Chapter 13
—
When I saw the newspaper on the desk, I thought I’d been called in to be scolded.
Contrary to my expectations, the coach greeted me with a relaxed demeanour and handed me a drink.
‘I have no idea what he’s thinking. Should I just drink it?’
The beige-coloured drink in the cup was none other than misugaru.
Still, isn’t it normal to serve coffee or water in situations like this?
Why would someone so sensitive about the players’ physical condition hand out misugaru…
Sluurp.
“How is it? Does it taste okay?”
“Mm. It’s good.”
The taste wasn’t bad.
Not something to rave about, but the grains left a Savory flavour as they occasionally crunched between my teeth.
It wasn’t as sweet as I’d hoped, though. Judging by the bland taste…
Since he’s a professional team coach, it seems he opted for something expensive from the store with artificial sweeteners like aspartame instead of sugar or honey.
‘He probably bought something pricey from the supermarket. Still, misugaru is best with honey. Even if it contains artificial sweeteners, he could’ve added more.’
What could I say? Even as brash as I am, I couldn’t ask, “Do you seriously prefer water over milk for mixing misugaru?” in front of the coach.
Even if I lack expertise in coffee or alcohol, I have a grad student’s level of knowledge about misugaru. Maybe I should recommend a better brand later.
At the very least, I should tell him never to buy this brand again.
“You know, my mother went to the mill herself this morning, ground the grains, and sent this over.”
“Oh, no wonder. I could taste your mother’s touch. The grains really added a nice texture.”
Damn, that was close.
I let out a sigh of relief, seeing the coach smiling warmly.
If I’d said something about avoiding this brand next time, I might’ve witnessed his wrath for the first time.
Did my relief show on my face? The coach, sipping on his misugaru, got straight to the point.
“By any chance, Ian, do you check online community reactions after matches?”
“Communities? Not really.”
“Not even after your post-match interview for the Ulsan game? You’re unaware of the reactions?”
“Yes. Is there something bad being said?”
The coach, Seon Ki-baek, smirked as he continued.
“Well, of course. Ulsan fans losing it over ‘Junsan’ or ‘Chitsan’ isn’t new. There are also comments about you being too young, but… not all the reactions are bad.”
Slide!
When the coach moved the newspaper aside, a tablet lying underneath came into view.
When he turned it on, I could see the content on the screen.
[South Korean football legend Ki Sung-yong laughs at rookie Baek Ian’s comments: “At a young age, it’s natural to have a fierce competitive spirit. He’s a talented player, so we shouldn’t just criticize him harshly.”]
[London generation’s Koo Ja-cheol stresses the need to embrace Baek Ian’s bold interview: “For the K-League to thrive, we need players with star power. While the interview was bold, it wasn’t entirely bad.”]
“I didn’t know, but it seems senior national team players think highly of you. Covering for you like this… Do you have any connections with Ki Sung-yong or Koo Ja-cheol?”
When I shook my head, the coach smiled faintly and continued.
“Other teams aren’t reacting too seriously, and the league federation doesn’t see the need for disciplinary action. At most, they might issue a small fine. Of course, Ulsan must be in an uproar.”
“Well, it’s understandable for them to be upset about what I said.”
Although the nickname was rooted in fact, it was still a mocking comment.
Even if I could go back in time, I’d probably give the same interview. Still, I could understand their anger.
The real question was how the coach felt about it.
“Aren’t you angry, Coach?”
“Me? Why would I be? You didn’t say anything wrong.”
It seemed I didn’t need to worry about that.
Come to think of it, no one in this team cared about Jeonbuk as much as our coach did.
Naturally, his feelings toward Ulsan or Suwon were probably worse than mine.
‘If a reporter asked him what he thought of my comments, he’d probably just nod and say, “Facts.”’
As if confirming my thoughts, Coach Seon Ki-baek leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply while gazing at the ceiling.
“You seem to think I called you in to scold you, but don’t worry. ‘Junsan’ or ‘Chitsan’—it’s all true, so who cares? Honestly, even if Ulsan fans called us ‘Maebuk scum with trashy personalities,’ I wouldn’t care. Why? Because it’s true.”
Embarrassing past? What’s done is done—what can you do about it?
If that’s the coach’s mindset, it was clear he wasn’t going to scold me.
