The moment the final whistle blew, Manchester City's players came pouring out from the bench all at once.
[The players must be overjoyed. Until just two years ago, no one could have imagined that Manchester City would come to dominate the Premier League.]
[You can see Chairman Al Mubarak and owner Mansour up on their feet applauding. Despite their busy schedules, they made the trip to London.]
[Perhaps they came because they were confident they could win today.]
Back-to-back league titles.
It was the moment that truly announced the beginning of Manchester City's era.
The remaining competitions this season were the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
They had already reached the FA Cup semi-finals and were preparing for a showdown with Everton, and they had also advanced to the Champions League semi-finals.
[Now all that remains is conquering Europe beyond England. They are not far from becoming kings of Europe.]
[That's right. The goal Ho-young mentioned at the start of the season, winning every competition, is really becoming a reality. His league target of 50 goals is also right around the corner.]
Ho-young recorded 2 goals and 1 assist in today's match, bringing his league tally to 47 goals.
Only 3 goals remained before he reached his target of 50.
There were 5 matches left.
If he maintained his current pace, he could reach the target unless some natural disaster struck.
Chosen as the Man of the Match, Ho-young was asked about it in his interview.
"You are very close to your target of 50 goals this season. Lionel Messi also has 47 goals in La Liga right now. Do you think you can reach 50 before he does?"
"I don't pay attention to that."
"Does that mean you are no longer interested in competing with Messi?"
"That is not what I mean. Fifty league goals, of course, it is an incredible record I have dreamed of for a long time. But that is not my real target."
"What?"
The reporter was so shocked he nearly dropped his microphone.
Eighteen years ago, Newcastle's Andy Cole scored 34 league goals.
Seventeen years ago, Blackburn's Alan Shearer also reached 34 league goals.
Ho-young's target for this season had already comfortably surpassed those marks.
But now he was saying that even such a record was not his final goal, and that was enough to leave everyone listening dumbfounded.
Then what kind of target could be even higher than that?
The moment Ho-young opened his mouth, the interview room fell silent.
Because he said something unbelievable.
"My personal goal for next season is to score over 100 goals in all club competitions in a single season."
The previous record had been Gerd Müller's 67 goals.
Ho-young had already broken the world record this season with 74 goals.
If he finished the season strongly, he might even reach 90.
But Ho-young was not satisfied with that alone.
100 goals in all club competitions in a single season.
That would require scoring at least twice in most of the matches he played.
And he believed it would be entirely possible next year.
"Ah, I see. It is truly an absurd number, but if it is Ho-young, it really does seem possible. I sincerely support you."
That should have been the end of it, and they were about to move on to the next question.
But then,
"Ah, wait. You said 100 goals is your goal for next season? Not your final goal?"
"Yes. I think it is still too early to talk about my final goal."
He was only 19.
A striker's true prime was often said to be the mid-twenties.
A final goal was something to discuss around that time.
There were still many talents he had yet to covet.
Not only from active players, but also from retired legends, he wanted to take everything and rise to the highest level.
Even as he sat there giving the interview, Ho-young felt his heart pounding like crazy.
Because the talent he had displayed in today's match was, quite literally, transcendent.
"Then there is one thing I really want to ask. This is probably what countless football fans around the world are most curious about."
Sports reporters watch online reactions toward the end of matches and shape or revise their interview questions accordingly.
Especially in a major match like this, assistants even relay reactions from various community sites in real time.
Today was no different.
"Right now, almost every football fan is asking the same thing. That movement you showed in the second half, what on earth was it?"
The movement he used when he got past Essien and Mikel in an instant.
It was currently the subject of heated debate online.
Because it was at a level that could not help but cause controversy.
Then, after some time passed and slow-motion footage surfaced, the debate grew even more intense.
"According to some Chinese netizens, 'Ho-young learned kung fu at Shaolin Temple.'"
"I've never even been to Shaolin Temple."
"Haha. Then what happened? There are also a lot of people saying your jumping ability has improved dramatically."
"If it looked that way, then you saw it right. Ever since I became an adult, I have been focusing on improving my physical abilities. I am glad that showed well in this match."
"Ah... it just keeps getting more astonishing. In truth, for most players, the limit is clear no matter how hard they work. So in that sense, the only thing one can say is that Ho-young is unbelievably talented."
"Thank you. I still have to work even harder."
Even after time passed, the online interest in that day's match showed no sign of fading.
More than Manchester City's title win, the focus was on Ho-young's performance.
[If he ever gets bored of football, he could probably learn basketball and make it to the NBA.]
└Isn't he seriously playing while high or something?
└Then he would have failed a doping test. Ho-young has never even had a doping rumor. They say he doesn't even take cold medicine because he worries it could cause controversy.
└This is the power of kimchi. The longer it ferments, the richer the flavor gets.
└Lol, after retirement he could switch sports once a year and dominate the whole sporting world.
└It really feels like he was born with every gene needed for athletics.
└I'm scared he might actually score 100 goals next season. Then I'll have to order fried chicken every match. Do you know how much money that is?
└By the way, looking at this reminds me of Real Madrid. I went to Madrid recently, and they were making a huge fuss protesting for Chairman Calderón to step down, lol.]
As Manchester City rose, Real Madrid became the point of comparison.
And for good reason, because they looked set to hand Barcelona a second straight league title.
It was not that Real Madrid had been poor.
