The greatest footballer France has ever produced.
The conductor of art football, the maestro of the pitch.
Zinedine Zidane.
There isn't a single football fan in the world who doesn't know his name.
From the 1990s to the early 2000s, whenever the question was asked who was the best footballer, his name always ranked in the top two.
Every time that debate arose, fans would argue endlessly over who was better between Ronaldo and Zidane. Zidane's fans would always bring up one fact.
"Under Zidane's leadership, France achieved an 80 percent win rate in 100 matches."
Plenty have joked about his thinning hair, but no one has ever questioned his legendary national team career.
He didn't just lead Les Bleus to win the World Cup, but also brought them the European Championship trophy. Zidane is undoubtedly France's all-time number one.
To put it bluntly, France without Zidane was like a tiger with its hands and feet tied.
What made him even more remarkable was that his brilliance wasn't limited to the national team. He also racked up astonishing records at the club level.
Serie A, La Liga, the Champions League. He conquered them all.
His achievements don't even need to be explained.
Without any grand exaggeration, this one sentence says it all.
The greatest midfielder in football history.
A pioneer of art football who could elevate a game to the level of art through his build-up play alone.
And that man had now become Ho-young's tutor.
In truth, tutoring wasn't something that happened just because the club president asked for it.
First and foremost, the mentor had to be willing to dedicate time, and it was extremely rare for someone to offer that much to a youth player they'd never even met before.
Of course, someone like Raúl, who had exceptional loyalty, would readily agree, but Zidane wasn't known for being as devoted to Madrid as Raúl was.
Moreover, the fact that he was giving his time to a 14-year-old Korean kid, not even from Europe, was an extraordinary decision.
Originally, Pérez had only asked Zidane to spare about an hour a week, but Zidane himself voluntarily increased the tutoring time significantly.
Of course, just starting tutoring didn't mean there would be immediate results.
Normally, changes would begin to show after a week at the earliest, or as late as three months. But Ho-young learned at an incredibly fast pace.
And alongside that, something began to change in Zidane too.
While tutoring Ho-young, Zidane was deeply moved by the boy's mentality.
His passion for football and his mature attitude.
It rekindled the passion Zidane had thought long extinguished.
It gave him a new purpose, so to speak.
Until meeting Ho-young, Zidane no longer had any real goals left.
He had already won all the major tournaments in the world, and with his physical condition gradually declining, he had been thinking about retiring after the upcoming World Cup.
With nothing left to achieve, a clean retirement seemed like the right choice.
In short, football no longer thrilled him the way it once did.
There was a time when football was his entire life, but now, wealth, fame, and family were what filled that void.
So naturally, football didn't excite him as much anymore.
At least, that was the case until just a few days ago.
But now, it was different.
"Faster."
"Yes, sir."
As if none of that apathy had ever existed, his passion roared back to life.
A silent connection.
Football had united their hearts.
They had become true teacher and student, transcending borders, age, and race.
It was a sight that would bring a smile to anyone's face.
In truth, Zidane mentoring Ho-young was a major contribution to football itself.
He had a feeling that, if nurtured properly, the boy could become a phenomenal player.
He's already good enough to hold his own in La Liga right now.
But it couldn't be rushed.
If they got greedy and pushed him into the pro league too soon and he got injured, the damage would be devastating.
At the very least, his physical growth needs to be complete.
Sending him into the pro league before that would be like throwing him onto a battlefield unarmed.
To minimize risks and help Ho-young develop into a world-class player, time was necessary.
"Hoo…"
Ho-young exhaled heavily, dribbling across the training ground with two footballs glued to his feet.
It was a drill to improve ball control, and controlling multiple balls at once was anything but easy.
But Zidane could do it.
Whether it was two, three, or even four footballs, he moved as if he were one with the ball.
"You have to know how to talk to the ball."
That was something Zidane always said.
Only then could you become one with the football. Reaching that level was the bare minimum to set foot into his realm.
"Huff…"
"Tired?"
"Even if I am, I'll keep going."
A natural answer.
Wasn't this the very moment Ho-young had longed for?
He had chosen Real Madrid over other top clubs for this exact opportunity.
Every second mattered.
Even if his heart were to burst, he'd rather it happen while training with Zidane.
Zidane gave him a thumbs-up.
"Good spirit. A footballer should always be with the ball. The moment you drift away from it, your heart will too. Don't forget that."
"Yes, sir."
"All right, take five."
On the training ground, Zidane was strict and cold.
But when it came to teaching Ho-young, he was nothing but sincere.
Eventually, Zidane spoke again.
"Your basic ball sense is excellent. If we train at this intensity, you'll be at an elite level in no time."
"Thank you. So, what comes next in training?"
"Once you master fundamental ball control, then you learn how to be the manager on the pitch."
"I see."
At those impressive words, Ho-young's eyes sparkled.
Zidane lifted his chin slightly and said,
"Five minutes are up."
"Yes, sir."
Like a teacher walking back into the classroom the second the bell rang.
