My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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Before the 14/15 season began, Alex Ferguson decided to retire.

[Pep Guardiola’s “Tiki-Taka” opened the golden age of Spanish football.]

[Jürgen Klopp’s gegenpressing perfectly revived the fallen glory of Dortmund, leading them to become European champions.]

His decision to retire was influenced by Cathy Ferguson’s concerns, but also by the rapidly changing tactical landscape of modern football that became hard to keep up with.

After 27 years managing Manchester United and frequently changing head coaches to learn and adapt to new tactics, Alex Ferguson was now feeling the weight of age.

At some point, learning new tactics started to feel overwhelming.

Unlike the past, when he would ponder over tactics all night even if he didn’t understand them, his aging body and declining health made retirement a reasonable choice.

“Retirement….”

Alex Ferguson reflected on his life after retiring.

A life with his wife.

And occasionally visiting the Manchester United stadium to watch the games.

Thinking about Manchester United still made him feel anxious, like a child left out in the marketplace.

But hadn’t he left a worthy legacy in Son Jinho to entrust to United?

That said, there were still worries.

“The troubling point is the contract… Well, if he appoints a decent successor, it should be fine. I’ll still keep an interest in the club. Or he could just remove that clause in exchange for raising my salary this time.”

Alex Ferguson tried to think positively.

“Still, the players I’ve diligently rebuilt should keep us from taking an absurd fall, right?”

Ferguson looked up at the players sweating it out on the practice field to confirm United’s future.

“SIUUUUU─!”

“Ronaldo, lower your voice.”

For a brief moment, he seriously contemplated reversing his retirement.

“…I can trust him, right?”

In response to Ferguson’s question, the usual reliable head coach quietly fell silent as well.

***

Meanwhile.

[Alex Ferguson declares, “No retirement reversal.”]

Manchester United fans intellectually understood Ferguson’s retirement, but emotionally they struggled to accept it.

[Fans flocking to see Ferguson’s final season.]

[Why are foreign United fans flocking to England?]

[Manchester United warns tourists about ticket scams.]

But as the season’s end approached, they began to humbly accept it.

If they thought of the fallen United after Ferguson’s retirement, they would fight tooth and nail to prevent it, but unless they could turn back time, the future remained uncertain.

“Glory, glory, Man United!”

Regardless, what they could do was just cheer to beautifully conclude Alex Ferguson’s tenure.

“As the reds go marching on, on, on!”

To join in his final season, United fans packed the stands for every match.

Perhaps, it was their fanatic support that allowed United to remain undefeated at home to this day.

March 25th.

Old Trafford, home of Manchester United.

“Come On!!!!!”

Amidst the fanatical support of United fans who came to the stadium as usual, the match against Zenit for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 began.

***

A young fan born in 1986 when Alex Ferguson took charge of Manchester United exclaimed.

“Alex! Don’t go!”

He had lived through Ferguson’s glorious journey at Manchester United.

For the young fan, Manchester United was synonymous with Ferguson, and Ferguson was synonymous with Manchester United.

He couldn’t imagine United without Ferguson as their coach, and he didn’t even want to.

There was a subtle fear of leaving the parental figure of Alex Ferguson, who had raised him, like a fledgling bird just now starting to fly.

Though it was a story before his birth, Liverpool, once dubbed the Red Empire, had fallen instantly due to the Heysel disaster.

Ferguson’s retirement was different from the Heysel disaster, yet it was indeed frightening as clubs could collapse from poor managerial appointments.

But reality is cruel and cold.

Despite the fans’ pleas, Alex Ferguson declared that there would be no reversing his retirement.

The young fan felt a bit forlorn with Ferguson ignoring the supplications but still didn’t miss a single game at Old Trafford.

He believed watching Ferguson’s retirement season was his last duty as a Manchester United fan.

In the early part of the match, Manchester United was struggling against Zenit’s intense pressure.

A threatening shot from Hulk rattled United’s side net.

“─!”

At the moment he thought those dunderheaded players might ruin Ferguson’s final season, Manchester United started a counterattack, initiated by Virgil van Dijk’s block.

Manchester United’s counter led through Son Jinho to Robin van Persie, who, in a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper, selflessly passed the ball to Ronaldo instead of being greedy.

As the young fan raised his arms in exhilaration when Ronaldo’s shot pierced Zenit’s net, he suddenly freed himself from worries about the future.