“The only reason I called you in was because the club asked me to at least pretend to discipline you. Plus, there’s something I wanted to say.”
“Something you wanted to say?”
“Yeah. First, I wanted to apologize for making you debut in such a big game when you weren’t fully prepared. Second, I wanted to share some good news with you—a little reward for a player who’s been working hard to integrate with the team after being thrown into the starting lineup.”
“Good news?”
I wasn’t sure what he meant about not being prepared or struggling to integrate.
For now, I decided to keep quiet and listen.
But what kind of good news could it be? As far as I remembered, there weren’t any big events around this time.
Noticing my curiosity, the coach leaned forward and swiped across the tablet’s screen.
A new article popped up at the same time.
[Head coach of South Korea’s national football team, Martin Valdé, set to personally attend the Jeonbuk vs. Gwangju K-League match for final assessments, four days before announcing the national team roster.]
“The national team coach is coming. While performing well in a match doesn’t guarantee selection, who knows what good might come from leaving a strong impression in front of him?”
The national team coach was coming.
Hearing this, Seon Ki-baek smirked.
‘What? As far as I know, the match Martin Valdé was supposed to attend wasn’t ours.’
I furrowed my brows in confusion.
***
Whether South Korea’s football team performs well or not, there’s always someone fans are furious with: the Korea Football Association.
At first glance, one might wonder what they’ve done to earn blame regardless of performance.
But just a brief review of their track record is enough to understand why this is the case.
‘They tried to quietly reinstate players banned for match-fixing right before an A-match and got caught, earning widespread criticism. The ones meant to protect players instead used them as shields to safeguard their own positions before slipping away unscathed.’
At South Korea’s top university, they say, “If you want to see the future of our nation, look up at Gwanak.”
But if someone wants to witness the embodiment of incompetence, they only need to look at the Korea Football Association and exclaim, “Wow, what a collection of idiots.”
They’re a textbook example of a dysfunctional organization.
That’s exactly what the Korea Football Association represents.
‘The truly astounding thing is that this only covers the organization’s collective actions. If you were to list the individual scandals, you’d be talking all night and still not be done.’
Take the example of Chung Moong-kyu, often referred to as South Korea’s “Jack of All Trades” in football, “Prince of Exaggerations,” and someone known for dragging the “Mirae” club down to irrelevance.
While he was productive during his time at the Korean Football League, as soon as he became the head of the Football Association, it was like he was struck by some beam of stupidity.
When Pohang won the Korea Cup and were about to celebrate with the trophy, the Football Association’s president pushed his way to the centre, acting as if he were the star of a Slam Dunk scene.
As the owner of Busan I’Park, he was caught by spectators wearing Suwon Oseong team padding at a game he attended in disguise.
It doesn’t stop there. He hired a failed coach, Klinsmann, based on an offhand remark, then went on to crush South Korea’s legend, Son Heung-min, under his authority with a demeaning interview.
Looking back, it’s hard to imagine anyone more insane.
‘But even in the cold winter of Korean football, spring finally came.’
The seemingly unstoppable four-term reign of the “Prince of Exaggerations” was brought to an end during a National Assembly audit, where all his lies and scandals were laid bare.
With Chung Moong-kyu’s reign over, the Football Association began clearing out the remnants and working toward normalization, finally showing some semblance of competent administration.
Their crowning achievement was the hiring of Martin Valdé, a Spanish manager.
‘A renowned manager who started with a runner-up finish at Super Lig Galatasaray and then won the championship at SL Benfica.’
Unfortunately, while his résumé earned him recognition, his stint at Newcastle, who were searching for a replacement after Eddie Howe’s dismissal, didn’t go well. He couldn’t fulfill his contract and resigned early.
Still, there’s no denying his ability to perform at the highest levels of football.
Moreover, for an Asian team like South Korea, practically a backwater in world football, securing someone of his calibre was a monumental achievement.
‘And now, Martin Valdé is coming to watch the Jeonbuk vs. Gwangju match…’
The conversation I had with the coach echoed in my mind.
The reason he showed me the article was likely to encourage me to seize the opportunity. A good performance might catch Valdé’s eye and lead to a national team call-up.
But I didn’t think so.
‘Isn’t it too soon to aim for the national team?’
As a player, it’s natural to aspire to join the national team if you perform well.
But at this point, I didn’t think I was in a position to expect that.
