96 – Decision
Soccer is a sport.
No matter how you package it, winning is ultimately what matters in sports.
As a result, one can overlook what is commonly known as philosophy.
In the world of competition, winning is important, and philosophy is often dismissed as irrelevant.
However, philosophy is also crucial in soccer.
Of course, if you were to ask whether philosophy is more important than victory, opinions would differ, but in soccer, philosophy refers to the doctrine of ‘what direction, what style of play’ is advocated.
Why is it a doctrine?
Because it is the most fundamental foundation.
For example, during the era when role-oriented philosophy was predominant, soccer strictly divided the roles of forwards, midfielders, and defenders.
Back then, it was natural for forwards to focus solely on attacking, and defenders to focus solely on defending.
The soccer philosophy of that time was role-oriented, and the philosophy based on this doctrine considered such role distribution obvious.
However, philosophy is always subject to change.
A person who challenged this role-oriented philosophy emerged.
Rinus Michels.
Leading Ajax from the outskirts of Dutch football, he achieved a three-time European Cup victory and introduced a new mainstream philosophy.
It was called Total Football (TotaalVoetbal).
Although he was not the originator, under his influence, this soccer philosophy rose to dominance, moving away from role orientation.
Modern soccer developed from this principle and became known as position play or positional play.
Now, soccer players must perform various roles based on their position.
A forward can become a forward defender or a side attacker depending on the situation and position, or even a midfielder.
The core of the doctrine called position play or positional play is the change in roles based on position.
However, this is not unique to modern soccer. This method existed in the past as well.
For example, the “Emperor” Franz Beckenbauer played as a last defender in the 1970s, acting as a midfielder and sometimes as a forward.
Before him, in the 40s and 50s, the first “False Nine” Hidegkuti Nándor and eccentric figures like Ronald Koeman, who became the Champions League top scorer as a defender, undoubtedly existed.
However, this was an area reserved for so-called ‘geniuses.’
It was a style of play that relied on the individual capabilities of geniuses.
When players began to move flexibly outside their designated positions and roles, the number of possibilities increased exponentially. In other words, disorder that could not be covered by conventional tactics ensued.
The director’s control collapsed, and players had to play the game not as a team but as individuals, forgetting tactical movements.
Only a tiny fraction of players with genius talent could control this, and that was precisely why they could unfold extraordinary plays even within the framework of role-oriented philosophy.
“And the player we are witnessing right now, Ji Tae Joo, is undoubtedly one of those players.”
Jeong Seon-woo exclaimed passionately.
“Modern football desires players who can perform various roles, moving beyond positions. However, players who can do that perfectly are rare. Ji Tae Joo can. He possesses everything modern football demands, and it’s because of the ‘specialness’ that only a very few players have. This is proven by indicators, stats, and plays.”
He was sincere.
He sincerely regarded Ji Tae Joo as a genius. Of course, with a slightly different flair than Cho Jae-shin.
That’s why Jeong Seon-woo could conquer Europe faster and more passionately than anyone else.
“All right. We are well aware of how talented he is. That’s why we’ve made a place for him. That’s why Manchester United is offering Ji Tae Joo a 3-option center-back.”
“…3 options?”
“As you know, we’ve qualified for the Champions League. What about the league and cup competitions? Although it’s called 3 options, Ji Tae Joo can play plenty of games. We can provide enough opportunities for young players. It’s about giving them the chance to accumulate sufficient experience without burdening them too much.”
“…I see. Shall we discuss the terms and options then?”
Because he genuinely considered both players geniuses.
“Manchester City believes that Ji Tae Joo is a player who fits what we pursue. Cho Jae-shin has also shown enough potential.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Rafael, in charge of transfers and acquisitions at Chelsea. We have a lot of interest in the acquisition of these two players—”
“Tottenham is familiar with Korean players. Don’t we have Son Heung-min? The two young Korean players can also become great players like Son at our Tottenham. Buyout? No way! Absolutely not!”
And such movements immediately caught people’s attention.
『Ji Tae Joo’s agent spotted in Manchester』
『Ji Tae Joo heading to Manchester? Club officials enter negotiations』
『Embracing Cho Jae-shin at Manchester City?』
『Ji Tae Joo, Cho Jae-shin’s agent, staying in London!』
『Chelsea actively moving! Three-way battle for Ji Tae Joo』
『Tottenham showing interest in Cho Jae-shin』
Starting with links to prominent EPL clubs,
『Jeong Seon-woo boarding a flight to Spain! Where is he headed?』
『Agent of Ji Tae Joo spotted in Madrid! Will the narrow options to EPL widen?』
“Ross Blancos’ Interest! Real Madrid Initiates Acquisition of Ju Ji-tae!”
