93 – Change
In recent days, the entire training ground was buzzing with excitement.
It wasn’t entirely unexpected. Rather, such an atmosphere could be considered close to the usual vibes.
A team that was ranked first for demotion was performing so well, clinching the league title, and if the team spirit among the players was bad, that would be even stranger. Naturally, the team’s rising momentum should be reflected in the players’ morale and atmosphere.
However, the current animated atmosphere, while similar to the usual, was subtly different. It appeared lively, but there was a nuanced distinction, like the anticipation of a pubescent boy looking forward to his first date.
‘A pubescent boy…’
Jujitae, caught up in his own thoughts, unintentionally glanced at Jo Jaesin and quickly corrected his perception.
The buoyancy of a pubescent boy looking forward to his first date? What nonsense. It’s probably filled with lustful, sticky desires.
Regardless, the current atmosphere was undeniably subtly different from the usual.
The reason, perhaps,
“Going out as a starter after a long time, my stamina was lacking in the second half. No matter how much training and practice, it’s different when it comes to an actual match.”
“Ah, darn it. You shouldn’t have hesitated there. Should’ve either hit it right away or passed it. You won’t make the same mistake in the next game, for sure.”
Could be found in the rotation players.
In truth, Bayern Munich was a team with quite a contrast in the atmosphere between the main players and the substitutes.
The main players were simple. As the team’s performance improved, the mood proportionally got better.
On the other hand, the rotation members were a bit different.
Certainly, they were happy and excited in line with the team’s rising performance, but at the same time, there was a lack of enthusiasm or passion.
Perhaps it was a natural phenomenon.
The main players on the field, as the team did well, could feel an increase in their own value and recognition, allowing them to be genuinely happy. However, for the rotation players, as the team excelled, it meant that their competitors’ positions became more solidified, making it not entirely pleasant.
Playing in the game and not being on the field had different implications. Just because the team was doing well didn’t mean every player was flourishing.
In that sense, while the team’s rising momentum and the Bundesliga championship were reasons to celebrate in their careers, for rotation players who showed a lack of motivation and passion, expressing joy was overshadowed by the thought that no matter what they did, they couldn’t push out the main players.
This time, however, it was different.
Fulfilling the promise to give bench members active opportunities if they won, Coach Wilhelm had fielded a large number of rotation players in the last game, despite the disappointing draw. The result may have been regrettable, but the overall performance was satisfactory, allowing Jujaetae to comfortably watch the game from the bench after a long time.
Well, thanks to that, the rotation players regained their passion after a long time, and the team atmosphere improved even more.
But above all, the reason why the team is so excited right now is, of course—
“I want to show a good performance when my family comes from my hometown.”
“My father’s long-cherished dream was to shake hands with the players of the championship team… I guess I can make that dream come true.”
The decisive event the team prepared was inviting the families of the players to the last game of the season, the 34th round of the league.
People are quite complex creatures, but at the same time, surprisingly simple creatures.
Showing the image of playing as a member of the ‘Bundesliga championship team’ in front of their families provides the players with a satisfaction different from material things. It’s a sense of pride, honor, and self-esteem, a kind of mental satisfaction.
Joo Ji-tae realized that the club had made quite a clever move.
“It’s the last game of the season, and it’s a home game, so they’ll probably give me a chance to play. They might send me out as a starter and then call me back as a substitute.”
The last game of the season. The venue is the home stadium.
There was no need to use imagination to anticipate what would happen when the actual ace who led the team to the league championship was substituted.
“A standing ovation… My parents will really love that.”
Turning the Bundesliga championship into ‘our’ achievement, not just the club’s, is a clever move that instills a sense of belonging in the players without spending much money.
Even Joo Ji-tae, who wouldn’t dream of it in ordinary circumstances, couldn’t help but imagine receiving a standing ovation with his parents watching in front of him, along with Colleague.
“Well, then, I have to show a performance in the last game that I won’t be ashamed of.”
Erasing unnecessary thoughts, Joo Ji-tae went into image training as usual.
From Noble mtl dot com
The expected lineup of the opposing team, the movements and habits of the players, frequently displayed patterns… and the corresponding strategies.
Now, during routine image training, thoughts kept coming up today.
“You’re still in fifth place, aren’t you?”
The annoying voice of Cho Jae-shin echoed in his mind.
