GOAT: All Football Talents Are Mine

180. Champions League Round of 16 Opponent (1)

Not long ago, Monica had a funny incident.

The incident occurred early in the morning on the 13th, the day of El Clasico.

This happened when Monica, who was in the dormitory at the time, sneaked out of her room.

She waited until Hoyoung woke up, and as soon as it was time, she picked up the public phone installed in the hallway, but ended up getting caught by the security guard.

"But somehow, the rumor spread around the school."

"What spread?"

"Hmm…"

Inside the cafe with a sweet atmosphere.

Monica opened her mouth only after taking a sip of her chocolate latte.

"I said I have a boyfriend. But the problem is that there are kids who curse at me behind my back because I'm having a hard time."

When they wake up, they only work out at the gym, but they are also very interested in dating.

Isn't it time to open your eyes to the opposite sex?

It was only natural to be interested in other people's love lives.

"That happened. But it's a little strange. "Didn't you tell me that the reason you called me that night was to support me?"

"No one knows that the person I'm calling is 'Woo Ho-young' from Real Madrid."

"I thought you already said everything."

"If they find out, there will definitely be an uproar. Do you think all the students will come to class every time and ask for your contact information? ha ha ha."

Monica smiled brightly.

It felt great to meet and talk with Hoyoung for the first time in a while.

"So the only person who knows about our relationship is the school principal?"

"Between us?"

For a moment, Monica's brain spun quickly.

It was after tens of thousands of concerns had been exchanged that I opened my mouth again.

"huh. "Only the school principal knows."

"Then take this."

"huh?"

What Hoyoung took out of his bag and handed to him was a white box.

And when she opened the box lid, Monica's eyes widened.

"Apple?"

It was none other than a 3G cell phone released this year.

"It looks really cute. It's like chocolate. "But what is this?"

"It's a cell phone."

"No, I understand that."

"It's your Christmas present."

"Eh?"

Monica clearly looked embarrassed by Hoyoung's unexpected words.

"How can I receive this…."

"I've already set up a service to make it easy for you to contact me, so all you have to do is receive it and use it. The operation is also very easy. "Press the home button in the middle there."

"Home button?"

Kuuk.

"oh! "It's on."

"haha. When I press it, of course it turns on."

"lol."

Looking at Monica smiling brightly, a smile naturally spread across Hoyoung's lips.

"If you really appreciate it, give me something delicious. "I heard that I learned how to make farofa from Maria."

"iced coffee. "Thank you, Hoyoung."

Monica wanted to hug Hoyoung right away, but the obstacle was the round table standing between them.

Instead of hugging, Monica placed a small box on the table.

"Christmas present?"

"huh. But mine looks so shabby."

Monica scratched her head and looked at Hoyoung with worried eyes.

"Do you want to take it out?"

Hoyoung couldn't hide his smile as he untied the ribbon and opened the box.

What was in the box were pure white fur gloves.

I wondered if I had purchased it because the workmanship was so good, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that Monica had made it by hand.

El Salvador.

The word 'Savior', as Real Madrid fans call Hoyoung, was embroidered in small golden cursive.

"I made a little bit every time I took a break, and I hope you like it."

"In the dorm room?"

"huh. "I secretly covered myself with a blanket."

'It seems like the reason there are rumors isn't just because of the security guard.'

Hoyoung smiled and tried on the gloves.

It was soft and warm, like Monica's hands.

"I already needed a pair of gloves, but it worked out well. thank you."

It seemed like we would be able to spend warm winter this season.

End of December 2008.

The special vacation that lasted until the beginning of the year was a very precious time for soccer players.

Even though it was a long-awaited vacation, I had to manage it thoroughly because I had to stock up on energy to last until the end of May next year.

The basic rule was to refrain from going out or partying excessively and to spend leisurely time training and weight training for minimal ball sensation.

Of course, there were players who didn't even do that and were busy having drinking parties every day, but Real Madrid tended to stick to very strict principles.

Regular training began the day after Christmas, and light training was scheduled every day except for the end of the year and the beginning of the year.

and Valdebebas on December 28.

"Hey, what did you do on Christmas Eve?"

"What are you doing? I ate spaghetti while watching soccer. Marcelo, what did you do?"

"I asked around and met a famous hairdresser. "I decided to style my hair with an afro starting next season."

"Why is it next year?"

"I did not know? Robert has decided to leave Madrid at the end of this season. "The landowner is probably retiring."

Finally, the time has come.

The veteran players who had been the pillars of the team were preparing to leave one by one.

"Then now you will be responsible for the left fullback position."

"You should take the position of Zizou."

"I guess so."

Hoyoung felt strange.

It's already been three years since I started kicking a ball with Zidane.

It hardly felt real that the teacher I had relied on for so long was retiring.

"Then who will come in January? "If you listen to the front office, they say they are strengthening the midfield and defense."

"Someone will come."

Hoyoung didn't care who came.

All I could think about was that I still had to work hard to win the league.