I’m only 18 years old. I had just debuted professionally and played in two matches.
Objectively speaking, setting aside personal bias, it’s an absurd notion, isn’t it?
What kind of coach would gamble on someone like me for such a significant role on the national team? It’d make more sense to pick a veteran.
‘Sure, defensive midfielders like me are rare, and there aren’t many who can properly handle holding or anchor roles, but still.’
That doesn’t mean alternatives don’t exist. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find plenty of players who could replace me.
‘At this stage, it’s impossible. Unless Martin Valdé lies on the ground, tantrumming, saying he won’t coach unless I’m picked, it’s not going to happen.’
While I’ve been regarded as a promising talent since my youth team days and delivered solid performances in age-group competitions, and even though my debut in the senior league was impressive, it’s simply too soon.
So, I decided not to expect anything.
‘He’s probably coming to watch Yoon Seung-hwan. That guy’s the protagonist, after all. People would rave even if he just performed slightly well.’
Convinced that I wouldn’t be selected, I slapped my cheeks to refocus.
I still have time. I’m 18 years old—not even an adult yet. As long as I keep playing hard and improving, my chance will come someday.
Thinking this, I looked out the bus window.
“Shall we tear it up again today?”
“Huh? Tear who? Are you talking about Seung-hwan’s head? Nah, his calves look sturdier today. Why don’t you aim for those?”
As I gazed at the sight of Jeonju Castle outside the window, Han Gang-rok’s voice from beside me made me curl my lips into a smirk.
***
The K-League Round 2 match between Jeonbuk Mirae Motors and Gwangju CF was held at Jeonbuk’s home ground, Jeonju Castle.
Jeonju and Gwangju.
On the surface, they seem like two cities representing Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do, so fans unfamiliar with the K-League might assume there’s a tense rivalry between the teams.
But in reality, their relationship wasn’t particularly antagonistic.
‘The real bad blood is with Jeonnam Wyverns. We don’t have much of a history with Gwangju…’
If one were to fabricate a rivalry, it might be something along the lines of “the wealthiest K-League 1 club vs. the poorest club.”
In truth, the only “derby-worthy” aspect was the proximity of their locations, and even that wasn’t enough.
Still, for Jeonbuk, who needed to maintain their upward momentum, winning was non-negotiable.
“Ian, warm up and stay ready for when you’re called in.”
“Yes.”
For this match, I wasn’t in the starting lineup but listed as a substitute.
It wasn’t because I was falling behind in the competition for a starting spot. It seemed like the coach wanted to see if the remaining resources could fill in my role without requiring major tactical adjustments.
The team approached the game with Seung-yong hyung taking on the holding role and Chun-jae hyung operating as the box-to-box midfielder, maintaining our established tactics.
As in the previous match, we began pressing Gwangju aggressively.
“Not bad.”
Though a bit shaky, the veteran combination of Chun-jae hyung and Seung-yong hyung managed a solid 3-2 buildup, setting up our rear-line play.
Recognizing the need for more offensive involvement, Chun-jae hyung started showing glimpses of his prime form from his “Spring Emperor” days, disrupting Gwangju’s midfield.
Perhaps because of this? Yoon Seung-hwan managed to bypass Gwangju’s center-backs and create meaningful chances early in the first half.
But problems began to emerge around the 38th minute.
“Aaaah!”
[Ah! Jeonbuk’s Andres collides with Gwangju’s Cha Seo-woon! He seems unable to get up!]
[Yes, the referee is showing a card to Cha Seo-woon. While it’s understandable that he wanted to stop the counterattack, that tackle was far too rough.]
[It’s unfortunate for Andres, who had been performing well… Oh! He signals that he can’t continue. It looks like a substitution will be necessary.]
As Gwangju launched a counterattack, Seung-yong hyung delivered a long pass to the center, where Andres received it.
The moment the ball touched Andres’ foot, a Gwangju player lunged in with a harsh tackle.
Andres grabbed his ankle, writhing on the ground, letting out a shrill cry.
Seeing the team doctor shaking his head after checking Andres’ condition, the coach turned to me.
“Ian, warm up quickly. Hyun-wook, move Chun-jae to replace Andres’ position, and Ian will operate as the box-to-box midfielder to keep up this momentum.”
“Understood.”
Nodding, I removed my jacket and began my preparations.
—
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