After the match ended, Donbass Arena was engulfed in intense heat.
Spain, needless to say, were in the best possible mood, but Italy were the complete opposite.
Some Italian supporters, unable to contain their anger after the crushing defeat, even caused a disturbance.
And understandably so, because the score had been a full 4-1.
Mario Balotelli scored a consolation goal near the end of the second half, but that alone was not enough to calm the fury of the fans.
If even the fans were like this, how much worse must it have been for the players?
Players like Chiellini and Pirlo, who had faced Ho-young before, accepted the defeat quickly, but those who had never experienced it even once wore completely different expressions.
Beyond the result itself, they were stunned by Ho-young's shocking display.
Even Gattuso, who lived and died by his competitive spirit, looked as if he had already given up long ago.
And De Rossi in particular was staring blankly at Ho-young with an empty expression.
'He's not human.'
There was a huge difference between watching it and experiencing it firsthand.
It felt like standing in front of a wall.
A wall so vast that its size could not even be measured.
"Seriously..."
Only now did Gattuso's earlier words truly sink in.
He could clearly understand why Gattuso had said them.
Just then, Gennaro Gattuso came over beside him.
Then he put a hand on De Rossi's shoulder and said,
"Don't let it get to you. That bastard is way beyond the limits of our imagination. So there's no need to take it too hard. I already gave up a long time ago. No matter what you do, you can't stop him."
"Yeah... You're right."
The Italian players, all proud and strong-willed as they were, had no choice but to admit it.
And once the atmosphere of accepting defeat spread across the stadium, a strange scene unfolded all at once.
One by one, the players started offering handshakes to Ho-young.
Buffon in particular, wearing the captain's armband, shook Ho-young's hand while looking at him with eyes full of respect.
"It was a good battle."
Two of the four goals Italy had conceded today had come from Ho-young's feet.
They were goals no goalkeeper could ever have stopped.
That was why Ho-young was worthy of respect.
At the same time, he was frightening.
A sense of awe.
That was why Buffon never wanted to face Ho-young again.
Everyone here was thinking the same thing.
[And with this, the final will be Spain against Germany. This is probably the final most football fans around the world were hoping to see.]
[That's right. In the end, just as the experts predicted, the two teams with the shortest odds have reached the final. It reminds you of the 2010 South Africa World Cup, doesn't it?]
Back then, everyone thought Spain, with their tiki-taka, would win, but the result had been the exact opposite.
Germany had controlled the pitch with their physical advantages and superior strength, and Spain had gone down in defeat.
Another reason for the loss was that many Spanish players had been injured in the semi-final against South Korea.
That might be why this final was even more meaningful.
[Will Spain, who missed out on the World Cup trophy in South Africa two years ago, succeed in getting their revenge? And can Ho-young, who once pushed Spain into crisis, now become their hero? We'll find out the answer in just four days.]
A revenge match.
The clash of the century was set to take place four days later at Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine.
A question about it came up in the interview room.
"If it's Germany, I imagine the meaning must be a little different for you. Even if it was a small tournament, long ago you could have won your first unofficial world youth tournament, if not for Germany."
"That's right. It was a very long time ago. But it is also a memory I still haven't erased."
That was Ho-young's reply after scoring twice in today's match and being selected as MOM.
Germany truly was a country with special meaning for Ho-young.
When he was young, the country that handed him his first defeat after Shootdori was a German team, and Germany was also the first place he had gone to on an overseas tour.
"At the time, I was young, and I was humiliated, or something close to it, by opponents who were much older than me. There was a huge difference in physicality from the start. So I think that was when I began eating a lot."
"Hahaha. Then are you planning to get proper revenge this time? Chances like this don't come often."
That was true.
Ho-young had faced Germany in several tournaments, but this was the first time he would meet them on such a big stage.
"I am thinking of nothing but victory."
"That's tremendous confidence. Germany will not come unprepared either."
"That is exactly why we will prepare even more thoroughly."
At Ho-young's immense confidence, the reporter slightly raised one corner of his mouth.
"Hmm. Ho-young, you have won MOM in every match you've played. It would not be strange if your teammates felt envy or jealousy. What do you think about that issue?"
"I am disappointed that you would call that an issue. There is no problem at all within our team. Everyone is doing their best for victory alone. And as always, I believe one action speaks more clearly than a hundred words. We will show everything through our performance."
Ho-young stated it clearly.
"That we will win."
Ahead of the final, countless articles poured out.
[Defending champions Spain vs World Cup champions Germany, who is the true king of Europe?]
[
Xavi, Iniesta, David Silva, and the others.
Spain's key players were not especially tall.
That was only natural, because their quality came not from physical power but from technical ability.