And as morning training was coming to an end, the moment I had been waiting for so desperately came.

[I crave artistic ball control (SS+3).]

[It takes 200 days → 25 days to fully acquire the talent. You cannot pursue other talents for 25 days.]

[Artistic Ball Control (SS+3)↑]

The existing ball control (SS+) talent has achieved the feat of growing by two levels.

But Hoyoung didn't stop there.

The potential we got from Messi.

It was used for 'artistic ball control (SS+3)'.

Then the moment I had been waiting for came.

[Advanced ball control (SSS-)↑]

[It takes 300 days → 60 days to fully acquire talent. You cannot covet other talents for 60 days.]

The first Triple S level talent.

As his heart throbbed with emotion, the phrases that came to mind one after another made Hoyoung even more excited.

Lee Chae flashed across Hoyoung's eyes.

[After 60 days, you can combine all the talents you have that are closely related to 'ball control' into one.]

[List of talents that can be integrated with advanced ball control (SSS-)] –

Can be checked after 60 days

'It's called integration. …'

How is it different from synthesis?

I was excited.

I was so curious about what kind of change this would bring.

I don't know, but what is certain is that a new goal has emerged.

The night of December 31st.

The countdown to the New Year has begun at the clock tower in Puerta del Sol Square.

Eventually, the bell rang and people ate grapes according to Spanish tradition.

Hoyoung, who was watching TV at home, likewise gulped down a drink containing grapes.

That's how 2009 arrived.

January 2009.

Real Madrid got busy as soon as the winter transfer window opened.

First, to strengthen the midfield, French defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra was purchased for a whopping 40 billion won and a player named Julien Faubert was leased.

There was an opinion among the board that they should bring in Dutch striker Huntelaar, but the transfer was canceled due to Perez's extreme opposition.

It was also stated that there would be no further supplementation of attack resources.

It was a decision that signaled the end of the Dutch connection.

Still, it was good up to this point.

Although there were some ups and downs, the new transferees adapted well to the team and showed a good performance in training.

Moreover, since there were no Champions League games in January, there was a relatively leisurely schedule.

Real Madrid, who had solidified their midfield, had nothing to fear anymore.

Sure enough, they continued their winning streak with a 1-0 win in a home game against traditional powerhouse Villareal in early January.

The problem was next.

A shocking incident occurred during an away game against Valencia on January 11th.

Since today's game was a match between 2nd place in the league and 3rd place in the league, the excitement was very intense even before the start.

To top it all off, an incident occurred where spectators got into a fight near the stadium.

The two teams had always maintained an amicable relationship, but today there was no animosity.

The stadium was filled with so many boos that it felt like watching a Madrid derby.

Real Madrid's players, who had to play in such an environment, were bound to become psychologically depressed.

At least veteran players like Zidane and Van Nistelrooy didn't pay any attention, but there were also players who were in bad shape from the start of the game.

That's Pepe.

He felt a compulsion to give a blow to the Villarreal supporters who were booing him that day.

Moreover, it was even more severe because confidence was already exploding after the Barcelona game.

In the end, he couldn't control it and made a terrible play during the game.

The problem was the breakthrough of David Villa, who caught the ball inside the box.

Pepe, who had been in a war of nerves with Villa before, kicked him and knocked him down.

In fact, up to this point, it could have been seen as a strategic foul for defense.

However, the important thing did not end there.

He ended up committing a bizarre act by kneeing the fallen Villa.

Still, it would have been okay if it had stopped there.

But Pepe didn't stop.

When Vicente, who was nearby, protested to the referee, Pepe ran straight to him and punched him in the face, revealing to the world his qualities as a boxer.

The result was obvious.

Exit.

In the end, Real Madrid conceded a penalty kick to Villa, and Valencia continued to take advantage of the 11-10 advantage and led the game to victory.

The result of the game was a 3-1 win for Valencia.

Of course, many soccer fans around the world who thought Real Madrid would win were shocked.

What was even more surprising was that after the match, Pepe told the referee, "You are all sons of prostitutes!"

Accordingly, the Primera Liga Federation strongly condemned his actions, banning Pepe for the next 10 games.

Real Madrid was given the right to appeal within 10 days, but in reality it was of little significance.

Due to this series of events, Real Madrid faced an unexpected crisis.

Hoyoung, who knew the future, had already been preparing to stop Pepe's rampage, but was unable to do so because it happened three months earlier than expected.

The legend of Kangpepe began in this life as well.

Starting with him, bad news began to hit the club.

And time passed like a flowing stream, and it was now well past mid-February.

The real problem started from then on.

The next opponent in the Champions League round of 16.

They are in second place in the EPL and were an English powerhouse in the midst of their prime.

In order to defeat them, a clever trick was needed to cover up bad news.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Support the Translation! 🌐✨

20+ Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support our team.

patreon.com/Immortal_author 

https://ko-fi.com/immortalauthor

https://discord.gg/KscfBegBPT