A universally recognized dribbling genius.
Before the era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, he was considered one of the world's finest attackers, alongside Kaká.
Robinho.
At 24 years old, he was a product of Santos FC in São Paulo and officially began his European career when he transferred to Real Madrid in 2005.
Robinho drew massive expectations when he inherited Luís Figo's iconic number 10 shirt, and he lived up to the hype in his first season by scoring 14 goals in La Liga alone.
There was a reason people called him the "second coming of Pelé."
However, after Fabio Capello took over as manager, Robinho struggled to perform, and it seemed like his career was on the verge of decline.
Still, as long Pérez, who had a love for the "Brazilian connection," remained in charge, Robinho remained a valuable asset for Real Madrid.
Pérez particularly admired Robinho's youth and flashy on-the-ball play, and he asked manager Bernd Schuster to actively utilize him.
As a result, Robinho managed to regain form, leading Brazil to win the Copa América and helping Real Madrid secure the La Liga title.
He seemed destined to become a club legend, backed by the unwavering support of both Pérez and Schuster.
But recently, a problem had arisen.
Schuster's affection for Robinho had started to wane.
The reason was clear: Ho-young, who had begun to make his presence felt in first-team training.
'It's obvious.'
Robinho, who had always enjoyed the full trust of his manager, was certain of it.
Ho-young was now threatening his place in the team.
That was exactly why Robinho had come to see Schuster at such a late hour.
"Coach. I don't want to play on the wing. So why did you use me as a winger in the second half?"
Robinho's primary position was as an inside forward, cutting in from wide areas into central channels.
But the role he had been given in the second half was that of a traditional winger, far removed from his natural style.
"So you're saying you're not happy with that?"
"Yes. You only put me on the wing because of that rookie, didn't you?"
It was true.
But Schuster was not pleased with how Robinho was handling this.
While he had a reputation as a gentle manager, in reality, Schuster was irritable and temperamental.
He frequently changed tactics and demanded his players strictly follow his style.
And for a manager like that, having a player openly express dissatisfaction was a direct challenge to his authority.
Schuster felt the need to make his position clear.
"Robinho, stop acting like a child. Even if your assumption is correct, what are you going to do? Boycott the team?"
"If you stop caring about me, I won't have a choice but to stop caring too."
"I've never neglected you. Not even once."
"Then put me back in the inside forward role."
"I understand your point. Now go get some rest."
"Give me a straight answer."
"That's not something for you to demand. It's my decision."
Robinho's face twisted at those words. Schuster lowered his voice.
"Robinho, you're still my most important card. So stop worrying and go blow off some steam at the club bar or just get some sleep. We leave for Chicago tomorrow."
"Fine. But if that kid Ho-young starts taking over my space, I won't just sit by and let it happen."
With that, Robinho left the room.
It was the kind of comment most players wouldn't dare make, but Robinho could say it without hesitation, knowing he had Pérez's favor.
"Hoo."
Finally alone, Schuster let out a sigh.
Even though the night was deep, he couldn't fall asleep.
'Damn these politics.'
He was sick of it.
There's a saying that whenever three or more people gather, politics are bound to happen, and a football club was no exception.
All over the world, even league-winning managers often found themselves sacked because of player politics.
Bernd Schuster.
That was exactly how he felt now.
'Robinho...'
Robinho had essentially threatened him.
Schuster, who had endured all sorts of internal politics throughout his playing career, could sense it clearly.
'What a headache.'
To Schuster, Robinho was nothing more than a spoiled child.
Whenever he wasn't in the spotlight or was asked to make sacrifices, he would instantly start complaining.
His boyish face matched his mentality, which was far from mature.
If only he had been more balanced. But Robinho was the definition of fragile mentality.
That was also why Schuster had become wary of Brazilians.
Last year, there was an incident.
Robinho, along with Júlio Baptista and Ronaldinho, had gone partying all night at a nightclub.
The media reported that Robinho had ordered a large number of condoms and partied until morning.
Although Robinho denied it and claimed his friends gave him the condoms, the bigger issue was something else.
He missed training and the weekend match due to a night of drinking and partying.
Schuster, being a strict manager, could never accept such behavior.
What he had held back then was now bubbling to the surface.
Schuster had truly admired Robinho's playing style and had wanted to work with him for the long haul.
But Robinho had crossed the line.
That only made him more drawn to Ho-young.
Watching Robinho made it all the more clear just how mature the 15-year-old Ho-young was.
Professionalism.
That wasn't something you could easily develop later. It was an inherent trait.
In other words, it too was a talent.
And after today's match, interest in Ho-young was skyrocketing.
Schuster used to have preconceived notions about Asian players, but there was one who had broken that bias a long time ago.
Today, Ho-young became the second.
Maybe that was why.
He was already looking forward to the next season.
Just like how Barcelona's Lionel Messi created magic, maybe Ho-young could also produce miracles.
Nothing was more thrilling for a manager.
Before he knew it, Schuster was holding a pen, scribbling a "W" on a memo pad.
It was the initials of a player he planned to include in the starting lineup for the upcoming match against Chicago Fire SC two days later.