With or without Ho-young, Real Madrid was still one of the best clubs in the world, and they had continued to produce good results even after he left.
It was just that Barcelona had performed far beyond expectations and taken all the trophies.
A counterattack.
As if repaying everything they had suffered at Real Madrid's hands over the past few years, they were putting together insane results.
Because of that, Real Madrid found themselves facing the threat of a trophyless season.
The league title was already as good as gone, and they had been knocked out of the Copa del Rey long ago.
All they had left was the UEFA Champions League.
Of course, if they won that competition alone, they could still turn public opinion around completely.
Because whether it was the league or the domestic cups, the Champions League was by far the most important.
In other words, the Big Ears trophy was Real Madrid's last hope.
That was why Real Madrid had thrown everything aside and devoted themselves entirely to preparing for the Champions League.
But then, the worst possible scenario hit them.
It was the semi-final draw announced this afternoon.
[2011-2012 Champions League Semi-final Draw]
[Barcelona vs Bayern Munich]
[Real Madrid vs Manchester City]
[Real Madrid to face Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals on April 23]
Their opponent was none other than Manchester City.
Before even reaching the final, they had drawn the outright favorite to win it all.
It was effectively a final before the final.
Of course, if they wanted to lift the Big Ears trophy, they would have had to beat them sooner or later.
But what kind of cruel twist of fate was this?
The one saving grace was that the first leg would be played at the Santiago Bernabéu.
And besides, there was no such thing as a perfect tactic in this world.
No matter how strong a team was, it was bound to have weaknesses.
Even if those weaknesses disappeared quickly once exposed, there was still a chance to win if they were targeted properly.
If they analyzed the matches in which Manchester City had been held to draws this season, they might find a way through.
That was what Real Madrid manager Manuel Pellegrini was thinking.
The decisive day was April 23.
He intended to go all in from now until then.
April 14, London.
Wembley Stadium was filled with incredible heat.
The FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Everton had just begun.
[Manchester City are off to a good start. Their movement in midfield has been excellent, especially Fellaini, who is putting in a tremendous performance.]
[Yes, well, for Fellaini, facing his former club must make this an even more special match.]
If anything, wanting to show the fans something even better meant he would work harder, not go easy on them just because they were his former team.
Besides, this was the FA Cup semi-final.
Win here, and it was straight to the final.
Every player stayed fully focused on the match, without letting their nerves slip.
Then in the 32nd minute of the first half,
"Young!"
Thwack!
Thud!
Manchester City struck first in the 32nd minute, built on their stable midfield.
It was a move created by Iniesta's killer pass and Ho-young's exquisite line-breaking run.
And on the back of that opener, they added the second and third goals in succession to claim an easy victory.
But there was no room for complacency.
The real test began now.
From here on out, they would face nothing but truly dangerous opponents, so they had to concentrate even more.
The next afternoon.
Manager's office, Etihad Campus.
Pep Guardiola sat down alone with Ho-young to prepare for the Champions League semi-final.
"We have to be careful of the fact that Real Madrid have only lost once at home this season. On the other hand, we also have to keep in mind that we lack Champions League experience."
Guardiola was telling the truth.
This season, Real Madrid had lost only to Barcelona at home.
That was how strong they had been at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Emphasizing that point, Guardiola continued.
"There is a high chance they will play with Benzema and Ronaldo up front and focus on runs in behind. The key will be their defensive approach, and we will have to adjust our tactics depending on that."
"In what way?"
"If their defenders press high, you drop into the second line and supply the ball yourself. If not, push up to the front and play as a target man."
"So we hit back directly."
"Exactly. Either way, they will try to avoid a full-on battle with us."
That was absolutely true.
There was no reckless manager in the world who would try to take Ho-young head-on.
"Then I will use my individual skill to drag their line deep. While that happens, if Bale and Hazard make asymmetric runs, I think we can create a good pattern."
"Switching positions could work too."
"I agree."
The two worked well together.
They could immediately sense what the other was thinking, so there was no need for long explanations.
"But we also have to take into account that Ramos might play at centre-back. With his pace and reactions, he may try to disrupt your ball retention. I don't mean that he can stop you, only that he may be able to interfere with our complete game plan, even if only a little."
"I know. That just means we have to prepare even more thoroughly."
Ho-young was overflowing with confidence.
Because as each day passed, the transcendence continued, and his physical ability was improving beyond recognition.
"Then I'll be going now."
"Heading home?"
"To the training ground."
"Why not get some proper rest today?"
"No. I have plans with Ronaldinho. We agreed to study individual skills together."
"...I see."
"Yes. Then I'll be off."
After Ho-young left, Guardiola found himself opening his tactical notebook without even realizing it.
"Heh. They say learning never ends, but..."
He had been planning to rest for a couple of hours, but after hearing what Ho-young said, all desire for that vanished.
"Good."
His body might be tired, but his heart felt full.
He wondered if this might be his true prime as a manager.
Part of him worried about how long he could hold on to this happiness, but now was not the time for that.
'Only the title matters.'
That alone was enough to make his head spin, so there was no room for idle thoughts.
And so, both teams' players and coaching staffs prepared thoroughly for the match, pouring effort into it day by day.
But there was one more person preparing for the match as well.
Early morning.
President's office at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain.
"I cannot let this become Ho-young's stage."
Chairman Calderón stood by the window, wearing a grim expression.
(To be continued.)