Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 73

< 072. Traffic Control >

“Shall we start unwrapping the presents?”

“We’re new to this, so we’re clumsy. No patience at all.”

“I hope everyone likes them.”

The day after the match against Leicester City.

West Ham began to unveil gifts that fans would welcome with open arms, one by one.

The first gift was the news of Johann’s new contract.

-[Official] Johann van renews contract with West Ham! Best treatment in the team

Johann had already signed a contract extension with the club last summer.

In fact, that contract renewal was quite early compared to the industry average.

It was a renewal made only a few months after being promoted to the first team.

However, feeling that it was not enough, the club offered a new contract after only half a year, and Johann accepted it.

The base weekly wage was significantly increased, and new incentives were added to the existing ones.

This was because most of the incentives had already been exceeded by the halfway point of the season.

Looking at the scoring incentives, the standard was 20 goals or more per season, but he already had 40 goals. Naturally, new incentives were needed.

West Ham showed their utmost sincerity in many ways. Of course, even so, it wasn’t enough compared to having the league’s best striker without a transfer fee, but even Ban Seok-ho could feel the club’s sincerity, so, well.

Anyway, Johann became the highest-paid player in the team.

Of course, the club approached this carefully.

Looking at his performance alone, no player should be dissatisfied with Johann receiving the best treatment.

But people are not always rational.

Giving the best treatment to a sixteen-year-old kid who hasn’t been here long and skips training like it’s a daily routine?

There could be players who think like this.

However, looking at the atmosphere in the locker room, there was no need to worry about that.

Rather, the older players were in a mood to take from their own salaries to take care of the youngest.

Because they knew best.

Without Johann, it would have been difficult for them to raise their own values that much.

In addition, even though Johann didn’t exactly brighten the locker room atmosphere with his lively demeanor, the players liked Johann as a person.

The next youngest player in the first team after Johann is Buckley, but there is still a six-year age difference between them.

So, the older players couldn’t help but adore Johann.

Anyway, since there were no problems within the locker room, the club could wholeheartedly show Johann the utmost sincerity.

Manchester City and other teams’ fans were disappointed by the news, but the Hammers [West Ham fans] welcomed it with open arms.

└Can’t you just give him a lifetime contract instead of 2 or 4 years?

└Johann for life

└Once a Hammer, always a Hammer!!

└Johann’s contract renewal is better than a 200 billion won signing

└It’s been so long since I’ve liked the front office’s work! They did well quickly

└No matter how much you try to seduce him, his father is a West Ham originalㅋㅋㅋ

└Seok-ho for life

West Ham fans were already ecstatic with just the news of Johann’s contract renewal.

However, good news poured out one after another like a string of candies.

This time, it was a surprise that no one expected.

-[Official] Daniele Capello transfers to West Ham! First signing of the winter!

└????????

└Is this real?

└He’s going to West Ham? Passing up Juventus?

└Unbelievable. What did West Ham do?

└Wow. He’s ruining his career with his own hands

└Ruin? If it’s ruined, it suits the Hammers [West Ham] ㅇㅈ [acknowledgement]

└He could have easily won the league and aimed for the Champions League if he went to Juve, but West Hamㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Looks like he’s not confident in getting a starting spot at Juve ㅇㅇ [agreed] Looks like he’s all hype and a waste of money

└You’re a Tottenham fan, aren’t you? You wanted to sign him so badly and got rejected, so now you’re saying he’s all hypeㅋㅋㅋ

└Does he have some kind of small club fetish? He’s going from Fiorentina to West Ham

└Small club? What are the teams under that small club then?ㅋㅋㅋ

└Just a small clubㅋㅋ Small clubs should be quietㅋㅋ Are you better at soccer than Capello?

-‘Number 10’ Daniele Capello: “I’m confident I won’t regret choosing West Ham.”

└It’s up ㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅ [an expression of excitement]

└I really didn’t want to believe it until the uniform official came out.

└I like him from his first greeting!!

└Help our Johann a lot, I believe in you!!

└Even if he’s a boy wonder, it’s a bit better with two of themㅠㅠㅠ

-“Adapting to the Premier League? They will have to adapt to me.” Daniele Capello shows confidence.

