My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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Italy.

The birthplace of Americano during World War II.

A nation that detests Hawaiian pizza and mint chocolate, home to food enthusiasts.

It was quite a familiar place to me since I had visited during my Dortmund days.

With various ruins from the Roman era and being the center of the Renaissance, it’s outstanding as a tourist destination.

However, having faced racism during a match, it wasn’t exactly a place with fond memories, and I had been overly sensitive since arriving in Italy.

Anyway, when Manchester United’s private jet landed at Turin Airport.

The reporters who were waiting to interview the Man U players pushed through the bodyguards and shoved microphones in my face.

“Is this the country of fascism?”

As PTSD kicked in, the German DNA of ‘strike first’ also activated, and I reflexively answered the question.

The sudden mention of fascism shocked the reporters as well.

“I’m very glad to be in the place where the drink Americano, beloved by Korea, originated.”

Realizing I had said something controversial, I quickly attempted to smooth things over.

But then…

For some reason,

[Italy’s Mussolini descendant Senator Alessandra Mussolini. Regarding Son Jinho’s fascism remark… “How wonderful it is to see someone properly appreciating my grandfather’s achievements even overseas. I should write him a thank-you letter. Although his taste is the worst, he is still a friend of Great Rome.”]

[Italian media, Son Jinho is the worst football player who drinks sewage….]

[Italian media, Son Jinho’s statement that Italy is the birthplace of sewage must be retracted immediately….]

The statements regarding Americano began to overshadow the fascism remark.

“SIU, he really stirred up a fresh controversy…”

No, Cristiano.

Why are you looking at me with envy?

***

A true star, as a famous singer once said, must drive both the fans and the critics crazy.

‘Oh, he has talent.’

In that sense, Cristiano Ronaldo thought that Son Jinho had enough star potential to lead the world of football after him.

Admittedly, it seemed a bit absurd to proclaim Messi as the world’s best football player.

But hey, I could understand that for the sake of football’s advancement.

Ronaldo, with a magnanimous attitude, nudged Son Jinho’s star potential awake, and Son Jinho was shedding his shell and stepping into the world as Ronaldo had hoped.

‘What a pity. If only he participated in the World Cup, he could gain even more star power.’

Ronaldo had learned from Park Jisong why Son Jinho wasn’t playing for the national team.

Honestly, he found Son Jinho even more puzzling.

If it were him, he would have chosen to naturalize without hesitation.

And he’d have taken perfect revenge on the country that pushed him into that decision.

Although doing so would undoubtedly turn the people of that country into enemies.

‘Anyway, Korea only has 50 million people, right?’

By that measure, isn’t that just a handful compared to the world’s population?

Ronaldo, based on his experiences so far, felt that those who would slander would slander regardless.

Humans are like that in the first place. Not everyone can be the same.

Some people earnestly cheer for the triumph of a human victory story, while others trash it as emotional exploitation.

‘Ah, the world is full of stories about Son Jinho!’

And that was Cristiano Ronaldo.

He himself was no exception.

No matter how much he regarded Son Jinho as a successor.

As Son Jinho absorbed all the issues, Ronaldo began to feel discomfort.

[Confident Cristiano Ronaldo, “The glory of Serie A has long been over.”]

He tried to draw attention back to himself by pulling some serious stunts.

But was it true that parsing talent could still be achieved without further ado?

[Americano’Jino’ stirred up controversy again? “What an honor to be in the birthplace of Hawaiian pizza.”]

Before he knew it, the fact that his junior Son Jinho had surpassed his master had Cristiano Ronaldo screaming toward the heavens.

“Oh heaven! I, Cristiano Ronaldo, have already been born, why on earth did you give birth to Son Jinho!?”

And the Manchester United players who witnessed this scene shook their heads and whispered among themselves.

“Why is he acting like that all of a sudden?”

“Jinho said that Chinese people love Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so he was practicing a scene the other day.”

“Cristiano, what’s with him being so into China?”

“Seems like he has a mental affinity that others don’t understand.”

***

[The Italian Prime Minister erupts in anger over the Hawaiian pizza statement, demanding an apology from Son Jinho. “Hawaiian pizza was not created in Italy, but in Canada. This is a serious insult…”]

└ … The fascism remark was overlooked, but why is this so hot?

