Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 167

< Let's Enjoy >

“Are we really okay doing this?”

“I don’t know. The coach will take responsibility, I guess.”

“Why? What’s wrong? We did something terrible to Munich; they should spend some money before they leave.”

After the match against Munich.

The players returned to the hotel and left their rooms with slightly awkward steps.

They gathered in groups of twos and threes, walking down the hallway towards the hotel’s VIP lounge, like students on a school trip.

Schmidt had issued a summons, saying he couldn’t just let tonight pass, and ordered everyone to attend the party without exception.

“Hey, where’s Johann?”

“That’s right. I don’t see him? He wasn’t in his room.”

“Johann? Johann said he’d head over earlier.”

“Wow, he’s diligent when it comes to this.”

I thought Johann wasn’t around because he was sleeping, but he went ahead.

The players’ steps quickened slightly upon hearing that.

Johann being there first could mean that half the food in the lounge had already disappeared.

*

“Is everyone here?”

“Yes. Everyone is here without exception.”

“Good.”

The players and coaching staff all gathered in the VIP lounge.

To ensure a pleasant party, Schmidt rented out the lounge at his own expense.

It cost a fortune, but he didn’t care.

There weren’t many days as joyful as today while working as a coach.

Tables where everyone was sitting were set with fancy food and drinks, and the players, who were strictly controlling their diet during the season, were struggling to swallow their drool.

“Slurp, slurp.”

Only Johann was devouring food as if he didn’t care about anything else.

The lounge servers were constantly moving around Johann, busily carrying plates.

“Alright, alright. Everyone got their glasses? Coach, say a few words.”

“Ahem.”

Schmidt rose from his seat with a glass in his hand.

Everyone looked at Schmidt with pleasant expressions.

Because Schmidt’s expression looked so happy.

“Actually, this party shouldn’t be happening. We are in the middle of the season, and we have very important schedules ahead of us. Nothing is confirmed yet, and you all know that now is not the time to be complacent, but rather to tighten our belts further, and I know it too.”

Everyone nodded at Schmidt’s words.

Why weren’t the players’ steps lighthearted at the news of the party, and why were they all hesitant?

Because nothing was over yet.

We beat the giant called Munich today, but it was only the first leg.

No one knows what will happen in the second leg.

Even if we completely defeat Munich, it’s only a matter of advancing to the semi-finals.

And what about the league?

There are really important games left.

We’ve been running really well so far, but the tower we’ve built could collapse depending on the results of the remaining games.

Last season, we had a successful year with a runner-up finish, but thanks to that, this season is even more burdensome for the players.

To develop further from here, the only way was to win the championship.

Schmidt knew it, of course.

Although it’s a happier day than ever, that joy ends inside the stadium.

From the moment you leave the stadium, you have to forget the victory and prepare for tomorrow as if nothing happened.

Why wouldn’t Schmidt know that?

Schmidt is famous for strictly managing the players’ diets.

“But, the most thrilling and fun thing is doing what you’re not supposed to do.”

However, laughter and cheers erupted from the players at Schmidt’s words.

Schmidt thought the players needed to know.

How great the victory they achieved today was.

The players needed to know how great it was to overwhelm Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena [Munich’s home stadium] with a score of 3-0.

That’s why he threw the party.

“Tonight, enjoy!”

“Woooo-!”

“Let’s eat!”

“Oh well, I don’t care!”

The players could feel it enough.

Because everyone knows.

What kind of person Schmidt is usually.

Schmidt is stricter than anyone else on the training ground or on the field.

If Schmidt is throwing a party like this, they couldn’t help but feel how valuable today’s victory was.

“Hey! Drink! Drink!”

“I’ve only been eating dry chicken breasts and fish every day, but now I’m eating meat dripping with oil, and tears are coming out.”

“I’m happier now than when I won the game.”