└His confidence is somethingㄷㄷㄷ [an expression of awe]

└As expected, a genius

└Johann is copying him

└We need more guys like this to build a winning mentality in the team

└When you look at the guys who win trophies, they all have ambition

-Daniele Capello in a West Ham uniform: “I will become West Ham’s ace.”

└;; Why is he doing so many interviews in one day

└Is he usually this talkative?

└Ace? He’s crossing the lineㅋㅋ

└Ace of the midfield is ㅇㅈ [agreed]

└How many interviews has he doneㅋㅋㅋ

-Daniele Capello: “Why I chose West Ham over Juventus? I wanted to test my talent.”

└Wow, he did another interview?

└Okay, stop and get some restㅋㅋㅋ

└Off the ball activityㄷㄷ [an expression of awe]

└It’s going to be noisy in many ways

└It won’t be boring

January 4th.

As soon as the Serie A [Italian Football League] transfer market opened, news of Daniele Capello’s transfer was announced.

Most soccer fans doubted their eyes even after the official announcement.

There had been rumors for several days, but who knew it would become reality.

Other teams’ fans were surprised, and West Ham fans were even more surprised.

A player who was heavily linked with Juventus is coming to West Ham.

Because of this, public opinion began to underestimate Capello.

His physique is not as good as expected, his dribbling is good but he tends to hold the ball too much, he may not work in the PL [Premier League] even if he does in Serie A, etc.

The reason he gave up going to Juventus and went to West Ham must be for a reason.

Anyway, that’s something Capello will have to prove himself in the future.

From West Ham’s point of view, it was definitely a signing that would energize the team.

In particular, it was important that he was a resource that could further enhance Johann.

From the beginning, Rohan put Capello on the recruitment list not simply because he was a promising prospect.

He added him because he was the type needed for the team and the type that could create synergy with Johann.

The club knew that too, so they invested a large sum.

Even if Capello’s performance is lower than expected, there was an expectation that he would do the basics.

Why? Because Johann is there.

Johann is the one who makes Jenkinson excited to cross the ball.

Anyway, as soon as the transfer market opened.

It already felt certain.

That West Ham is the main character of this transfer market.

Even though there was still a lot left.

ㆍㆍㆍ

“Yo, Buckley. You look happy today?”

“Ah, I am. I thought I’d be the youngest for at least a year, but I already have a successor.”

“But, it looks like your successor is going to be tough, are you okay? He broke our team’s transfer fee record.”

“I’m not intimidated by that kind of thing. It’s me! Don’t worry! I’ll set the discipline for the youngest!”

Jacob Buckley, who is unusually cheerful and energetic today.

Today is the day Capello participates in his first training session.

In other words, it was the day Buckley, who joined last summer, finally got a successor.

Buckley is the type who reacts very well to jokes, so his teammates often joked with him.

Even though there were no rules about what the youngest should do, they joked with Buckley that the youngest should dance before the game to boost morale.

Poor Buckley, he thought it was real and danced until the last game.

He was more worried about what kind of dance he should dance today than preparing for the game.

So, Buckley jumped up and down at the news that a new recruit had arrived.

Now he can sit in his seat like his seniors and watch the youngest’s dance.

Because of this, Buckley was waiting for the new recruit to arrive at the training ground as soon as possible.

And after a while.

The new recruit he had been waiting for appeared at the training ground.

“Yoohoo! You’ve arrived! My cute junior···”

However, the new recruit who appeared was completely different from Buckley’s expectations from his first appearance.

“Ah, are you the ones? The ones who have been waiting eagerly for the savior. You’ve waited a long time. I’m Daniele Capello from the city of geniuses, Florence.”

“···Huh?”

With just that first greeting, everyone in the locker room could sense it.

This guy is not someone you can mess with carelessly, he’s not ordinary.

*

“Hey··· Hey! Can’t you hear what your senior is saying! The youngest is not allowed to use that water purifier!”

“···Hey, fatty. Sorry, but I can speak English too. So, can you speak to me in English?”

“Wha, what are you saying? I’m speaking in English!”

“Ah, sorry. My mistake. I spoke in English to a friend who can’t speak English. Um, where are you from, fatty?”

“What, what are you talking about!”

Buckley was sweating profusely, and his colleagues who were watching him burst into laughter.

He’s really not ordinary.

Buckley was the number one avoidance target.

The moment he was chosen as the day’s conversation partner, it was a day when blood came out of his eardrums.

But, he’s playing with such Buckley.

