My Girlfriend Wants Victory

---

The news from the association was conveyed through the enraged father-in-law and Chairman Hwang Geum-soon.

– Father-in-law: (Football Association Statement Article.jpg)

– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: (“It wasn’t an attack on anyone. It was simply a discussion about procedures.” The pathetic excuse of the Football Association chairman. jpg)

Seeing the news handed to me by my father-in-law and Chairman Hwang Geum-soon left me speechless.

I was already feeling uneasy about the association being strangely quiet, and it turned out they really caused a mess.

– Father-in-law: Those bastards! The so-called adults are trying to make minors scapegoats!

– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: What about that damn Association chairman? And now he’s making excuses?

As I read the messages from the furious father-in-law and Chairman Hwang Geum-soon…

– A man of interest to the Football Association? It’s me.

I suddenly thought of Gi-hyun Choi.

‘Did Gi-hyun Choi know about this?’

I quietly probed Gi-hyun Choi while sharing the information I got from my father-in-law.

If Gi-hyun Choi, who started from Geumsun High School, betrayed me, I would feel a bit hurt.

– Gi-hyun Choi: Jinho, what’s going on?

‘Why are you asking me that?’

But fortunately, it seemed that Gi-hyun Choi was unaware of the association’s sudden outburst.

Instead, seeing Gi-hyun Choi looking confused and asking me what was going on made me chuckle.

Well, it made sense in a way.

Since Jo Yeon-jong, the chairman of the Football Association, was arrested on charges of embezzlement, Gi-hyun Choi’s position must have become ambiguous.

– Gi-hyun Choi: I definitely said that the naturalization news was baseless last time;;

– Gi-hyun Choi: Hold on, let me contact the association again to find out what’s happening.

Flustered and rambling for a while, Gi-hyun Choi finally said he would contact the association to see what the situation was, and then he disappeared.

“Jinho! Let’s get naturalized! So we can take revenge on the South Korea Football Association!”

Meanwhile, if she had read the messages that came up in the group chat, Gyeouri approached me, her face flushed with anger.

“Gyeouri, why are you crying?”

“Wah, I… I won’t…”

I lightly hugged Gyeouri, whose eyes were reddened and teary, patting her back.

“Gyeouri, let’s go on a date after you retire from the national team.”

If it were any other time, the Football Association or the media might have said something like, “It’s not a personal matter, it’s a national matter.”

But in this situation, who could say anything if I declared retirement?

‘Well… I haven’t considered the idea of naturalization to take revenge, but it’s not like I haven’t thought about it at all.’

I resolved to return to my original intentions. I wanted to be the best boyfriend and husband, rather than just the best football player.

And honestly, I had played enough international matches in my past life, so I didn’t have any desire to cling to the national team.

When I was proposed with naturalization in Germany, I briefly felt the desire for the World Cup trophy…

But then I remembered, after the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Germany fell into a slump, right?

Well. It could change if I played, but there was no need for me to naturalize in Germany and become a scapegoat.

‘And though they might acknowledge and respect my choice of naturalization now, if we face off in the 2018 Russia World Cup, they’ll surely call me a traitor again, right?’

Insults directed at me would be fine, but by then, the media would probably know about me and Gyeouri, and then mindless abuse and hate comments directed at her would ensue, right?

Having finished my thoughts, I looked at Gyeouri’s tear-stained face and burst into laughter, asking her.

“Is there a place you want to go for our date?”

“…Amusement park.”

Han Gyeouri answered quietly, her head bowed as if she was shy.

*

[Son Jinho, absent? Dortmund. ‘A decision made to protect the spirit of youth.’]

After the articles broke in Korea, Dortmund gave me a rest.

As the articles about the association’s blunders began to get noticed in the European media…

– Crazy Dog from Dobongsan: Hey, are you okay?

– Totem Park: Jinho, if you need my help, contact me.

Messages from the older guys I was close with flooded in.

The older guys were more frustrated than I was after the internal chaos sparked in the association.

@keyKey

– Using political manipulation against the best-performing player, I just don’t understand what the Football Association is thinking.

@keyKey

– If you can’t boost the players’ morale, what do you expect? Are they planning to play in the matches themselves?

@keyKey

– Leaders should be substantial and take responsibility. Shifting the blame to subordinates shows a lack of leadership.

Sung Ryong-hyung and other overseas players immediately posted on their SNS criticizing the association.

And Dortmund also held interviews with the media, expressing their support for me.

[Jurgen Klopp erupts in fury over the South Korea Football Association and media’s attitude.]

