My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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A few days before Son Jinho was shocked by the sudden news from the Football Association.

“Short-sighted old men!”

Choi Gi-hyun, the coach who wanted to hire a foreign coach to embrace Europe’s advanced football system, stomped out of the Football Association with an angry expression.

The recruitment of a foreign coach fell through due to strong internal opposition within the Football Association.

Was it because they had achieved the Round of 16 in the World Cup twice in a row with domestic coaches in 2010 and 2014 Brazil World Cup?

“A foreign coach? Can that foreign coach adapt well to Korean culture?”

Inside the Football Association, resentment against hiring a foreign coach mixed with pride in achieving results on the international stage with a domestic coach, creating a bizarre scenario.

A few days after Choi Gi-hyun stormed out of the conference room.

“Then, let’s start the 31st meeting to select the national team coach from now on.”

Once again, the meeting to select the coach was held in the same place.

“Ahem. As for the next coach, Kim Jong-hwan, he looked promising.”

“Hah… Are you suggesting that we promote someone who has been referred to the disciplinary committee for player violence?”

The gap between Choi Gi-hyun, who wanted a foreign coach, and the association executives, who wanted a domestic coach, was not easily filled.

“Ain’t that something— tsk tsk, it was all done for the sake of the players. These days, players and parents are too sensitive…”

Choi Gi-hyun chuckled and spoke up.

“Is hitting a player’s face and damaging their hearing the problem of sensitivity from parents or players?”

“Ahem, tsk… That guy did tend to lash out easily during his playing days.”

As the person who suggested appointing someone involved in a violence incident stepped back with an embarrassed expression, a man who looked like a snake opened his mouth.

“Who recommends such a punk as the national team coach? How about Director Jeong Wi-won, who is proven enough in terms of ability…”

“Are you suggesting someone who has been suspected of match-fixing as the national team coach?”

“Match-fixing? It’s just a suspicion, and if the association steps up to say it’s not true, the reporters also…”

The snake-like man quietly shut his mouth under Choi Gi-hyun’s fierce gaze.

“Ahem. How about Choi Hyung-cheol then?”

“That bastard Jeong Wi-won may have a suspicion, but this time he has been definitively named as the perpetrator!”

“He apologized and has been punished enough, so it might be time to bring him back to the field…”

“Does that guy drive drunk and cause a stir again?”

The association officials consistently brought up domestic coaches, but Choi Gi-hyun countered thoroughly with facts and dismissed them.

“…”

With Choi Gi-hyun’s repeated opposition, an uncomfortable atmosphere began to fill the meeting room.

“Alright then— this way, the meeting won’t end. How about we decide based on a majority vote among the candidates presented until now?”

The eldest member, Joo Nam-don, clapped his hands to capture attention and suggested choosing the coach by majority vote.

“Let’s start with those in favor of the first coaching candidate, Kim Jong-hwan.”

As those advocating for domestic coaches glanced quickly at each other, Choi Gi-hyun slammed the table hard in protest.

“Majority vote for selecting a coach?! Does that even make sense?! And even if we were to decide by majority, shouldn’t it be done privately? This is worse than an elementary school class president election!”

With Choi Gi-hyun’s repeated opposition, one director supporting the domestic coach exploded in anger.

“Choi Gi-hyun! You’ve only just joined the association! This is how things have always been decided! And how dare you disrespect Technical Director Joo Nam-don! Don’t you have any concept of hierarchy?!”

As the atmosphere in the meeting grew increasingly heated, the 31st meeting for selecting the coach was once again postponed.

[A football official says, “Choi Gi-hyun is overly self-righteous.”]

Unable to contain his anger, an association official transformed into an anonymous football association contact and released an article denouncing Choi Gi-hyun.

***

Upon seeing the pile of articles criticizing him, Choi Gi-hyun immediately issued a rebuttal.

[Choi Gi-hyun strongly condemns the Football Association. “The selection of the South Korea national team coach resembles a North Korean election.”]

He stated through the media that the Round of 16 achievement in the 2014 Brazil World Cup was thanks to the players’ individual skills, not tactics or systems.

He argued that they need to hire a foreign coach, send talent, and implement a systematic advanced system.

[Choi Gi-hyun, Chairman of the Strengthening Committee, says, “For South Korea to aim beyond the Round of 16, the fundamental administrative system must change.”]

└ We support you, Coach!

└ Wow… the hope of Korean football! God Gi-hyun!

└ If Son Jinho’s mentor wins the Ballon d’Or, isn’t that the greatest achievement in Korean football?

└ That achievement was completely wasted by the previous chairman of the football association, lmao.

└ Seriously lol, it seems they could have reached the quarter-finals without doing anything.

Choi Gi-hyun’s claims received cheers from football fans.

While the national team had achieved Round of 16 in two consecutive World Cups, the administration of the Football Association was extremely un-modern.

[Public sentiment shows doubt towards hiring a foreign coach.]

However, the majority of the citizens felt no necessity to spend a huge amount on bringing in a foreign coach.

From their perspective, the association, viewed from the outside, had been earning good results in international competitions and steadily growing.