└ Fascism <<< Italy’s proud history. └ That guy knows a bit about history, sparking various reactions to flood in. └ Hawaiian pizza, Americano <<< Without that, all of Italy gets inflamed LOL └ A country that seriously cares about food, whoa! └ Italy is the kind of country where they were boiling pasta during the war; it’s serious about food. └ What kind of country is that, seriously LOL └ ? Are you looking down on the Great Italy that Mussolini, the Roman Consul during a time when France was blocked by an Alpine division after six weeks against Germany, ruled? *** As the renewed controversies heightened the anger of Italians, The away game against Juventus in the Champions League Group Stage Round 2 began. "Uh-oh──!" Juventus had a history of severe penalties during the racial abuse incidents in the 12/13 season against Dortmund. As such, the club held campaigns against racism, trying to curb the racist remarks from their ultras. But naturally, the effect wasn't that great. Just because the Germans banned flares doesn’t mean the flares would decrease in the stadium, right? Similarly, conducting campaigns to prohibit racism among Italians wouldn’t necessarily stop racist remarks in the stadium. To Italians, racism was like a part of their soul, akin to the flares for Germans. "BOOOOOO─!" "Die, you bastards!" *** Benito Rossi, a powerful Juventus ultra and proud Italian. He visited the stadium today as well to support Juventus. "Booooooo─!" Every time that cocky Asian touched the ball, jeers rang out. The guy from Korea who knocked Italy out of the World Cup due to a bad call in 2002, and who drinks sewage called Americano. Even if he stayed still, you’d want to kill him considering how he insulted Italians by saying Hawaiian pizza wasn't even made by Italians. Well, he made a fascism remark first, but that’s the proud history of Italy, so it doesn’t matter. ‘An Asian being able to evaluate people reasonably.’ Having Mussolini’s name attached to his own was definitely not because he idolized Italy’s great leader from his childhood. Anyway, while the Italian media raised the issue over the fascism statement, it was mostly overshadowed by the subsequent controversies of Son Jinho’s sewage and Hawaiian pizza. “che cazzo!” “Don’t put fruit on pizza, you uncivilized fool!” And in fact, among the crowd present here, there were more who were enraged over the Hawaiian pizza than the fascism remark. It was similar to how they found it more shameful that the disgusting Americano was born in Italy than their participation as Axis powers in World War II. ‘Damn, what kind of devil thought it’d be a good idea to put fruit on pizza?’ Benito Rossi vowed not to let the creator of this demonic dish called Hawaiian pizza go unpunished as a proud Italian. But first... He’d take care of the English football clubs that were faded shadows. Benito Rossi's gaze fell upon Paul Pogba as he controlled the ball. “Paul─!” Last season, he showed rapid growth and became labeled as Juventus’s young talent, known as the Black Zidane. The moment Paul Pogba touched the ball, Benito Rossi was hit with a strong feeling that something good would happen. Just then, Paul Pogba, breaking away from Sami Khedira's pressure, was filmed attempting a long-range shot. At that moment. Thwack─! Out of nowhere, the suddenly appearing Son Jinho blocked the shot. The ball deflected off Son Jinho's foot, and Kyle Walker barely kept it in play just before the touchline. He immediately charged forward into Juventus’s territory, leading Manchester United’s counterattack. In the blink of an eye, while Juventus was rapidly returning to their defensive line, Ignoring the throbbing pain in his leg, Son Jinho got up and started sprinting forward. Meanwhile, Manchester United's counterattack was passed through Kyle Walker and İlkay Gündoğan to Sadio Mané. Still not fully adapting to the Premier League level of game tempo, Son Jinho had a tendency to drag the ball. But perhaps as proof that winning the title of World-Class wasn’t a fluke, Sadio Mané ripped through Juventus's right flank and succeeded in going deep, attempting a cutback to Son Jinho, who was infiltrating the penalty box. Sadio Mané’s cutback sailed past the Juventus players and connected with Son Jinho. Son Jinho pressed gently on the upper part of the ball, attempting the shot. The ball slipped past the goalkeeper's fingertips and nestled into the near post, tearing through Juventus’s net. "Woohoooooo─!!!!!” The stadium momentarily fell silent.