[Shinji Kagawa expresses sorrow. ‘A key player in Asian football has vanished.’]

[Robert Lewandowski speaks out on Son Jinho’s retirement. ‘Jinho’s retirement is a huge loss for football. I’d rather he had naturalized.’]

[Mario Götze strongly supports Jinho’s naturalization. ‘With Jinho’s naturalization, Germany can complete its final puzzle.’]

So many people are supporting me; it seems I’ve lived a good life after all.

*

The association was already being ripped apart to dust, leaving no need for me to storm in.

[National Inspection after six years reveals an even worse state of the Football Association than expected!]

The national inspection that was supposed to take place in 2012 was moved up by a year.

As issues within the association started to be uncovered due to the sudden inspection…

Controversies surrounding player selection pressure, tax evasion, payment of compensation to embezzlers, collusion with sports marketing companies, and allegations of embezzlement by former and current executives, among others.

Public opinion had also turned against the Football Association.

– Even Son Jinho, who is one with the association, condemns them!

Well… in this situation, there were still people leaving malicious comments about me.

[Son Jinho, suing haters through agency.]

The Korean agency that partnered with Mino Raiola’s agency is currently filing a lawsuit.

[The truly treacherous Football Association is the real traitor!]

When the news broke that I was suing haters in Korea, the reporters who had written traitorous articles quietly edited their articles and conveyed apologies to us while criticizing the association.

‘Yeah. Get lost; you’re all the same scum.’

But I had no intention of letting those writers off easy.

What’s the point of turning the knife backwards now?

[Son Jinho’s agent Mino Raiola strongly criticizes Korean reporters. ‘The barbaric behavior towards a 16-year-old boy.’]

It was too late to turn back.

[Mino Raiola decides to sue the media outlets spreading false information. ‘We will respond firmly.’]

In articles related to the lawsuits, my name appeared less frequently than Mino Raiola’s.

It seems to be the agent’s job to get involved in unfavorable incidents.

– Mino Raiola: Jinho, still, wouldn’t it be better to see how the association reacts before declaring your retirement?

Regardless, Mino Raiola was trying to change my mind while proceeding with the lawsuits.

– Me: Mino, do you still trust the Football Association?

I didn’t trust the association.

*

[Board of Directors of the South Korea Football Association resigns en masse… ‘We feel responsible for the irreversible sins committed against Korean football’s future.’]

As public sentiment worsened in real-time, the officials of the Football Association finally resigned en masse.

Except for one.

[Chairman Jeong Do-jun of the Football Association bows his head, “My resignation as Chairman is not a decision for Korean football.”]

Though they pulled out the card of a total resignation from the leadership, Chairman Jeong Do-jun didn’t step down.

The public wanted Chairman Jeong Do-jun to completely pull out of the Football Association.

[Chairman Jeong Do-jun of the Football Association, “Give me just one more chance!” The netizens concurred that during a crisis, one should replace the captain!]

└ Concur? Concur? Who agreed, you filthy reporter?

└ That media’s advertisement banner is impressive ^^

The media attacking them had already weakened as they obtained satisfactory results—advertisement—while public opinion gradually calmed.

I recalled the time when the Football Association planned a surprise pardoning in the future. Back then, they were living off a lifetime job, and it was unlikely to change now.

By the way, insults were insults, and imagery was imagery, yet…

Why aren’t they stepping down?

Did they hide a honey pot in the chairman’s seat or something?

Well… that wouldn’t matter to me, having decided on retiring from the national team.

The day after Chairman Jeong Do-jun declared he would maintain his position,

@Jin_ho10

– I have been pondering over the controversies, and now it’s time to make a decision…

I declared my retirement from the national team on SNS.

Believe it or not, it was truly just a coincidence.

*

[As expected, it became reality! Son Jinho’s declaration of retirement from the national team!]

└ SSSSS South Korea football is falling apart like a dog SSSSS

└ The country’s a mess.

└ ;;; Is my brother really retiring from the national team like this?

└ No way;; He didn’t even play a single match, and retiring is an overreaction;;

└ Damn it, what are those association bastards going to do!!

└ Isn’t this all because of the chairman? That bastard gave the orders.

└ Damn, let’s overturn this. This needs to be overturned.

[‘Medieval Group’ plummets in stock due to poor construction and owner risks!]

[‘Amidst angry public sentiment, finally.’ Jeong Do-jun, chairman of Medieval Development, decided to step down from the South Korea Football Association. ‘Feeling responsible for not completing the term…’]