221. Son Chance
Even after the game was over, the excitement showed no signs of abating.
From the joint press area mix zone to the exit, all areas where entry was permitted were filled with reporters.
The AC Milan players, who suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat, quietly left through the official-only passageway, while interviews with Woo Ho-young, who was selected as MOM, and coach Scolari were held in the underground press conference room.
"In today's game, I noticed something different from usual. Especially in the first and third goals—your passing really stood out. When did you develop your passing skills to this level?"
"I've always thought about this when watching Xabi Alonso's passes. I want to receive his passes in a real match someday."
"And now he's finally joined the team?"
"That's right. And only after receiving his pass did I realize for myself what a comfortable pass feels like for the receiver—what a great pass truly is."
"So, overall, you benefited a lot from Xabi Alonso?"
"Without a doubt."
Passing is an essential skill for a playmaker.
Juan Roman Riquelme, Zinedine Zidane, and other legendary playmakers were known for their outstanding passing abilities.
Now, Woo Ho-young was reaching that level.
His short passing wasn't quite at an elite level yet, but his long passes were already good enough to challenge Alonso's. And he was only going to improve further.
The reporters' curiosity didn't stop there.
"Do you remember your first goal? You used Cristiano Ronaldo's signature no-spin shot. It was a goal that showed how fast a shot can really be."
There was no way he wouldn't remember.
Even looking back on it himself, it was an unbelievable goal.
It was the first time he had ever struck a ball with such sheer force while shooting.
"I was surprised as well. I practiced it regularly, but I never expected to hit it so perfectly in an actual match. This too was greatly influenced by Ronaldo."
The reporters were left speechless. Even after witnessing it with their own eyes and hearing it directly from Woo Ho-young, it was still difficult to believe.
"Hahaha. There's a saying about Woo Ho-young—that he's a 'player who never existed in history.' Watching him today, that certainly seems true. But now I'm curious. How is this even possible? It's not like you practice more than others. I'd like to hear your secret. Other players struggle to master even one skill, so how do you keep improving day by day? Some people even joke that there's a special training facility in the basement of Valdebebas just for you."
At first glance, it seemed like the reporter was asking, Are you even human? But in reality, it was genuine curiosity.
Woo Ho-young smiled slightly.
"Haha. People say it's a positive influence. If you have great teammates around you, it's only natural that you'll become great too, right?"
"But that alone doesn't explain everything······."
"And talent."
"Pardon?"
"I think I have talent, so I'm always grateful for that."
Talent.
The reporters nodded in agreement.
As someone who absorbed other people's talents, Woo Ho-young wasn't in a position to say this too confidently, but it was the simplest answer to satisfy some conspiracy theorists.
If he himself said it, what more could others say?
"Thank you for your answer. As a football fan, I feel today has left a big mark in football history. I look forward to seeing more great performances in the future."
Then, another reporter raised a question.
Once again, the focus was on Woo Ho-young.
"Ahem."
Scolari, who was sitting beside him, had long been just an observer.
Well, it didn't matter.
Thanks to Woo Ho-young, Real Madrid had advanced to the Champions League semifinals, so he was happy to let him have the spotlight.
However—
"Hmm."
I want to grab the mic.
For some reason, he kept having this thought.
As someone who had always carried the stigma of being a World Cup-only manager, Scolari had always harbored a deep desire for Champions League success.
He had waited so long for this moment.
He had prepared so much to say about the hardships of the journey and his plans for the future.
And yet—
"Excuse me, Coach?"
"Hmm? Oh, go ahead."
"What was the key factor that allowed the team to stage such a remarkable comeback?"
"That's why we won."
It was strange.
Despite having so much prepared, when he was asked a question, something else entirely came out.
Scolari answered without hesitation.
"Haha. Isn't the answer right next to me? Why ask such an obvious question?"
Real Madrid had always been a strong team.
But they had never been as dominant as they were now.
With Raul, Guti, and Casillas as the team's mental pillars, Woo Ho-young anchoring the center, and Ronaldo, Alonso, and Higuaín providing support, this was a team that no one could surpass.
That was what Scolari wanted to say.
"Of course, all the players did well. But since Woo Ho-young was named MOM, I'll only talk about him. As everyone knows, it is a great fortune to have a player like him. He is like my breathing partner."
"Haha. It seems like you've completely fallen for Woo Ho-young's charm."
"He is a player greater than anyone else and has a bright future. But his greatest strength is that he is very young. From now on, we should call him 'Young Man.' Haha."
Scolari was so pleased that he couldn't stop laughing.
After the Match
Articles about Woo Ho-young's achievements spread worldwide.
