-Madrid, Madrid, Madrid! ¡Hala Madrid! Y nada más!
Plácido Domingo, from Madrid, Spain, known as one of the world's three greatest tenors.
The newly recorded "Hala Madrid Special ver," made to commemorate Ho-young's return to Real Madrid, echoed through the Olympiastadion.
The recording contained not only Plácido Domingo's voice, but also the voices of Ho-young and the Real Madrid players.
Waiting in the tunnel, Ho-young felt his competitive spirit rising right to the tip of his chin.
Monica's unexpected pregnancy.
It became motivation to win, but it did not affect his mentality in the slightest.
Wasn't Ho-young already beyond the level of an ordinary human when it came to mental strength?
At this moment, he could hear nothing except the lyrics of the song.
'Hala Madrid. Y nada más.'
Go forward, Madrid, and nothing else.
Just like the lyrics said, Ho-young's mind was focused on nothing but the match.
He was constantly thinking about how best to deal with the Manchester City players standing right beside him.
And then.
-Blue moon, Now I'm no longer alone~
A song he had often heard until just a year ago.
Manchester City's official anthem, "Blue Moon," was played right after.
It would have been natural for Ho-young to feel strange, but he did not feel that way at all.
Instead, like an emotionless robot, he maintained complete calm.
By the time both teams' anthems had ended, the UEFA Champions League theme song, "Ligue Des Champions," thundered through the stadium along with a dazzling parade.
That was when both teams entered.
[Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome, your teams, for the UEFA Champions League final!]
"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"
A roar that did not seem like it would ever die down.
The theme song growing ever more majestic.
Then, after all the sound finally settled, the players' faces appeared one by one on the giant screen.
Led by captain Casillas, when Ho-young appeared in his pure white kit, a chant titled "Retorno del El salvador" filled the stadium.
It meant "Return of the Savior."
A grand spectacle.
Watching it right before his eyes, Ho-young felt his body and mind growing hot.
It was not excitement or nervous anticipation.
It was simply the competitive spirit burning for nothing but victory.
[There is not a single gap in him again today. He looks like a cold machine.]
It was the same even when he shook hands with the opposing players.
Joe Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Thiago Silva, Clichy, David Silva, Fellaini, Iniesta, Hazard, and even Gareth Bale.
Even while shaking hands with his former teammates, Ho-young did not waver in the slightest.
That sight drove fear into the Manchester City players.
Even the players who had been overflowing with confidence before kickoff felt a chill run down their spines.
By the time the match began, there was even an eerie atmosphere in the air.
Overwhelming.
The flow of the match had already tilted just from the existence of Ho-young alone.
It was proof of the terrifying achievements he had built up until now.
The one in the best state of mind was Antoine Griezmann, who had joined City this season.
He had faced Ho-young long ago before Ho-young moved to City, but this was the first time facing him after he had fully blossomed.
[They faced each other a few times back when he was at Real Sociedad.]
[That's right. But back then, Griezmann had not yet fully developed.]
He had originally had no intention of leaving Real Sociedad, but after Guardiola's active pursuit, he transferred to Manchester City.
One of the reasons he chose City was because he was expected to fill the hole left by Ho-young.
Of course, the pressure was indescribably heavy, but for someone his age, his mentality was very solid.
Wasn't it an opportunity no footballer could ever easily get?
A player with ambition, he eventually joined Manchester City.
And in the end, he succeeded.
Under Guardiola, he exploded in the EPL.
[Griezmann scored 27 goals in his first EPL season and became the league's top scorer. As the core of the system, his performance today will be crucial.]
A forward rated one level above even Falcao and Cavani, often called the strongest in the human world.
A man who might even have greater potential than Neymar.
He was even being highlighted as the rising star who could break the Messi-Ronaldo era, Antoine Griezmann.
[As expected, Manchester City have come out in a 4-3-3. It looks like, as usual, they will use Antoine Griezmann as the second striker today.]
Originally a winger, Griezmann was a player better suited to the role of a second striker operating a little deeper rather than as a classic centre-forward.
Even so, he was not quite suited to the false nine role Guardiola preferred.
Still, there was a reason Guardiola had wanted him so badly.
[The key point of today's match will be how much efficiency Griezmann can produce with one of his biggest strengths, defensive contribution.]
Despite being the tactical focal point in attack, he was extremely active in defensive work.
You could see it just by the fact that his number of successful interceptions and tackles per match was better than many central midfielders.
In other words, he was exactly the kind of forward Guardiola needed most after being forced to let Ho-young go.
[And with the help of the tireless Iniesta and David Silva, Griezmann can focus only on attack when City are going forward. To put it simply, he is a fish in water.]
[That's right. Manchester City are still the strongest team in the EPL.]
Their football was fantastic as well.
With their solid defense, they escaped Real Madrid's pressing, and because of that, stable build-up from the back was achieved in midfield.
And by the time the ball reached the second line, the attack unfolded quickly.
The so-called HGB line.
Hazard, Griezmann, and Bale, the front three, tore through the forward line with their pace.
[A direct pass played forward in one go!]
[The HGB line are running riot up front!]
It was a scene that showed just how complete Manchester City were.
By contrast, Real Madrid kept showing weaknesses.
In particular, centre-backs Pepe and Albiol could not cope with their speed.
That made sense, because they had not faced a team this strong all season.
But to one man alone, Ho-young, it felt familiar.
'This pattern. It's the same.'
Even if Guardiola had adjusted the system a lot, its foundation was still the same.