“Glory Man United!”

The legacy left by Alex Ferguson would continue to march forward steadily.

In the young fan’s view, Robin van Persie, Son Jinho, and Cristiano Ronaldo were seen smiling brightly, arm in arm.

***

The match was entirely dominated by Manchester United, supported by the home fans.

Although Zenit had created some dangerous moments early on, the Manchester United defense led by Virgil van Dijk successfully fended off Zenit’s barrage.

United managed to add a goal at home.

Thus, making the aggregate score 3-0, which meant Zenit had to score three goals at Old Trafford to advance to the next round.

Well, in reality, it was practically securing United’s place in the quarter-finals.

Still, the players gave their all until the very end.

“I will surpass Messi!”

“Jinho, the little boy inside me wants to score!”

While individual desires existed among the players.

“Hmm. Why am I hearing the innermost thoughts of these little stars in my ear?”

Most represented a tribute to the legendary Ferguson.

After all, this season was the legend’s final one.

Having devoted nearly 30 years to United, the players wanted to present their own gifts to the legend.

“Son Jinho must pass to me. I think of Boss as my father; I must repay him…”

The outcome was players running around with their tongues out.

“What an idiot, thinks he’s a hero. He’s got three fathers.”

Anyway, Sadio Mané, who had missed the Russia match due to a cold, began to go crazy, as if he wanted to show what he was capable of today.

“SIUUUUUUUU─!”

I threaded a killer pass into space ahead of Sadio Mané.

In an instant, Mané found himself one-on-one with the keeper.

Ignoring the white noise ringing in his ears, he opted for a direct shot.

Sadio Mané’s shooting angle wasn’t great, so the Zenit goalkeeper had plenty of chance to save it.

“Unnamed goalkeeper, you must stop Mané’s shot!!!”

Unlike the Premier League keepers he frequently faced, Zenit’s goalkeeper, who had not experienced much with Ronaldo, was thrown into a state of cognitive dissonance at Ronaldo’s shout, freezing in panic for just a moment.

Splash─!

The ball slipped through the goalkeeper’s legs, leading to Zenit’s conceded goal.

“Hm. Is this sound skill?”

***

[No surprises! Manchester United successfully advances to the Champions League quarter-finals!]

[Son Jinho shows confidence about winning, “No one can stop us….”]

[The man of the Champions League? Cristiano Ronaldo urges Son Jinho, “Don’t let your guard down.”]

[José Mourinho’s magic! Chelsea knocks out PSG away to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals!]

[No surprises (2) Arsenal falters against Bayern Munich, failing to reach the quarter-finals.]

[FC Barcelona successfully advances alongside Juventus to the quarter-finals.]

[Dortmund draws 1-1 against Manchester City in the away leg, advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate.]

[‘Quarter-final failure’ Pep Guardiola expresses his disappointment.]

[Just before the end of the match, Roberto Lewandowski rescues Dortmund!]

[Jürgen Klopp, unable to contain his excitement from conceding a dramatic equalizer, slides on his knees in front of the Man City bench, injuring himself in the process.]

└ Hahaha, I couldn’t believe my eyes watching that live! 😂

└ Who said Germans are boring?

└ Jürgen Klopp <<< pure fun, absolutely hilarious! 😂 [In an interview, Jürgen Klopp conveys his apologies to Pep Guardiola. “I’m truly sorry to Pep Guardiola and Man City fans.”] [Pep Guardiola responds to Klopp's apology… wishing him luck and a speedy recovery.] *** Three days after the conclusion of the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals took place in Nyon, Switzerland. Manchester United's players watched the draw broadcast in their own ways. I decided to watch it with my family. “Please, Chelsea, please, Chelsea, please, Chelsea.” “Please, United versus Barca, please, United versus Barca.” I could see Gyeouri cursing at the TV, hoping for a weak team for the quarter-finals while my mother wished ill. As the two of them fervently wished, [Bayern Munich faces Real Madrid.] [FC Barcelona faces Chelsea.] “Gaahhh!” “…What? Mom fainted?” The Champions League quarter-final matchups were quickly decided. As minor (?!) issues occurred and caused chaos in the living room. [Manchester United.] The name of Manchester United appeared on the screen. A tense moment. [Manchester United's opponent is….] The quarter-final opponent of Manchester United was announced. Our next opponent was my former team and safe haven. [Borussia Dortmund] It was Dortmund.