[Woo Ho-young does it again! 3 goals, 1 assist—his 6th goal in this season's Champions League.]
[4 goals in his last 4 Champions League games······ 15 goals in 2 seasons.]
[Scolari: 'Young Man' himself—the wind of youth is blowing.]
[Woo Ho-young's shot speed reaches 182 km/h—a new world record!]
[Alfredo Di Stefano: 'He is my successor.']
[Maradona: 'I saw an article about Stefano meeting Woo Ho-young. I want to meet him too. How about naturalizing him as an Argentine while we're at it?']
[Real Madrid's next opponent in the semifinals: the absolute powerhouse of France, Olympique Lyonnais.]
[If Real Madrid wins the Champions League, the 2010 Ballon d'Or race will be even more interesting. Many believe Ronaldo has the advantage due to his World Cup potential.]
[The growing Woo Ho-young syndrome—and the increasing interest in his family.]
***
Meanwhile, in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea—
The 'Woohwangseon Soccer School', which opened a month ago, was being operated on a scale that was smaller than even a neighborhood study room.
All I did was gather a bunch of preschool children from the neighborhood and teach them in the playground.
Even though he had one of the best skills in the early morning soccer club, it was difficult for him to teach soccer to others professionally.
So, in fact, it was closer to a hobby than a job.
Although the money I received was only 320,000 won a month (even that was a minus if you include the coach's salary), I was happy every day.
Because it wasn't something I was doing to make money.
The membership fee was only 40,000 won, which was cheaper than soccer schools run by local governments or neighborhood taekwondo gyms.
But these days, as word of mouth spread, its scale was gradually growing.
"Excuse me, boss."
"Hey, Daehyun."
"This time, we received applications for admission from line 108. Three people each."
Park Dae-hyun, the only coach at the soccer school, is a former soccer player who retired after suffering an injury from a local professional team.
I met Woo Hwang-seon at a soccer club early in the morning, and because he was friendly and easygoing, I hired him as a coach.
But, seeing that he was good at promoting the academy and asking for work, I thought he was a good choice.
"Yeah, morning shift, right?"
"Yes. I don't think anyone is interested in the afternoon class."
In fact, the 'Woohwangseon Soccer School' was being used to take care of children all morning rather than to teach them soccer.
"Why don't you raise the price a little? I have to pay minimum wage for taking care of the kids all morning. I get paid monthly, but the boss······."
"It's okay, it's okay. I do it because I like it. In fact, it's more like a vicarious satisfaction, but whatever."
There were no financial problems.
However, as the number of children that needed to be cared for increased, they were facing great difficulties.
"Will there be more than thirty people like this? Then it will be too much for two people. Should we hire more coaches?"
"Haha. Boss. It's already at the volunteer level. Where in the world can you find an academy like this? Why don't you register as an official academy and gradually grow it? Of course, it would cost some initial operating costs."
"Yeah. That's not bad either."
Woo Hwang-seon also had something in mind.
Once I settled down and got used to the work, I planned to get started properly by getting advice from Cha Beom-gon.
There's just one problem······.
"Do many people come to this neighborhood?"
"We need to bring in a competent leader and do a good job of promoting it. All the soccer schools in the city start out like that. Actually, I've been thinking about this for a long time… How about changing the name of the academy?"
"Why? Is my name weird?"
"No, to be honest, when you look at the name of the academy, you should want to send your child there, but that's not the case. The owner doesn't have any experience as a coach, and it's not like the soccer academy of Lee Sang-woon or Cha Bum-gon is well-known."
"Then should we just change it to 'Park Dae-hyun Soccer School'?"
"Oh, sir. Who would know my name?"
"What, should I call it 'Messi Soccer Academy' instead?"
"No way, that'd be a copyright issue!"
"Then how about 'Woo Ho-young Soccer School?"
"Huh? You'd need permission for that."
"Oh, that's easy.
Smirking. Woo Hwang-seon pulled out his phone and dialed Madrid, Spain.
"Hey, son. Can I borrow your name?
And just like that, the deal was sealed.
With children flocking in, the once-small academy was gradually growing.
However, at the heart of it all, Woo Hwang-seon, the owner, had one thing in mind:
The future of his son, Woo Ho-young.
And in Barcelona's training center, Ciutat Esportiva—
Chairman Laporta entered Guardiola's office with a grim expression.
"There's nothing more I can do."
Ultimatum.
Barcelona was under heavy criticism after consecutive El Clásico defeats and their Champions League quarter-final loss to Inter.
With no way out, the 31st round of La Liga was set for the next day.
For Guardiola, only one thing was certain—
Victory was the only option.
If not, dismissal was inevitable.