My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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With Son Jinho’s opening goal, Dortmund launched a fierce assault against Olympiacos.

[Olympiacos tries to counterattack, but Dortmund’s pressure is just too strong!]

[Son Jinho cleanly tackles and looks for Lewandowski!]

[Lewandowski’s shot! Ah! It hits the crossbar!]

After conceding a goal, Olympiacos needed to push up and target Dortmund’s goal, but they couldn’t even cross the half-line due to Dortmund’s high press.

[Mario Götze cuts off the pass from Feiza! At the same time, Dortmund transitions to attack immediately!]

Ultimately, in the 42nd minute of the second half, Mario Götze intercepted a pass and delivered it to the penetrating Kevin Großkreutz.

Crash—

Kevin Großkreutz’s shot sealed the deal.

[Goooal! Kevin Großkreutz puts the final nail in the coffin for this match!]

[You could say it’s basically game over with that goal!]

Dortmund dominated Olympiacos at home with a score of 2:0, keeping their hopes alive for advancing to the Champions League round of 16.

*

[Dortmund defeats Olympiacos 2:0.]

[Jürgen Klopp ignites his will for the Champions League round of 16. ‘It’s a tough situation, but we will do our best for our fans who support us until the end.’]

[Olympiacos coach Ernesto Valverde praises Son Jinho. ‘Dortmund’s number 10’s performance was impressive.’]

[Son Jinho, who played 82 minutes, receives a standing ovation from the home fans as he is substituted out.]

[Did the junior Son Jinho give a motivational speech instead of the captain?]

[Sebastian Kehl says, ‘Just because he’s young doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for the team. His passion for Dortmund came through in his speech, and that’s why we could win.’]

[Son Jinho, ‘Thanks to Sebastian Kehl for giving me the chance to motivate and to the other Dortmund players who listened.’]

[Son Jinho’s motivation leads Dortmund to victory!]

[The Korean derby unfolds at Borussia Dortmund’s home ground, Signal Iduna Park!]

[Senior national team player Gu Jachil praises Son Jinho. ‘He’s an excellent player with a lot to learn from, regardless of age.’]

*

After the match against Olympiacos, Dortmund immediately began preparing for their game against Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg, which started as a workers’ club from the famous German automobile company Volkswagen, received sponsorship from Volkswagen itself.

Perhaps due to the ample financial support from Volkswagen, despite having a relatively small region and home ground, they were financially well-off among Bundesliga clubs.

Continuing their aggressive investments, Wolfsburg won their first Bundesliga title in the 2008/2009 season, becoming the Deutscher Meister (German champion).

For a moment, it seemed like a future filled with bright prospects was ahead.

However, trouble began when Felix Magath, the coach who led them to their first Bundesliga title, left for Schalke.

Just two years after their Bundesliga victory, Wolfsburg faced relegation threats.

Eventually, the club proposed the general manager and coaching positions to Felix Magath, who had given them their first Bundesliga victory, and they successfully managed to stay in the league.

Expectations for Magath were high, but…

– Gu Jachil: I just got fined for praising you in an interview.

– Ho-woo: Hey, stop lying.

– Gu Jachil: No, I’m serious!

– Ho-woo: Why would you get fined for that? You’d get fined for wearing headphones next.

– Gu Jachil: … We actually get fined for wearing headsets on the way to practice.

Unfortunately, due to Felix Magath’s absurd disciplinary measures this season, the atmosphere among Wolfsburg’s players has completely shattered.

– Gu Jachil: Ah, I should have at least had a meal with you while I was in Dortmund.

– Gu Jachil: Sorry, I can’t have a meal together under the current coach.

– Ho-woo: It’s fine, let’s eat together next time.

– Ho-woo: You’re treating, right?

– Gu Jachil: LOL okay, I promise to buy you something delicious, so wait for it.

The conversation ended with Son Jinho responding to Gu Jachil’s repeated apologies, saying it was alright.

Not long after that, Dortmund welcomed Wolfsburg at home.

