February.
Just ahead of the Champions League Round of 16, a series of unfortunate events struck.
In the latter half of the season, players are generally at a higher risk of injury, and inevitably, that curse came to pass.
The main victims were Fernando Gago and Fabio Cannavaro.
Gago tore his cruciate ligament, resulting in a four-month absence. Cannavaro suffered a hamstring strain that would sideline him for four weeks.
As a result, Real Madrid's front office decided to abandon the Copa del Rey and focus entirely on La Liga.
The goal of winning La Liga three times in a row was too precious to give up.
Due to this, the Copa del Rey quarterfinal was played mainly with second-team and backup players. In the end, they recorded one draw and one loss against the strong Sevilla side, crashing out of the tournament.
On the other hand, their league performance remained solid.
Thanks to backup defender Garay and newly joined Lass Diarra shoring up the defense, the midfielders and forwards were free to execute their desired style of play.
As a result, by February 22, they had recorded 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.
Although Real Madrid and Barcelona were tied on points, Real held first place due to their head-to-head record.
<1> Real Madrid: 18 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss, 59 points, 58 goals scored, 21 goals conceded
<2> Barcelona: 19 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses, 59 points, 77 goals scored, 18 goals conceded
<3> Valencia: 14 wins, 3 draws, 7 losses, 45 points, 50 goals scored, 35 goals conceded
<4> Sevilla: 13 wins, 6 draws, 5 losses, 45 points, 38 goals scored, 26 goals conceded
There were also many changes for Ho-young.
After weighing offers between Nike and Adidas, he ultimately signed a massive deal with Adidas.
The contract was worth a base 2 million euros, with an annual sponsorship payment of 500,000 euros. Additional bonuses were included for reaching the Champions League final or participating in the World Cup.
Considering his previous contract was 200,000 euros over two years, this represented a fivefold increase.
He was also scheduled to participate in Adidas commercials after the season ended. For that alone, he would receive a guaranteed annual appearance fee of 500,000 euros.
This was an unprecedented big deal for a youth player. But given Ho-young's recent rise in value, it was far from an unreasonable contract.
Sponsorship offers were pouring in from electronics brands, sports drinks, and even ice cream companies.
After El Clásico, his popularity was skyrocketing.
And amid all this good fortune, the moment he had been waiting for the most finally arrived.
On the morning of Tuesday, February 24, as soon as he woke up, the first thing Ho-young did was manage his talents.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he stared into the air.
[Artistic Ball Control (SSS-)]
[Scouting Sharp Off-the-Ball Movement (S+3)]
[Time remaining to fully acquire: 80 days → 5 days. You cannot scout other talents during this time.]
He had finally succeeded in fully acquiring Artistic Ball Control (SSS-), and now he was scouting Eto'o's talent.
But this wasn't what Ho-young was truly waiting for.
[Artistic Ball Control (SSS-)]
[You may combine all talents closely related to ball control into one.]
[List of talents that can be integrated with Artistic Ball Control (SSS-)]
Unrivaled Ball Trapping (SS-)
Extraordinary Ball Keeping (S+)
Precise and Clean First Touch (A+3)
"So this is how it works."
Ho-young calmed his excitement and went into the bathroom.
After washing his face in just a minute, he rushed back and sat at his desk.
He couldn't afford to waste any more time in such an exhilarating moment.
"Start with the weakest one first."
He was just about to begin integrating Precise and Clean First Touch when the message popped up.
[Attempting to integrate Unrivaled Ball Trapping (SS-), Extraordinary Ball Keeping (S+), and Precise and Clean First Touch (A+3) with Artistic Ball Control (SSS-).]
[You need at least SS-level potential to integrate them into a single talent.]
"Tch."
He learned two things from this.
Integration doesn't happen one by one, but all at once.
And to integrate, he needed SS-level or higher potential.
"It feels like breaking through a limit."
And to break through a limit, there always needed to be a price.
It felt like a good opportunity was approaching.
Champions League.
The real battle among the stars was about to begin.
That morning, intense training was held in preparation for the next day's Champions League Round of 16 match at home.
Their opponent was Liverpool FC of the English Premier League, led by Rafael Benítez.
Starting with Spanish goalkeeper Reina, they had a solid and experienced backline featuring Aurelio, Škrtel, Carragher, and Arbeloa.
"In midfield, Xabi Alonso and Mascherano form a duo that displays dominant control of the center."
At the Valdebebas audiovisual room.
Everyone was already familiar with the players, but Schuster still gave a detailed explanation of Liverpool's squad.
That's how formidable they were.
Liverpool, along with Manchester United and Chelsea, were locked in a tight title race in the Premier League.
Which is why today's training at Valdebebas was geared entirely toward stopping them.
