Chapter 305 – I Don’t Know Where I Am, but I Know Where I Am (1)

305

The World Cup is a festival for people around the world, but if you look at the results, it is no different from their own league.
Some European and South American countries dominate the championship. Even so, even the semifinals and the quarterfinals are common.

However, after the myth of Korea’s semifinal in 2002, ‘extraordinary events’ often began to occur, and in the 2010s and 2020s, delinquents who occasionally showed their faces began to show their faces on the stage of the finals, overtaking the good students who were in good attendance.

This was also the case in Asia, where Asian countries, which only played the role of a bridesmaid in the group stage, used to defeat the best students in school, such as Germany and Spain.

It is proving that Gap is closing is no longer just words, but nevertheless, only a few countries in Europe and South America are still champions on the world stage.

Asia’s realistic goal has always been to advance to the round of 16, which can be called the finals.
Until the last World Cup.

Korea’s performance at the 2034 World Cup in Italy was an achievement no one in the world expected. Even Korea, the party involved.

I went far beyond the realistic goal of the round of 16 and advanced to the quarterfinals, so there is no need to explain in words what the atmosphere in Korea was like at the time.

As expected of Koreans who know when they are excited, the next World Cup went beyond the semi-finals to reach the 3rd place, or even to advance to the finals stage.

When interest is driven, capital is also driven.
The Football Association, preparing for the next World Cup, was able to secure the highest-ever budget through donations from the people, including the chairman full of mulberries due to unexpected propaganda… The result was obvious.

It was only four months after the World Cup that the captain of the national team was appointed, who had many problems, such as being in contact with a famous overseas coach behind the scenes and appointing a great captain.

Taking the helm of the adult national team, which was operated as a temporary agency system… Kim Cheon-sik, a domestic director who is neither a master nor a famous overseas director.

It was a coach who was appointed with all sorts of political qualities added to his personal connections, school ties, and regional ties of 3 years, but only ‘Hong Min-joon’ alone was able to take the preliminaries in Asia without any problems, but the problem was not the grades.

A consensus has already been formed in the national team, which is mainly European, that ‘this should not be like this’, and the controversy over the performance of ‘Hong Min-jun One Tool’, which is unknown even to the public, has reignited.

As a Korean who burns fast and cools down quickly, after the World Cup, articles about the ‘manager’s quality’, which had faded after 4 months, were pouring in even though he was buzzing as the next national team coach, and somehow the president of the Livestock Cooperative showed unprecedented determination, and a large number of Livestock Cooperative executives It’s been a water change.

The person who took over the baton afterwards was Park Ki-young, the current manager.
Not only the public but also the president of Korea wanted a famous coach who was widely known abroad, but finding the coach he wanted with only a year and a half left before the World Cup was like picking stars.

A year and a half was too short a time for a manager who had no understanding of Korean soccer, let alone an immediate understanding of Korean players, was appointed.

In short,

‘Shit. I was pushed back and took on the role of national team coach, what kind of lightning is this?’

For Park Ki-young, who seized the baton of the national team by force, it was like a thunderbolt.

It was Park Ki-young, who ended his mediocre player life early and started his coaching career in Europe, winning victories in the J-League and then being called a master in the K-League.

For him, the national team coach position is a poisoned holy grail.
Of course, Park Ki-young also had ambitions or longings for the national team baton, but it was not like this.

With the World Cup a year and a half left… It was literally like a poisoned Holy Grail during the time when the enormous burden and pressure was focused on the top 4 legend just before that.

‘Such bitterness. My head explodes just worrying about grades, but I have to pay attention to the players.’

They reached the semifinals last year, but Korea is not a world-class strong team.
It’s the World Cup, the World Cup.

The people seem to want more than 4, but… Even Hong Min-joon was running amok.

‘I know director Lee Ja-sik as Gaeko. What? How is the team atmosphere? Are you free? Should I be alert? Fucking, damn it.’

It’s plausible otherwise.
As the coach, even from his point of view, the national team players were quite confused.

Wasn’t it Korea that was incomparable against Asian countries even during the last coaching period when Hong Min-joon was a one-tool for martial arts?
It is not only a strong team in the world, but in Asia, Korea is also a strong enough team, but with Hong Min-jun added to it, who can stop it?

Besides, bragging is right, but Park Ki-young was a person who was proud of his own capabilities.
Because he was born Asian, he could not take on the European league coach, but he was a talented person who stood out from the beginning of his coaching career in Europe.

It is said that a coach’s competence is revealed from the first training session, and even European players who were fed up with old training by an incompetent former coach expressed satisfaction with the systematic training session that took place after Park Ki-young’s appointment.

It seemed to him that the atmosphere was floating right now, but it wasn’t enough to worry about.
Absence? Oman? There is so what is that

Would the national team players be vigilant and arrogant even at the World Cup?
Only in Asia, you are a gangster, and on the world stage, Korea is in a position to be beaten by gangsters. There was no player who could not throw away his arrogance against world powers. At least, according to Park Ki-young’s judgment.

In common sense, when you meet a team like Spain, England, Germany, Brazil, Italy, or Argentina, you go, ‘Ha… Let’s beat these suckers lightly and go!’ Is there any Korean player who would think?

… Unless it’s Hong Min-joon.

‘Isn’t this bastard having another ulterior motive? … No, he’s not like that.’

Park Ki-young remembered Hong Min-joon.
He’s obviously a great player. No, it’s no exaggeration to say he’s the best player I’ve ever seen.