If he used that against them, he could break them down easily.
And the first step in that was this.
[14th minute of the first half, Real Madrid are changing shape. It looks like Ho-young is dropping into attacking midfield.]
[Eh? No! He's dropping all the way into the third line!]
The 4-3-3 transformed into a 4-3-3-0.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Douglas on the wings dropped deeper, and Isco, who had been central, pushed up into attacking midfield.
Ho-young, who had been playing up front, dropped into the third line and lined up with Khedira and Xabi Alonso.
It meant they were fully committed to defending.
From that moment, City's dangerous attack lost its sharpness.
"Damn it. Blocked again."
"Open your vision! They keep reading the pass!"
Ho-young was adjusting his teammates' positions one by one and responding perfectly to every attacking route City tried.
The City players could not understand what was happening.
It felt as if something invisible was at work, cutting off the flow of their attack.
And just like that, City's broken rhythm shifted over to Madrid.
It was the moment Ho-young got on the ball.
[Real Madrid change their shape again!]
Like a peacock spreading the wings it had tucked away and taking flight, the Madrid players moved out to both flanks and drew the opposition's attention apart.
[Ah, City's players are rattled! They need to get their shape back quickly!]
He did not give them the time.
Ho-young was not going to just stand still when he saw the central lane wide open.
A spectacular sight, almost like Moses parting the sea.
Ho-young exchanged one or two precise long passes and then surged toward goal like a madman.
Vincent Kompany and Thiago Silva tried desperately to stop him, but they could only be beaten by the burst and drive that followed.
The net shook in an instant.
Rustle!
[Goooooal! Ho-young smashes home the opener!]
The opening goal.
But Ho-young did not celebrate out of consideration for Manchester City, his former team.
Still, City's players were already losing all strength.
They could feel it.
That they could not win this match.
That one goal alone was enough for them to know.
And sure enough, just as they feared, once the match tilted, it did not turn back until the end.
And in the end.
"Woooooooah!"
Real Madrid won 4-2, lifted the Big Ears, and returned to the throne once again.
But that was not the only remarkable thing.
In the interview right after the match, something Ho-young said drew the journalists' attention.
"I think something good will happen soon."
A cryptic remark.
Its meaning was revealed exactly one week later.
[Ho-young announces surprise marriage, "I will spend my life with the person I love and the child I love."]
Their wedding was arranged just as swiftly as Lucci's had been.
June 28, 2015.
It was the day Ho-young, dressed in a pure white tuxedo, and Monica, dressed in a snow-white gown, tied the knot.
July 15, 2018.
Now, three years after the wedding, the two couples were seated at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia.
Ho-young sat on the pitch, Monica in the stands.
[Will Spain achieve the great feat of winning back-to-back World Cups after Brazil, or will a new champion be crowned? The World Cup final between France and Spain will begin shortly.]
Spain had won Euro 2016 and completed three straight European titles.
The dominant opinion was that no one could stop them now.
It was all because of Ho-young.
[And right on cue, the cameras find that player. Woo Ho-young!]
In that instant, the stands shook as if they might collapse.
Having led the team from the group stage all the way to the final, Ho-young was already a national hero.
"Our son!"
"That's our big brother!"
"Hahaha."
Woo Hwang-sun, Kim Hee-sun, Woo Ho-il.
And even Giuliano Lucci and Ariana.
The five of them sat side by side in the VIP section, staring intently at Ho-young.
And beside them sat a beautiful woman and a cute child.
"Dad's over there!"
"Hehehe!"
It was Monica, who had become a housewife after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was now devoted to childcare and supporting her husband.
"Darling, fighting!"
"Son, you can do it!!"
"Dadda!"
They watched the match with very relaxed expressions.
There was not the slightest worry.
Because they were certain Spain would win.
France had great players like Mbappé, Griezmann, Varane, Kanté, and Pogba, but they were still no match for Spain.
And just as they believed, Spain seized control of the match from the moment it began.
The opening goal naturally belonged to Spain, and the winning goal as well.
3-2.
France fought hard, but the trophy ultimately went to Spain.
[Yes, a nation has now achieved back-to-back World Cup titles for the first time in 56 years!]
Back-to-back World Cups.
It was also an especially meaningful moment for Ho-young.
[You have coveted Ninja Turtle's Attacking Sense (SU).]
At the same moment Spain won the World Cup, he had acquired Kylian Mbappé's talent.
But it did not end there.
[Football (G) has reached its limit.]
[The talent of Coveting expands.]
[With the power of Coveting, you can grow another person's talent before coveting it.]
'So now I have to raise them myself before taking it?'
At last, the new flower bud Mammon had spoken of before had opened.
It definitely seemed like a useful ability.
For example, it would be useful on a player with overflowing potential but talents still too low to covet right away.
And that was not all.
'The ways to use it are endless.'
At that moment, Ho-young's eyes caught the faces of his family.
It seemed a new challenge was about to begin.
And that challenge would not stop until it reached its end.
(To be continued.)
Junkdog's Note;
And with that, we come to the end of AFAM. Thank you for your support throughout the journey. I hope you enjoyed Ho-young's journey as much as I did. And once again, a shout-out to DragonnX for providing the RAWs.
The next book is "Red Rebels: The New Manchester United" from the same author as SWR, it's out rn check it out.
And yes, it's as good as SWR, but it requires a bit of patience because the early part is a bit slow, as we really explore how it feels to make a club, not just any club, but a club representing true Manchester United fans. Trust me, it's good. Anyway, see you there.