*

On November 5, 2011.

The match between Dortmund and Wolfsburg takes place at Signal Iduna Park.

I looked at the packed stands, smiling with satisfaction, then turned with a concerned expression toward Wolfsburg’s bench.

Jachil, who hadn’t caught the coach’s eye yet, was sitting on the bench.

Well, I wasn’t too worried since he would likely be transferred to Augsburg soon and showcase great performances there.

With the referee’s whistle, the game began.

Dortmund immediately pressured Wolfsburg from the start.

In the 12th minute, Mario Götze’s shot broke through Wolfsburg’s net.

“Ho-wooo—!”

Wolfsburg quickly started to crumble.

“… Ah. Ho-woo, that’s not how it’s done.”

I quietly lamented while watching Mario Götze fumble around awkwardly.

*

[Dortmund crushes Wolfsburg 5:1 at home.]

[Cancelled Korean derby! Outrage from Korean football fans directed at coach Felix Magath!]

└ Seriously, if you weren’t going to play him, why not release him?

└ For real;; If you weren’t going to use him like this, you should have transferred him to Hamburg long ago.

[The South Korean national team is in crisis! Traveling for the hellish two-match away series in the Middle East!]

[‘The start of A Matches!’ But the public’s reaction is cold!]

*

The match against Wolfsburg concluded, and the A Match period was approaching.

As expected from the reigning champions of Germany, the majority of the players were selected for the national team.

“I hate A Matches! So please, everyone, come back without getting injured so it doesn’t get even worse!”

Before the players departed, Jürgen Klopp urged them to stay healthy and return without injuries.

Immediately after the A Matches ended, Dortmund was set to face Schalke, who are in the title race with Bayern Munich.

It seemed that Klopp would be feeling the pressure of sending key players to A Matches at such a crucial time.

“Jinho!”

“Jürgen?”

“If you’ve got nothing to do during the A Match period, how about we have dinner together?”

Though it was a simple invitation for dinner, I felt oddly uneasy. And understandably so…

“… Why are you smiling like that?”

Klopp had that unnerving smile plastered on his face.

“No, I can’t stop smiling. I’m so overjoyed at the thought of you not going to A Matches that it’s almost making me cry.”

I raised an eyebrow at Klopp’s words and then burst into laughter.

There was something about this bearded German that felt less like a coach and more like a neighborhood elder brother.

“Ah, considering the age difference, maybe like an uncle?”

Anyway, the more time we spent together, the more I realized what a genuine person he was.

Honestly, I had thought that it would be nice if I could go to Manchester United while Klopp came to manage there.

Since Klopp had actually been offered the coaching position at Manchester United before.

But no matter how I thought about it, it seemed implausible.

‘… His wife was opposed, right?’

Well… Personally, I believed Jürgen’s wife was wise for thinking that way.

At that time, Manchester United was a poisoned chalice.

They say the stronger the light, the darker the shadow. Just as Ferguson’s era was brilliant, the shadow of Ferguson loomed over Manchester United far too greatly, and every coach who followed failed miserably under its weight.

‘And above all…’

The situations of Liverpool and Manchester United when Klopp would eventually take over were too different.

Based on when Klopp took charge of Liverpool in 2015, while the Liverpool fans had reached a state of enlightenment after experiencing the legendary front three of “Ramblebo,” Manchester United fans still held onto the remnants of the Ferguson era.

Because of this, Manchester United fans’ pride was on a completely different level.

It took Klopp four years to win at Liverpool.

I didn’t believe that the Manchester United board would support Klopp through such a long wait.

‘He might’ve been fired before lifting any trophies…’

Well, that was something we could never know.

After setting up dinner plans with Jürgen Klopp, I got into my mother-in-law’s car and headed home.

From tomorrow, the sweet A Match break would finally begin.

*

[The national team triumphs with a 3:0 victory in the away match against UAE!]

[‘The national team properly starts the hellish two-match away series in the Middle East!’ Traveling for the away match against Lebanon on November 15!]