't know if it's a fellow Brazilian, but it's because we couldn't afford to take care of promising players from other countries.
Of course, he could always grant their request if he wanted to, but his extreme laziness would not let him go.
Soccer emperor Ronaldo lost interest in kicking a ball.
It wasn't the same anymore.
'Now is not the time to sit idle and babysit.'
Ronaldo lay down on the bed without even unpacking.
It was immediately after that that the cell phone rang.
'Who are you from this morning?'
[Ronnie, did you have a good vacation? I understand you were called up for inspection training the day after tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you in the office.]
It was a text message from President Perez, who maintained a close relationship with the club despite their worsening relationship.
Now was the time to really decide on our future course.
In relation to that, it was two days later that Ronaldo visited Valdebebas.
It happened to be the day of Real Madrid's first call-up to check the condition of returning players.
Most of those called up were second-team players, and the only first-team players were Ronaldo, who had not been called up to the national team, and rotation members who had recently returned from injury.
It is very common for key members of the first team to check their physical condition while participating in a second team match.
Because it was the 2nd group that made it that way.
That's why Ronaldo was scheduled to play in today's training match.
Since I was cleared to play in the game through a medical test I received recently, I had to improve my physical condition and ball sense sufficiently before the season started.
It was not a spectacular return to La Liga, but a new leap forward.
And that day.
When Ronaldo arrived in Valdebebas, he met the boy he had heard so much about.
Rookie player Woo Ho-young.
'I don't have the face to be good at soccer.'
Ronaldo was prejudiced against his appearance.
That's because it was rare in the world for a good-looking player to be good at soccer as well.
Except for Beckham and Santa Cruz Kaka, who are famous for being handsome players, I have never seen one before.
'I'll find out soon enough.'
In fact, since I had heard a lot about Woo Ho-young, my expectations for the boy were quite high.
We'll find out later if he really is a prodigy.
Because the two were scheduled to play on the same ground today.
[🥳Check out my new fanfics— JJK Kaleidoscope: Divine Power Of Mangekyō, Naruto: Playing Minecraft In Konoha, Fairy Tale: With Sin Of Pride.]
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