The guy who’s been here for less than an hour.

“Ah, but fatty. There’s one thing I want to ask.”

“The, the youngest can’t ask ques···”

“Johann, where is that friend?”

“Yo, Johann? He hasn’t come yet.”

Capello tilted his head and checked his watch at Buckley’s answer.

“I heard the training starts in 10 minutes?”

“He’s usually late. Anyway, even if he’s late, he’s the first to leave.”

“···He’s often late? Don’t you have late fines here?”

“Fines? We do? There’s no exception even if you’re 1 minute late.”

“···Then is that friend rich?”

“He doesn’t pay fines. We’re grateful that he shows up even if he’s late.”

Capello frowned.

“Are you saying he’s getting special treatment?”

“Of course! He’s feeding us. An ace should get that much benefit!”

This time, Capello curled up one corner of his mouth.

“Ace, huh.”

“Wha, what’s with that nasty smirk.”

“This body has arrived, and you’re calling him the ace.”

“Hey, can’t you hear me···”

“Interesting.”

Capello burst into laughter, and Buckley lost his words.

It seemed that Buckley’s attempt to discipline the new recruit had completely failed.

*

“A strange guy has come···”

“All geniuses have a screw loose.”

Coach Schmidt and Jamie, who were watching the players’ training, said.

That Capello guy who joined the training for the first time today.

He was a strange guy.

Certainly, he kicks the ball beautifully.

We’re used to Johann, but if that wasn’t the case, we would have been amazed.

You could tell that he was attracting attention from big clubs just by looking at him warming up.

However, how should I say it.

It felt like he knew too well that he was good at kicking the ball.

It was the complete opposite of Johann.

Can those two really become a fantastic duo?

Their colors are a bit too different.

“Hey, coach. Question!”

“···What is it?”

“Who are the penalty kick and free kick takers on this team right now?”

“Kicker?”

“Yes. Even though it’s this body, I thought I should ask on the first day.”

“···What do you mean?”

Capello smiled as Coach Schmidt frowned.

“Well, the result is obvious, but I have to convince you. From now on, I’m going to be in charge of PK [Penalty Kick] and free kicks. I want to have a simple competition?”

“···Huh.”

Look at this. It’s not just one screw loose?

Coach Schmidt chuckled.

Looking at Coach Schmidt, Capello shrugged with a smile as if there was a problem.

“Oh, he’s coming.”

“Huh?”

Capello turned his head in the direction Coach Schmidt was pointing.

There, Johann was walking slowly with messy hair.

“···Oh.”

Capello smiled at the sight.

Wow, it’s hard to see his face.

He’s finally here.

The genius of England.

Capello suddenly grabbed a ball, approached Johann, and stood in front of him.

“?”

“Nice to meet you. You know me, right?”

Capello smiled and held out his hand.

London was buzzing because of him.

However, Johann tilted his head.

“I’ve never seen your face before···”

“···What?”

“Coach. What should I do today?”

Johann passed by Capello as if he was annoyed, and Capello’s eyebrows drew 11:11 as he looked at Johann.

Capello ran back and stood in front of Johann.

“You’re the PK [Penalty Kick] and free kick taker, right? Let’s have a competition. The winner will be the exclusive kicker.”

“······Coach. What should I do today···”

“Wh, what is this···!”

Capello was dumbfounded by Johann’s unexpected reaction.

Looking at the two of them, the other players were impressed.

“Wow, he’s still a kid. I thought a formidable guy had come, but he can’t beat the kid.”

“Yeah! Good job! You can ignore him more!”

Buckley cheered, and the other older players burst into laughter.

“Coach?”

“Um, well.”

Coach Schmidt stroked his chin.

Thinking about it for a moment, it might be a pretty good opportunity.

This new guy who seems a little, no, very eccentric.

It’s a good opportunity to catch him early.

“Okay. Today, let’s decide on the exclusive kicker again. Fairly, between the two of you.”

Capello nodded with satisfaction at Coach Schmidt’s words, and Johann frowned.

It was a look that said why he had to do that.

But,

“If you win so that that guy can’t say a word, I’ll let you go home right away.”

At Coach Schmidt’s whisper.

“···!”

Johann’s eyes, which had been like a statue until just now, suddenly began to shine.

“I understand.”

Johann brushed his messy hair back and nodded.