Having not experienced the dark ages of history, they believed the association was heading in the right direction.

As factions opposing the appointment of a foreign coach spread rumors that taxpayer money would be used to bring in a foreign coach…

[Is hiring a foreign coach by the Football Association funded by the citizens’ taxes?]

└ Why do we need a foreign coach when domestic coaches are doing well?

└ Seriously, it’s like a tax league lol, they treat the national budget as their own piggy bank.

└ Tax thief Choi Gi-hyun must awaken!

└ Isn’t the claim of sending talent overseas just a way to go and play around?

Most citizens began opposing the hiring of a foreign coach.

[Party member, “Is it really necessary to spend big money to hire a foreign coach?”]

And in the situation where the public’s gaze turned toward the Football Association, the political arena was not going to stay silent.

[Opposition member, “Eurocentrism must stop… Korea has its own way.”]

[Independent member, “I will create a Korean-style football system.”]

One by one, politicians started to board the public sentiment and directed criticism towards Choi Gi-hyun.

Choi Gi-hyun was framed as a tax thief, and as the public sentiment turned against him, he was tormented by the media, politicians, public opinion, and individuals within the Football Association, leading the Football Association chairman to decide to give up on Choi Gi-hyun.

[Choi Gi-hyun, throwing dirty water on the association, “Eat shit you bastards!”]

But having lived by looking for approval and flattery, Choi Gi-hyun recently sensed that the internal atmosphere was unusual.

[Choi Gi-hyun, Chairman of the Strengthening Committee, exposes internal meetings.]

Before being cut from the Strengthening Committee, he leaked all the contents of the 32nd meeting for the selection of the national team coach to the media.

***

[Football Association threatens legal action against Choi Gi-hyun’s exposure.]

└ They didn’t say a word when they leaked meeting contents, but now that God Gi-hyun speaks, they threaten legal action lol.

└ Nothing has changed since the incident with Son Jinho’s national team retirement.

└ So suddenly, my brother’s foresight is amazing. He knew the association was a bunch of idiots and quickly cut ties.

└ By the way, is it really serious how severe the meeting contents are?

└ Who openly asked to support his candidacy?

└ Wow, it’s chilling how these criminals keep recommending each other.

[Son Jinho publicly supports his mentor Choi Gi-hyun… “I was shocked to see someone who criticized me return to the association and perform their duties.”]

└ Wow, is there someone in the association who made my brother retire?

└ Seems like they returned sneakily, huh?^^

[Anonymous source says, “The association’s dignity must be respected.”]

[Joo Nam-don, director of the Korean Football Association, reveals discomfort over Son Jinho’s statement. “Now we must block the involvement of a mere football player who is no longer even Korean.”]

└ ??? My brother is Korean, what are you talking about?

└ This freaking idiot probably thinks my brother naturalized or something.

└ Looks like the guy who questioned what Son Jinho did for Korean football is this idiot.

└ Found you, anonymous football association source.

***

[SBK shocking audio recording released. “What, that XX still hasn’t naturalized?”]

└ Is it okay if an association official doesn’t even know the player they belong to?

└ Affirmed themselves as an old fool occupying a position with no merit.

└ Not just a fool, just a fucking idiot.

└ But why is that idiot using poor English?

└ Seems to be a boomer trying not to look like one.

└ Lol.

└ By the way, is it true that only SBK released the audio recording?

└ Indeed, the value of subscription fees, boo-hoo.

└ Son Jinho seems to have strong ties with Choi Gi-hyun.

***

South Korea is in an uproar.

I sighed as I read the article.

I thought that if Gi-hyun Choi declared reforms from the Football Association, it might be okay to return by the time of the Qatar World Cup.

Even though the association was repeatedly kicking the ball into the future, I believed that I could change the association fundamentally if I got involved since I was a returnee.

In fact, the association president who opened the dark age of Korean football was not chased out of the association either.

But…

The Football Association had little changed, even after ousting the president who was labeled as the establishment.

It was the moment when my thoughts on the association were proven wrong.

The dismantled old establishment’s positions had been occupied by the new establishment.

Those who remained became even more closely knit together, making sure they wouldn’t get ousted.

Truly.

Amazing Korea.

As much as I wanted to uproot the association from its roots.

With my retirement from the national team already declared, there wasn’t much I could do.

I could only cheer for Gi-hyun Choi from afar.

And so, I stepped back, munching on popcorn as I leisurely watched South Korea ignite in flames.

[Football association official criticizes Son Jinho’s military exemption. “If orphans had to serve, Son Jinho would have crawled under the association too.”]

[Military Manpower Administration, due to decrease in active-duty soldiers… “Considering orphan conscription.”]

[Independent member, regarding Son Jinho’s military issues…. “It’s discrimination against the poor active-duty soldiers that rich orphans don’t serve…”]

└ Why is a politician suddenly talking about my brother’s military issue?

└ Seems like he’s supporting Choi Gi-hyun, and the political arena judged him as the enemy.

Until the flames suddenly flickered toward me.

“These trash bastards who shouldn’t exist in this reality!”