[ Who is 'Yu,' the Star of the Youth League? ]
[ Boca Juniors U-20 Prospect Joins the First-Team Camp! ]
[ The Little Prince from Asia—Boca Juniors Remains Silent About First-Team Promotion ]
[ 'Little Prince' Yu: The Young Korean Genius Stirring the Heart of Argentina! ]
News articles began flooding in, sparked by photos of Yu Ji-woo training with the first team. The news quickly spread across Argentina, and Boca Juniors' fan communities were buzzing with discussions.
"He may be young and small, but he's got the skills to make it. Plus, he doesn't even clash with foreign player regulations."
"If he debuts at 16, he'll be the youngest Asian player in the history of the Argentine league!"
"By the way, did you hear? Yu was involved in a scandal in Korea and got banned before coming here."
As Yu's fame grew, so did the whispers about his troubled past in Korea.
"Why couldn't this kid make it in Korea? Are Korean youth players that good? They didn't even qualify for the North American World Cup."
"I heard he attacked a coach and had to flee to Argentina."
"Coach assault? That quiet kid? Sounds fishy."
"Doesn't make sense. If he really attacked a coach, there's gotta be more to it. Yu doesn't seem like that kind of person."
But the truth behind the incident—allegations of the coach's sexual misconduct—had been carefully buried, leaving room for speculation and misunderstanding to grow.
[ Boca's Little Prince: Assault Accusations in Korea?! ]
Sensationalist headlines like this began to pop up, frustrating Yu's agent, Cha Myung-hoon.
---
Cha stormed into Boca Juniors' office, slamming a copy of the article onto the desk.
"This is unacceptable! Isn't it the club's responsibility to manage these situations?"
"We apologize. Some media outlets published the articles without our approval," the staff replied nervously.
"And what are you doing about it?"
"We've requested the articles to be taken down."
"Yu is still a minor! If his mental health is shaken by these baseless rumors, who will take responsibility?"
"We assure you, this won't happen again. We deeply apologize."
While Boca's influence got most of the articles removed, the screenshots continued circulating online. But then, an unexpected shift occurred.
Fans began defending Yu.
"He's just 16. This is disgraceful. Aren't you ashamed?"
"Yu deserves the chance to tell his side of the story. It's unfair to crucify him like this."
"I met him outside the stadium. He's an outstanding person off the field and even more remarkable on it. He deserves a fair chance to explain himself."
True Boca fans understood Yu's sincerity and dedication both on and off the field. They chose to wait patiently for the truth rather than join the criticism.
---
Becoming a professional player was statistically harder than getting into a top-tier university.
In academics, placing 100th might still get you into a prestigious institution. In soccer, ranking 100th wouldn't even guarantee entry into a lower league.
Joining a major international club like Boca Juniors was a one-in-a-million chance. And even after making it, the struggle didn't end.
"Faster! Still too slow!"
"Keep the touch short and precise! The ball should stop right at your feet!"
"That pass is too slow! It'll get intercepted in a real match!"
Life as a professional meant constant pressure. Expectations weren't met with second chances—they were met with being discarded.
Despite these challenges, Yu Ji-woo thrived among the monsters of the first team.
"Yu!"
Receiving a pass from the coach, Yu controlled it deftly before threading a perfectly weighted through ball to an advancing teammate.
"Good! Nice pass!" praised coach Sebastián Lancelotta, clapping in approval.
Even during breaks, Yu's eyes never left the field, absorbing every detail of how the veterans trained.
Pro players didn't cut corners. They trained harder than the youth players, pushing themselves to their limits daily.
---
One week later, the first-team staff convened to evaluate the players' progress ahead of the league's resumption.
"Next is Yu."
"Look at Yu's stats. He's holding his own among the first-team players."
The screen displayed an analysis of Yu's performance over the past week. His stamina ranked among the top, and his ball control and speed were exceptional.
"This kid's 16?"
"He'll be 17 by December."
"Incredible. With stats like these, he's already first-team material."
"He's also incredibly disciplined and absorbs feedback like a sponge."
The coaches nodded, impressed by Yu's dedication.
"And his youth league performance?"
"35 goals and 5 assists."
"...In how many games?"
"Just 18 appearances."
Yu had arrived in Argentina last October and played his first official match in January. In just six months, he had achieved 35 goals and 5 assists in the youth league.
If he had played the entire season, everyone agreed he could have easily surpassed 70 goals.
"Not even Javier managed this."
"Neither did Diego, who just moved up to the second team."
"Guillermo scored 42 goals to win the top scorer title, but that was for the entire season."
Yu's extraordinary performance had shattered expectations.
The club's higher-ups still wanted to send him to the second team, but the first-team coaching staff had a different opinion.
"He needs to join the first team immediately."
There wasn't a single dissenting voice among the coaches.
---
"By the way, coach," one staff member interjected during the meeting.
"Yes?"
"Are you aware of the rumors circulating about Yu in the media?"
Coach Sebastián Lancelotta nodded.
"Of course."
How could he not? Articles about the Asian prodigy making waves in Argentina were being published almost daily.