“Eagerly Pursuing the Acquisition of AT Madrid’s Cho Jae-shin for Offensive Restructuring”
In the Spanish La Liga,
“Jeong Seon-woo Headed for Torino!”
“Juventus Eyeing Asian Player Acquisition!”
And even in the Italian Serie A.
This transfer window ignited with fervor, marking the beginning of the ‘Ju Ji-tae, Cho Jae-shin Transfer Saga.’
* * *
Ju Ji-tae and Cho Jae-shin are notably attracting attention in this transfer window.
At a young age, showcasing skill and talent, entering the Asian market… it was like winning a lottery halfway. However, they couldn’t be considered the biggest players in the transfer market.
There was a player who swept people’s attention with a much higher market value than these two.
“A hundred million euros?”
“Yes. The official bid amount is reported to be a hundred million euros.”
It was none other than David Martinez, the young midfielder of AT Madrid, currently under intense pursuit from Barcelona.
“Just a hundred million for him? Barcelona has gone all out.”
“Well, he’s 22 years old, and he has shown what he can do in La Liga and the Champions League.”
A Top Management employee hands a scrap of paper with a news article to Ju Ji-tae, who is biting his tongue.
On the Spanish article, there is even a kindly translated version in Korean.
“For the acquisition of the young midfielder, Barcelona prepared a mouthwatering deal, officially confirming a bid of a hundred million euros! However, AT Madrid once again rejects!”
Barcelona offered a hundred million euros, but AT Madrid rejected, according to the article.
Ju Ji-tae stares at David Martinez’s puzzled face in the photo.
During the first round, forming a rivalry when playing in La Liga doesn’t matter. That’s because it’s a future that will never come. But now, the player’s market value was crucial.
After all, he was the fourth-most valuable player among those under 23, according to CISE. He was just above Ju Ji-tae, who ranked fifth.
“It feels a bit strange to be losing to someone like him.”
If it’s trivial, it’s trivial, but unexpectedly, such trivial factors can become significant variables in human emotions. Ju Ji-tae, making an effort to push aside subtle discomfort, asks the employee to show him the negotiation details so far.
“The transfer fee is fixed as a buyout… and the salary is roughly 4 to 5.5 million euros. Chelsea is the highest, and Manchester United is the lowest… Manchester United? Well, well.”
Now, objectively, it wasn’t a small amount of money for a player in his first year as a professional.
It was a fee equivalent to 5.5 to 8 billion won for Hana, after all.
And truth be told, Ju Ji-tae had no complaints about his salary.
Since each club must have a weekly pay system, he could lower the annual salary a bit and make up for it with a solid bonus option.
However,
“The defensive leader rejected everyone except Chelsea, and even in terms of involvement in build-up, it’s only partially acknowledged under the coach’s tactics…”
It becomes a bit uncomfortable compared to now.
“Don’t like it?”
Jo Jaeshin asked subtly from the side.
“Why? Because we’re both guys?”
“…How did you know?”
“How did I know? It’s obvious.”
“Listen. Isn’t it more practical to go for what’s truly beneficial and realistic rather than sticking to feelings or loyalty? They seem to be strangely pushing us while pretending to acknowledge us. It’s only the first year. Proof is lacking.”
He showcased remarkable performance in the Bundesliga, but it’s just the first year.
The debut season could be a fluke, and durability hasn’t been proven given the relatively relaxed schedule of the league. Moreover, his performance in European competitions is yet to be demonstrated.
Of course, despite that, acknowledging his tremendous potential, they must have offered a salary ranging from 4 to 5.5 million euros to a debutant in his first year.
From Noble mtl dot com
It may be 4 or 5 million, but this is a high salary that puts him in the upper echelons even among the top four European leagues.
“If proof is lacking, then we need to provide it. But if we’re going to do it, it’s better to do it in a comfortable and familiar place. We made it to the Champions League this time, and there’s the World Cup next year.”
“Okay.”
“So—uh? What? Wait, who are you calling?”
“If you’re going to do it, you might as well make the most of it while staying. President, it’s me.”
『(official) Joo Ji-tae, agreement reached on re-signing with Jo Jaeshin’s team!』
And a year passed.