The ranking table of market values for players under 23, recently released by the International Sports Research Center (CIES) under the International Football Federation (FIFA), came to mind.
Still holding the top spot is Fernando Alvarez of Real Madrid, followed by Leonardo Lorenzo in second place… and just above, David Martinez, ranked fourth.
At the beginning of the season, he was only ranked ninth with a market value of 60 million euros, lower than Cho Jae-shin. But in just one season, his market value surpassed Cho Jae-shin and rose to fifth place…
“I’m only fifth? And lower than that son of a David Martinez?”
It was a bit annoying to be undervalued compared to that Spanish guy.
Actually, Joo Ji-tae hadn’t paid much attention to CIES’s announcements until recently.
Since the market value announced by CIES is only an ‘estimate,’ you won’t know the actual situation of a player’s value or transfer fee until it actually happens.
So he just let it pass—
Post 301 Followers 496,000 Following 17
#Jujitae #5th #transfervalue #fighting #JoJaeshin6th
A little… I began to feel uneasy.
‘Transfer value.’
Transfer value.
More precisely, transfer fee.
The transfer market, swelling exponentially as capital flowed into football, had already reached a jaw-dropping scale. If a player was famous, transferring for tens of billions was a mere jest, and finding several hundred billion was not that difficult.
Jujitae, too, was once a player who boasted an astounding transfer fee.
Every time he transferred from the Netherlands to Spain, then from Spain to England, didn’t he inflate his transfer fee several times? Especially when he moved to Chelsea, he set a record with a historic transfer fee, creating a tremendous buzz as the ‘highest transfer fee in Asia’ and ‘within the top 10 in history.’
Of course, after transferring to Chelsea, his accumulated physical mileage burst, and he plummeted, but… that was a one-time story.
Now, in the second round, he believes he will be a better player than in the first round, and he is confident he will command a higher transfer fee.
However, it won’t be this transfer.
‘The buyout is only 30 million euros; it’s too meager to be a record-breaking figure.’
As clubs that spend money shout figures in the tens of millions, crossing into the ‘billion’ range, 30 million euros might seem relatively modest. Yet, for Jujaeshin, it’s a staggering amount, exceeding 400 billion won.
Even the 1860 Munich board, who had confidence in Jujitae’s talent, thought, ‘With this amount, we can keep him for at least 2-3 years, maybe even until the next contract.’ It was an enormous sum.
Jujaeshin, who had expected his transfer value to naturally decrease once the World Cup bubble, inflated with special circumstances, settled down, had never seen it decrease even once since CIES first announced it.
Starting at 60 million euros, Jujaeshin’s market value is now evaluated at over 100 million euros.
‘I’ll put off what I can’t solve for now and push out that slippery guy, David Martinez.’
At the age of 22, David Martinez, a key midfielder for AT Madrid, was considered Jujaeshin’s rival during the first round. When players of similar positions, types, and ages face each other in the same league, it’s only natural that attention is drawn.
Both players had tremendous performances, dazzling playing styles, and handsome looks. Well, as much as the media and fans labeled them as rivals, Jujaeshin’s honest feelings were—
‘Can this guy even be a threat to me?’
And, as much as the media and fans tied them together as rivals, Martinez was not lacking in being a threat.
‘His dribble stole the timing. Like this… was it?’
At the height of analyzing him and being concerned, it happened while reminiscing about Martinez’s play.
“Oh, Lord! Have you finally changed?”
“What?”
Coach approached, not hitting his shoulder aggressively.
“I was worried because there hasn’t been any progress unlike with Cho Jaeshin.”
“No progress? Me?”
“You’ve been trying too hard to stick to what you used to do, not like a young player. You’re so good that it hasn’t been a problem, but there were concerns internally. But indeed… you had other plans, didn’t you? Seeing you trying to bring changes to your play right after the season ended.”
Out of the blue, what is this…
Joo Jitae, who was about to ignore it, suddenly stopped moving.
“Coach. Am I just doing what I intended to do?”
“That’s right. Just by looking at your play, I thought you were not a teenager but a player in their 30s.”
“…If the coach sees it that way, others probably do too, right?”
“Well… if someone who analyzed you thinks so, wouldn’t others?”
“Then, if my play changes significantly… how would you feel about a completely different play if it’s performed well?”
Coach scratched his chin and responded ambiguously.
“How do you evaluate what. They’ll just think a genius is a genius.”