Watching Zidane like that made Ho-young's heart pound.
[Zinedine Zidane]
[Possessed Talents: Maestro (T), Maestro's Build-up (SU), Artistic Ball Control (SS+), Unrivaled Ball Trapping (S+3), Fantastical Individual Technique (S+3), Phenomenal Press-Resistance (S+)]
(More…)
(You may acquire one talent upon meeting the required conditions.)
(When selecting a Title (T) grade talent, partial sensory abilities may be acquired. However, you must be at least 18 years old to select it.)
(Talents ranked S or above require hidden conditions to be met before they can be selected.)
(Condition 1: Place on the podium in the Juvenil B League)
(Condition 2: Receive at least 5,000 minutes of tutoring)
(Condition 3: Score goals against each of the following: Barcelona, Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, and Valencia CF)
(Condition 4: Fully inherit Zinedine Zidane's know-how)
(Hidden Condition: Unlocked upon acquiring at least one of his talents)
Truthfully, Ho-young had already guessed this last year after seeing Desailly's talents.
That players like Zidane, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho had talents beyond even S-rank.
Still, seeing it in person, it was hard to believe.
Compared to Zidane, his own talents felt insignificant.
Of course, SS wasn't literally double the value of S, but the impact it carried was undeniable.
Then just how incredible was he at his peak…
Zidane was currently 33 years old.
An age that would be considered practically retirement for a footballer, yet his talents still showed he was more than alive and kicking.
His physical ability may have declined, but technically and mentally, he's still at the top. Well, he is going to win the Golden Ball at this year's World Cup, after all.
The 2006 World Cup in Germany.
If events played out the way Ho-young remembered, Zidane would lead France to the final.
But.
In his final match before retirement, the final itself, he would get sent off for a headbutt and lose the championship, yet still be honored with the Golden Ball.
And now, Ho-young was training with that very player.
Sweat dripped from his palms.
Every day was a shock.
The fact that he'd met the world's greatest. That he was learning football directly from him.
From the very first day the tutoring began, every moment had been electrifying.
He had thought it would feel amazing to meet Zidane, but the reality was even more overwhelming than he had imagined.
Even with a rather plain voice, every word Zidane spoke oozed charisma.
Perhaps that was because Ho-young held Zidane in such high regard.
Like a girl meeting her idol for the first time.
Maybe that sincerity came through.
Because Zidane gave his all to help Ho-young in training.
Tap.
He stopped the ball and spoke.
"Still nervous training with me?"
"Maestro, you're my idol."
"You can become someone's idol too. If you keep working hard."
"I'll keep playing, even in death."
Ho-young clenched his teeth and spoke firmly.
Even so, his fingertips were trembling slightly.
A courageous confession.
Zidane smiled faintly at his honesty.
"We still have one more week together."
One week later, when La Liga ended, Zidane was scheduled to return to France.
To prepare for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
After that, retirement.
In other words, Ho-young only had one week left with him.
Impossible.
Given the conditions, it was impossible to acquire Zidane's talent within just one week.
But nothing was certain.
If Zidane stayed on at Real Madrid as a coach after retirement, there was a chance the tutoring could continue.
Logically speaking, retiring from football didn't mean his talents would disappear overnight.
One thing was for sure. He still had a whole week left with Zidane.
A week to learn from his experience, know-how, and technique.
Even if it wasn't about acquiring talents, this was an incredible honor for a budding footballer.
For that, Ho-young could only feel happiness and gratitude.
And by the time that one week had flown by.
With the end of the Spanish league fast approaching, the Juvenil B league was also drawing to a close.
Currently, Real Madrid's Juvenil B team, which Ho-young belonged to, had been on a winning streak since April and had climbed all the way to 2nd place in the league.
If they won their next match, they would secure 2nd place regardless of other results.
Their opponent was UE Cornellà, a solid mid-table team.
On paper, they weren't a difficult opponent.
However, the fact that it was an away game added pressure on the players.
UE Cornellà had only conceded 27 goals in 37 games this season, boasting impressive defensive stats.
Their home win rate was particularly strong. Just the fact that they had beaten league leaders Barcelona at home proved how solid their defense was.
At the heart of that was a left winger and full-back born in 1989.
The anchor of both offense and defense for the team, he would eventually become a key player on Spain's left flank in their golden era.
Of course, his full potential hadn't bloomed yet, but he had already been named among Spain's Top 20 Youth Prospects.
Though not physically imposing, his calm confidence and sharp eyes were enough to make Real Madrid's attacking line tense.
Even before the match began, the players in white looked intimidated.
But that atmosphere completely changed with one player's arrival.
Ho-young.
With a serious expression and a cold gaze, he exuded a unique charisma.
A deep confidence that they could win no matter the opponent.
Naturally.
After all, he had just undergone special training under Zidane for several weeks.
His body itched to finally put that into action in a match.
And right from kick-off, the effects of the tutoring began to show.
Ho-young looked completely different from before.
It was football only a prodigy trained by the greatest midfielder in history could display.
(To be continued.)