He is a guy with no doubts about his skills, to the extent that the expectation that he will become an all-time great player is dominant.
So he was the first Asian to win the Ballon d’Or.

However, he was not an arrogant or clever guy.
Unexpectedly, he is easy-going, diligent in training, and a player who follows the coach’s instructions well. … He’s a little pretentious and has a strong desire to show off.

‘Wait. Bluff? Splurge? No way this bastard is trying to show off this? Watch how much my performance drops when I’m not there?’

… Ah, please
That’s not it.
No matter how pretentious he is, he’s not that childish.

That’s why, in general, it would be right to decline his offer, but…

‘Under… Of course, the president orders it, so I have no choice but to follow it.’

The president of the Livestock Cooperative Federation steps forward to protect him.
No matter how much he is a Ballon d’Or winner, he can refuse a player’s ‘request’, but he can’t even disobey the direction of the president of the Livestock Cooperative Federation, isn’t it?

This is not messi
Park Ki-young, who had been sighing deeply, got angry when he checked the time.

“When will Hong Min-joon come back? When did you call?”

It’s only been 3 minutes, but I’m just getting angry and nervously browsing the sports news.

“Huh? An exclusive interview with Hong Min-joon? Are you today’s article? Ah, the Interbune I did yesterday? It’s coming up fast. But… How many views will there be if Hong Min-joon’s name is added? Where.”

『(Exclusive) Meet Hong Min-jun, the hope of Korean football』
「—Minjun Hong, whom I met at Cheonan NFC, looked tired from the long trip.
(Photo of Hong Min-joon posing)
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Q&A with Hong Min-jun (hereafter referred to as Hong)—
.
.
Reporter: Beyond Korea, you became the first Asia to win the Ballon d’Or. How does it feel to win the Ballon d’Or?
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Reporter: After playing in the English Premier League and the Champions League, don’t you feel the difference when you come to the Korean national team?
Hong: I briefly answered the previous questions, but it would be good to take this opportunity to share my thoughts on the questions so far. Personally, I remember an interview with senior Park Ji-sung, the senior I admire the most. To answer by quoting,

(Photo of Hong Min-joon continuing his explanation with a serious expression)

Hong: I can’t say that there is no difference between the top stage in Europe and the Korean national team. Asia has developed a lot, but isn’t Europe still the center of soccer? However, that does not mean that I am uncomfortable or dissatisfied with playing for the national team. Because I am a person who was born and raised in Korean soccer.

Thinking ‘this is how we do it in Europe’ or ‘because I am a Ballon d’Or winner’ is nothing but arrogance.
When I come to the national team, I remind myself that I am nothing more than a player as a member of the national team representing my country, not Ballon d’Or winner Hong Min-jun, who plays for Newcastle.

The national team is an honorable place.
I know very well that there are many players who want to play with the Taegeuk mark. Because I was a player who dreamed of earning the Taegeuk mark.

That’s why I think their dreams and hopes are also a mission that the national team should shoulder.

So we always have to be humble and serious about the game.
We must always do our best for the people and players watching us.

Since I started playing soccer, my dream has been to become a Ballon d’Or winner for a long time, so I was very happy when I became a Ballon d’Or winner.

But if I had to choose between winning the World Cup and winning the Ballon d’Or, I would choose winning the World Cup without hesitation.
Because the dream of winning the World Cup is much older than the Ballon d’Or, it’s what I aspire to the most since I started playing soccer.

We must not forget
The importance and weight of running with the Taegeuk mark.

I am representing my country.”

Smart-

“Director, this is Hong Min-joon.”
“…”
“Director? Are you entering?”

Sigh, the door opens and a shining face appears.

“Director?”
“You… Hong Min-joon, you… “
“Yes? Me?”

Seeing Hong Min-joon bewildered, Park Ki-young blamed himself for his narrow tolerance.

What the hell am I thinking against such a great player… !!

“It was nice to see the interview article posted.”
“Ah… That… “
“You… Great.”
“… Yes?”
“Very, very good. I never thought I would have thought so deeply. I understood you too fragmentarily.”
“Ahhh. You mean the article?”

Hong Min-joon, who had been blinking his eyes, suddenly smiles chicly.

“Yeah, what… Haha. Right I have some deep thoughts. Whoops. Well, it’s just a thought I’ve been thinking about ever since. It’s nothing.”
“I must have misunderstood you. Sit, sit, sit.”
“Haha. I’m a bit patriotic, and I’m a person with a clear view of the country. Yes.”

* * *

The director called and came, what is this atmosphere?
My article?

Are you talking about that lying article?
That interview that was 99% pure fabrication?

‘Ah… Right. I was mistaken.’

It’s a lie.
Not at all.

Thanks to the director, I realized it belatedly. That the little child in my heart was answering instead of me throughout the interview.

I realized anew the patriotism I didn’t know!

‘As expected, for Korea’s sake, I’ll have to miss the Argentina match.’

All of this is to make little Hong Min-joon realize the importance… It’s not, but to get rid of the conceit of the national team players!

I was waiting for the game against Argentina while sitting face-to-face with the manager, laughing and talking about my strong national view and tactical insights—

“Shock! The national team that Hong Min-joon missed, an all-time great loss to Argentina!!
『Preciousness lost in familiarity. Rediscovering the importance of Hong Min-joon』
『The national team’s alpha and omega, Hong Min-jun’s vacancy』
“Come back, Ace! Longing for the departed

… What?
Even if it worked well, it was too good.