In the afternoon, tailored tactical drills were conducted to break down Liverpool.
Even though they had been eliminated from the Copa del Rey, the training ground was filled with optimism.
Ever since defeating Barcelona, they had developed a belief that they could beat any opponent.
But for Schuster, who bore all the responsibility, it was a different story.
He was on edge, especially with Liverpool being their first opponent.
Liverpool.
No one knew what they might be like in the future, but at this point in time, they were a big club in peak form.
To be honest, Liverpool's overall strength was a level below the likes of Barcelona, Inter, or Manchester United, who were considered favorites.
However, their defense was so strong that they were undefeated in the Premier League with 14 wins and 10 draws.
Even that was intimidating, but there was more.
"We have to stop the line connecting Gerrard and Torres."
From Gerrard in the second line to Torres up front, there wasn't a single weak spot.
Drawing a strong opponent like Liverpool instead of a weaker team like Villarreal or Sporting was sheer misfortune.
It required preparation as thorough as for El Clásico.
That's why, a few days ago, they had already analyzed Liverpool's tactics and prepared countermeasures.
Of course, Ho-young's input was included in those preparations.
But since yesterday, the situation had shifted.
That afternoon, Ho-young was called into the coach's office for that reason.
"I called you in because of the match Liverpool played against Manchester City two days ago."
Liverpool had performed exceptionally well against City in that match.
They had rendered Robinho completely ineffective with intense pressing. Schuster felt it was important that Ho-young saw it.
He continued.
"I'd like to hear your thoughts."
Ho-young was currently the key figure at Real Madrid.
He led the attack up front, directly created results, and served as a command tower capable of executing tactical instructions and elevating the team's organization.
He had more than filled the void left by Robinho, and was expected to take over the role left behind by Zidane.
His numerous talents made this possible.
That's why Schuster intended to actively reflect Ho-young's opinions.
It might look strange for a coach with nearly 40 years of experience to consult a teenager, but he didn't feel ashamed about it.
"Experience and age don't matter."
Because in the professional world, performance spoke louder than anything.
His trust in Ho-young was immense.
"Let's watch the footage first."
Ho-young didn't speak until after watching all the footage analyzed by the technical team.
"After scoring the opener, they switch formations and adopt an extreme defensive-counterattacking tactic. They operate with at least two defensive lines and apply layered, systematic pressure on Robinho."
"They're trying to prevent him from playing football altogether. Their marking was even tighter and more organized than when facing Cristiano Ronaldo."
"A true drag-down tactic."
"Which is why I'm considering using you not as a forward, but in the second line or midfield to act as a playmaker. What do you think?"
"I think that's a good idea."
Ho-young paused in thought.
"Liverpool in 08-09…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"No football fan could forget that team."
It was the era often referred to as Liverpool's prime.
He was looking forward to it, sensing a thrilling match ahead.
And more importantly.
"I'm curious about Gerrard's talent."
He had already collected plenty of striker talents, so personally, he was more interested in Gerrard than Torres.
Ho-young spoke again.
"I agree that it's better for me to play as an attacking midfielder, assisting the attack. Or, I could shadow Raúl and orchestrate the match alongside him. Also..."
From here, it got to the main point.
"In my opinion, Liverpool has excellent balance between offense and defense, especially their defense. No matter how strong a team's attack is, they've all fallen apart in front of that defense. Letting them control the game is dangerous."
"Then we need to draw them out of the water."
"I think the same."
He remembered the match where Liverpool collapsed under Guus Hiddink's Chelsea.
That game remained vividly in Ho-young's memory.
"Like Hiddink's magic, we have to exploit Liverpool's weaknesses and impose our own game."
There wasn't a perfectly tailored tactic like for El Clásico.
However, they clearly understood where Liverpool's weaknesses lay.
That would be the key to victory.
Liverpool's players arrived in Madrid the next morning.
The airport was packed with Liverpool fans.
The anticipation for the Champions League was sky-high.
The same was true for Real Madrid fans.
Even before nightfall, countless fans flooded the streets, eagerly awaiting Real Madrid's send-off ceremony.
In recent years, they had often fallen in the Round of 16 or quarterfinals, but their desire to win never faded.
Or at the very least, they wanted to see Real Madrid reach the semifinals.
Winning it all? That was something they no longer dared to hope for.
But just as the sun was setting, a massive roar erupted.
Waaaaaah!
A large white bus carrying the full Real Madrid squad had arrived.
"Today is the best."
Ho-young felt that among all the parades he had seen, this was by far the most electrifying.
The energy was so intense, it was impossible to lose.
Since El Clásico, it was the first time his heart burned like this.
He couldn't wait to get out on the pitch and let loose.
(To be continued.)