The next day.
The team departed Seattle and traveled to Chicago, Illinois.
In the morning, they attended a fan signing event hosted by Adidas, the tour's main sponsor. In the afternoon, they visited Wrigley Field to watch an MLB game between the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros.
Welcomed by the Chicago Tribune executives, who owned the Cubs, they enjoyed the game in the best possible conditions.
After the game, Raúl González exchanged jerseys with starting pitcher Carlos Mármol, building camaraderie between the clubs.
The next day, the players were given free time.
Zinedine Zidane, acting as Ho-young's guardian, took him to Gino's East, a famous Chicago deep-dish pizza restaurant.
Real Madrid's official photographer Simon followed them like a paparazzi, capturing moments for the fans. One of those photos was later uploaded to Real Madrid's official website and became the talk of the town.
The accompanying column read as follows:
[Zidane and Ho-young Take On Traditional Chicago-Style Pizza!
The teacher-student duo, known affectionately as the Blancos pair, visited the iconic Gino's East pizza restaurant to participate in a pizza-making event.
They made traditional Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. Though the results weren't perfect, the restaurant owner praised their efforts.
True to their relationship, Zidane was seen constantly looking after Ho-young throughout the process (he even bribed the writer with pizza to include that part).
Apparently, Zidane was so bad at making pizza that Ho-young had to help him complete it properly.
It seems just because someone has magical footwork doesn't mean they're good with their hands too.
*The photo above shows Ho-young playfully draping melted cheese around Zidane's neck and saying, "It's a cheese necklace!"*
The column was quickly reposted on Ho-young's Korean fan café, WooHooHyung, and shortly after, it spread across online communities.
The reaction from netizens was explosive.
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ What a hilarious combo]
└Playing around with Zidane? That's insaneㅠ
└So Ho-young actually has a playful side. I thought he was super serious based on interviews.
└Ho0 Forever♥♥♥
└Please come to Korea soon. I bought football tickets for the first time in my lifeㅋㅋ I bet Zidane's coming too, right?
└Look at the PR stunt. So obviously staged ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Keyboard warrior incoming~
It was a massive reaction.
But it was just the beginning.
The next day, at 1 PM on the 9th.
Ahead of the match against Chicago Fire SC, Real Madrid's starting lineup was announced, and it caused quite a stir.
Ho-young's name was on the starting sheet.
That immediately sparked debate about Ho-young's current standing within the squad.
[This feels suspicious. Are they planning to use him as more than just a backup next season? No way...]
[No way what? It's just preseason. Of course they're giving youth players some chances. Stop overreacting.]
Both takes were correct.
In fact, both thoughts were in Schuster's mind.
In the away team manager's room at Soldier Field, home of the NFL's Chicago Bears.
Schuster was still deep in thought, having not finalized the tactical details.
'Robinho and Ho-young are difficult to coexist.'
That meant only one solution.
Schuster reviewed the starting lineup again, lost in thought.
It was practically a list of life or death.
And the one most shocked by it was Ho-young himself.
He saw it in the locker room and couldn't believe his eyes, even after reading it several times.
His gaze darted across the sheet, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
Goalkeeper – Codina (26)
Defenders – Roberto Carlos (35), Pepe (25), Sergio Díaz (23), Miguel Torres (22)
Midfielders – Mahamadou Diarra (27), Tébar (22), Callejón (21), Ho-young (14), Zinedine Zidane (36, 4th captain)
Forward – Robinho (24)
'Attacking midfielder...'
The central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1, responsible for leading the attack.
Last season, that role had been mainly filled by Guti or Zidane, the most tactically vital position.
So for Schuster to start him there didn't just mean plugging a temporary gap.
It meant he saw Ho-young as a core part of the system.
In other words, today's match would decide whether he would become a mainstay or just another role player.
There was just one thing bothering him.
'Robinho as the lone striker?'
Deploying Robinho, who was more of an inside forward, as a central striker felt strange.
'Is this to build the team around me? Or to prop up Robinho?'
On that, Schuster had yet to give any explanation.
'He hasn't said anything.'
Only one thing was certain.
'Give it everything I've got.'
This might be just another preseason match to others, but not to Ho-young.
His future for the upcoming season was on the line.
So he had to perform.
There were still so many things he hadn't shown the manager yet.
Like the Finishing of the Football Emperor, for example.
The urge to showcase it made his heels bounce with anticipation.
Then, moments later.
As he passed through the unusually short tunnel and stepped onto the pitch, over 60,000 fans erupted into cheers.
Among them, one person glanced sharply at Ho-young.
It wasn't a player from Chicago Fire SC, but Robinho.
His eyes clearly said he intended to devour Ho-young today.
'It's been a while since I felt this.'
It was just like that day when he trained with Ronaldo the Football Emperor.
That same feeling surged back now.
It served as the spark that ignited Ho-young's competitive fire.
He now understood why Schuster had said nothing.
And at the same time, he realized something else.
That today's protagonist would be the one who controlled the game.
And so, their duel began at 2:15 PM.
It was at that very moment that Ho-young began to seize control.
(To be continued.)