The players all enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

They put steaks bursting with juice in their mouths and made touching expressions, and they enjoyed the sense of guilt by putting handfuls of french fries in their mouths.

“Wow, look at him. He’s really something.”

“Nathan. Are you seriously eating a packed lunch?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t do that, try this. You might even cry.”

“No thanks.”

Well, there were also superhumans like Nathan who were munching on the chicken breast he had brought in the meantime.

“Johann is going even crazier than on the field.”

“Isn’t he actually more talented at eating than soccer?”

“He would have become quite famous if he had been a food fighter.”

“How does he usually hold back? His father must be amazing.”

“He’ll be chubby in half a year after he retires, no, what am I saying? Just three months.”

The one who was enjoying the party the most was Johann, of course.

Johann was clearing the plates as fast as his scoring pace, or even faster.

Even multitasking, eating two things at once.

Everyone is basically good at eating because they are athletes, but even those players shook their heads while watching Johann.

I wondered if a talent bigger than soccer was rotting away.

“Um, Coach.”

“Why?”

“Everything is fine, but I think we should slowly restrain Johann. He’s going to wipe everything out here.”

Coach Jamie said with a worried expression.

I’m really worried that he might get injured due to overeating for the first time in the soccer world.

However, Schmidt shrugged his shoulders.

“If he was the type to gain weight, he would have been a pig a long time ago. But, that guy is still 17 years old. At that age, no matter how much you eat, it evaporates quickly. I ate everything I could get my hands on back then too. Hahaha! Here! Bring some more food over there!”

“…”

Jamie shook his head, watching Schmidt, who told him to let him enjoy it even more, rather than stopping him.

Schmidt was already pleasantly drunk.

“Coach! Let’s dance together!”

“Shall we! Euhahaha!”

*

“Ugh…”

Schmidt grabbed his throbbing head and got up from the bed.

“Damn… What time is it already…”

After checking the time with his eyes that wouldn’t open, Schmidt jumped out of bed and washed his face with cold water to clear his head.

Ugh.

Maybe it’s because of my age, but the aftermath of last night is huge.

How late did I run?

I don’t even remember well.

My last memory is learning samba dance from Guimarães.

Damn it. What did I do in front of the players…

“…Johann!”

Schmidt, who was groping through his memories of last night, suddenly thought of Johann, hurriedly put on his clothes, and left the hotel room.

The guy who was devouring food last night with the momentum to wipe out all the food in the lounge.

I left him alone because I was drunk yesterday, but I shouldn’t have done that.

To let him pack all those greasy calories.

At that rate, it wouldn’t be strange if his stomach popped out in one day.

Knock knock knock-!

“…Coach? What’s wrong?”

“Johann, are you inside?”

“Yes.”

When I knocked on Johann’s door like crazy, his roommate Gordon opened the door.

When I went inside, Johann was sleeping without knowing anything, and Schmidt suddenly lifted Johann’s top.

“…Phew.”

And then Schmidt sighed.

Thank goodness.

Johann’s stomach still had clear six-pack abs engraved on it without change.

“What kind of body is this?”

“Why are you doing this, Coach?”

“There must be a black hole in this guy’s stomach.”

Schmidt chuckled.

Anyway…

“Gordon.”

“Yes?”

“Take off your shirt too.”

“…I’m embarrassed.”

“Take it off quickly!”

At Schmidt’s scolding, Gordon shyly took off his shirt, and a fluffy, luscious belly appeared.

Clap-!

“Ah!”

Gordon danced with joy at Schmidt’s spicy hand [a playful slap].

“Eat until your stomach sticks out like this! You’re the captain!”

“Ah! Ah! The coach told me to eat!”

“You should have eaten in moderation, in moderation!”

“Ugh! I surrender! I surrender!”

Gordon’s screams echoed to the hallway.

Even with that commotion,

“…Snore-”

Johann was sleeping very well.