Germany, on the other hand, had a far superior average height compared to Spain, and their basic stamina was excellent as well.
That did not mean they were far behind technically either.
There was no need to say anything more about the German bomber Thomas Müller, and veteran Klose still possessed terrifying scoring ability despite his age.
In addition, Toni Kroos and Mesut Özil, whose specialty was passing, possessed world-class ability as chance creators.
And in goal, Neuer stood firm, a goalkeeper capable of threatening Casillas's status.
Because of that, there were quite a few people speaking about Germany's chances of victory.
[Hello, I'm someone who writes football posts on my personal blog. Let me say this boldly, Germany are eternal title contenders. Looking at the squad alone, they are not behind Spain at all. And above all, what is truly impressive is their organization. Their crossing play, using space both out wide and in the middle, is enough to leave you speechless. But can Spain really stop Germany's aerial bombardment? Ah, of course Spain will win the title anyway. Why? Because they have Ho-young. You all watched the semi-final, didn't you? He's insane!]
ㄴThat last line was the real point
ㄴSo in the end, it all comes down to Ho-young?
ㄴYeah... honestly, no matter how hard Germany try, there's still a limit.
That was the key point.
Germany might have a chance to win, but in the end the title would still belong to Spain.
The Spanish players, who were going through brutal training in preparation for the final, thought the same.
But they were never complacent.
Even if they started to feel that way, they controlled their own minds and steadied themselves.
"Believe that we will definitely win, but do not carry the burden that we have to win. We need to focus only on football. That is mental strength."
That was Ho-young's advice to some of the players.
And at times like this...
"Oh."
"So that is the kind of mindset we should have."
"I heard the same thing from my coach before. He said pressure only ties a player's feet down."
Little by little, without anyone quite realizing it, Ho-young was becoming almost deified.
The atmosphere in training could not help but be extremely serious.
Germany were clearly a strong opponent.
Those who had never experienced their uniquely solid organization could not truly understand it.
Ho-young had also faced Bayern Munich in a charity match not long ago, but players like Toni Kroos and Müller had not played in that game, so he had not gone up against them.
'I'll be facing them again after quite a while.'
Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos.
Ho-young found himself looking forward to seeing just how much they had grown.
On top of that, with Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira, Podolski, Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, and the rest, Germany currently possessed a top-class squad strong enough to be called one of the best in their history.
Facing such a team was something to look forward to.
For that reason, rather than tension, Ho-young felt overwhelming anticipation.
He was curious whether his play would work against them as well, and how far they would be able to stop him.
So he intended to give everything he had.
[Ho-young, can he surpass Michel Platini? The countdown begins to breaking the single-tournament scoring record]
[The referee for the final is 'Pedro' from Portugal]
[Ukrainian authorities deploy around 3,000 security personnel near the stadium in preparation for any emergency]
July 1, 2012, 9 p.m.
Olympic Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine.
With 63,000 spectators filling the stands, the starting lineups of both teams were announced.
[As expected, the starting lineups are going just as predicted. Germany will likely begin with the 4-2-3-1 formation they are most confident in. In defense, Boateng, Hummels, Badstuber, and Lahm are set up, and Khedira and Toni Kroos appear ready to play as the double pivot.]
[Their attack is formidable as well. Müller, Özil, and Podolski are placed in the second line, and Gómez has been used as the lone striker up front. Klose and Schweinsteiger, who are on the bench, are also players Spain need to be careful of.]
[That's right. Germany have shown excellent form in this tournament, scoring 18 goals. Thomas Müller in particular has scored 7 goals in 5 matches. It's possible he could surpass Michel Platini's record along with Ho-young.]
[Yes, there's a lot to look forward to. Personally, I'm also interested in what Ho-young will do after this final. If he wins the Euros, I think he might leave Manchester City and return to Spain. The way he is treated there will be different after this.]
At that moment in the dressing room.
Just before heading into the tunnel, Ramos came over to Ho-young and asked,
"Hey, so when are you coming back to Madrid?"
"Haha. I'll go back. When the time comes."
Ever since Ho-young left Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos had kept in touch with him from time to time and had always supported him.
He genuinely wanted Ho-young to return.
Ho-young had humiliated Real Madrid, but Ramos did not care about something like that in the slightest.
The two of them were like sworn brothers.
Ramos did not care about his career in that moment, he just wanted to play football with Ho-young again.
"Then how about a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"If you don't score a hat-trick today, you come back to Madrid immediately."
"There has to be something in it for me too."
"Fine. Then if we concede 2 goals or more, I'll do whatever you want."
"Call me hyung."
"Hy... uh... ng?"
"There's that."
And with that bet between the two of them, the match soon began.
Europe's champion was about to be decided 90 minutes later.
(To be continued.)