"But do you think the accusations are true?"
They had all heard about the alleged incident in Korea, but after spending a week with Yu, none of the staff believed he was capable of such behavior.
"We must be missing something we don't know about."
Sebastian Lancelot was sure of it.
There was another side to the story—something not revealed by the media.
---
When news of Jiwoo Yoo's alleged assault on his coach began to spread through the media, the club arranged a meeting with Jiwoo's family to discuss the matter in detail.
"…That's all I can say for now."
"I see, so that's what happened."
Enrique Boto, the club's sporting director, rubbed his chin as he processed Hanwoo Yoo's explanation. Then, he turned to Jiwoo.
"So that's why you've been so cautious."
For the first time, he understood why Jiwoo Yoo seemed so wary and guarded.
"Honestly, we were already aware of some details about this situation before now."
It was only natural for the club to research the background of a player they were signing.
They knew Jiwoo had been criticized in Korea for allegedly assaulting a coach, but they hadn't understood the full context until now.
"This issue is escalating, and as a club, we can no longer remain silent."
"I understand."
"Sergio, explain the club's stance."
"Yes."
Sergio, the operations manager, who had been quietly listening, addressed Hanwoo Yoo.
"Mr. Yoo."
"Yes."
"Would it be okay if we made a public statement about this matter?"
"A public statement?"
"Yes. While the truth may have been ignored in Korea, things are different here. If what you've told us is accurate, the club is ready to defend Jiwoo's truth."
For a moment, Hanwoo was speechless.
In Korea, no matter how much they explained, no one had believed them.
People preferred to believe lies and tear Jiwoo down.
But here, things were different.
He could feel their sincerity—their genuine intent to protect his son.
"…Are you serious?"
It wasn't Sergio who answered but Enrique Boto himself.
"Yes. Protecting our players is a fundamental responsibility of the club."
Hanwoo looked into Enrique Boto's eyes.
There was something different about them—something he hadn't seen in the eyes of people in Korea.
"Please, I entrust him to you. Help my son play football happily again."
So, for the first time in a long while, Hanwoo Yoo decided to trust someone's words.
---
A few days later, the club organized an official press conference. When the day arrived, the venue was packed with reporters.
"There are so many people here."
"Well, it's a chance to learn how Boca Juniors is preparing for the 29-30 season."
Soon, Enrique Boto walked onto the stage and took his seat. Sergio stepped up to the microphone.
"We will now begin the press conference."
As expected, the initial questions revolved around Boca Juniors' preparations for the upcoming season.
Enrique Boto skillfully answered, offering just enough to build anticipation. Then, a reporter who had been tipped off raised a hand.
"Recently, there have been reports regarding Yu and his involvement in first-team training. Can the club share its position on this matter?"
This was the question Enrique Boto had been waiting for. He replied seriously, "We needed time to verify the facts so that we could provide clarity to our fans."
Reporters leaned forward, eager to hear more.
"Is it true that Yu assaulted a coach in Korea?"
The same reporter pressed for an answer.
"Yes, it's true," Enrique Boto responded without hesitation.
His admission left the reporters stunned.
But Enrique Boto wasn't finished.
"However, there is an untold truth behind the incident."
"The truth?"
"Yes."
The murmuring among the reporters grew louder as all eyes focused on Enrique Boto.
"Can you tell us what that truth is?"
"Yes, I will explain it now."
Drawing from the details Hanwoo Yoo had shared, Enrique Boto laid out the entire story without omitting a single detail.
As his explanation unfolded, the expressions on the reporters' faces shifted.
"Wow…"
Hearing the untold truth, the reporters swallowed hard, their minds racing to process the revelations.
Finally, Enrique Boto concluded, "I ask you all to refrain from publishing speculative articles that would cause further harm to this young talent."
The story from the press conference spread rapidly, reaching fans and media alike.
"Boca Juniors: 'Yu's story is true, but there is an untold truth.'"
Fans of Boca Juniors quickly learned the truth, both through the media and their own networks.
---
"Vice-President!"
Cha Sung-in was in his office, chatting over tea with his faction members, when his secretary burst in.
"What is it?"
"You need to see this!"
The secretary handed over a tablet. On the screen was an article from the previous night detailing Boca Juniors' statement.
"…What is this?"
"After meeting Yu's family, Boca Juniors released this article. If we don't act soon, it will reach Korean outlets…"
Crash!
Before the secretary could finish, Cha Sung-in slammed his teacup onto the table, spilling its contents.
"What's the matter?"
One of his associates picked up the tablet and shared its contents with the others.
"…Looks like Yu just fired back at us."
"Could this be his true intent all along—leaving for Argentina to pull something like this?"
As the employees murmured, Cha Sung-in turned to his secretary.
"Shut this down immediately!"
"But…"
"Yu isn't influential enough for this to gain traction. Kill the story before it grows!"
Convinced that Jiwoo's low profile in Korea would allow him to suppress the news, Cha Sung-in believed he could control the narrative.
What he didn't know, however, was that his furious commands were being secretly recorded by someone in the room.