ㆍㆍㆍ

<2028/29 Champions League Quarterfinals Week 1>

◆Villarreal CF 2 : 2 Sevilla FC

◆Real Madrid 2 : 1 Manchester City

◆West Ham 3 : 0 Bayern Munich

◆Liverpool 1 : 1 Atletico Madrid

-Sevilla, dramatic draw with Villarreal with Pablo Enrique’s golden two goals in the late second half

-Real, 2-1 victory in the first leg with Fernando Viega in the lead… But we have to watch the second leg at the Etihad Stadium [Manchester City’s home stadium]

-Liverpool unable to break through AT Madrid’s thick defense… 1-1 draw with 65 percent possession and 15 shots recorded

-Bayern Munich 0-3 shocking defeat… Johann van hat trick, rating 10 points

-Johann van achieves 19 goals in the Champions League this season with a hat trick in the first leg of the quarterfinals… Breaking the record for the most goals in a single season in history

-‘Allianz Disaster’ Munich, the second leg is also an emergency… Peter Jansen, Kamil Townsend unable to play in the second leg

Among the Champions League quarter-final first leg matches, the match between West Ham and Munich was the most watched.

If the rest of the matches resulted in the expected flow to some extent, this match was close to shocking.

Of course, there were quite a few people who predicted West Ham’s success.

Rather, the opinion that it could be dangerous if Munich did not prepare well was close to the mainstream.

But no one knew it would be this big of a difference.

It was shocking that Munich conceded 3 goals at home, and it was also shocking that they did not score a single goal against West Ham.

Like when Juventus was badly defeated by West Ham, this game was shocking not only to Munich fans but also to Bundesliga [German Football League] fans as a whole.

Because the fans of each team in the Bundesliga know Munich’s power best.

The sight of Munich, who had been boasting extreme force in the league, being broken was soon amplified into a story about the gap between the Premier League [English Football League] and the Bundesliga, giving rise to fierce discussions.

Of course, many Munich fans talked about signing Johann after this game.

That was the natural way of thinking for Munich fans.

If there is a player who plays well against Munich, bring that player and use him.

Most of the players who make up the current Munich squad were filled in that way.

The top scorer of Wolfsburg, the ace midfielder of Leipzig, the core defender of Dortmund, and the iron-clad goalkeeper of Schalke are currently occupying Munich’s starting lineup.

Anyway, the situation was so bleak that Munich fans were already talking about giving up this season and signing Johann for next season.

Manchester City and Manchester United were also disappointed with Munich’s defeat.

In particular, Manchester City, who are about to face West Ham in the league, have no choice but to feel regret.

This is because an environment has been created where West Ham can focus more on league games.

In addition, Manchester City lost in the first leg against Real Madrid, so they had to prepare more for the second leg.

In many ways, Munich’s defeat is regrettable.

Well, the only fortunate thing is that the game against West Ham is after the second leg of the quarter-finals.

At least, whether they lose or win in the second leg, they are in an environment where they can focus all their attention on that game.

Of course,

That was the same for West Ham.

ㆍㆍㆍ

“Huff, huff…”

“Sa… Save me…”

West Ham training ground after returning from Munich.

The players are all crawling on the ground with soulless faces.

“Stop making dying noises and get up! If you act up, it’s one more lap!”

“Ugh…”

The players, staggering at Schmidt’s scolding, got up and started running again.

Looking at that sight, it seems like Schmidt is a voodoo sorcerer and the players are zombies.

The players were paying the price for the night in Munich.

As if he was going to make them all throw up everything they had eaten and drank that night, Schmidt raised the intensity of the already tough training even higher.

“Is it all over because you won Munich! Stand up straight and run! We still have a long way to go!”

“Aaaagh!”

No, the coach was the one who threw the party.

The coach was also the one who told us to enjoy it to the fullest.

How do words change like this?

The players vowed as they ran until they felt like throwing up.

From now on, if the coach is unusually kind, I should be suspicious first.