Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 163

163: Goodbye, Karim

The final match of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

Manchester City and Liverpool, both with an identical record of 26 wins, 8 draws, and 3 losses, and tied at the top with 86 points, faced a situation where the championship would be decided on the final day, just like the previous season.

However, this time, Liverpool had a significant lead in goal difference at 68 to 59. If both teams won, Liverpool would be confirmed as champions.

Liverpool’s opponent was Wolverhampton, desperately fighting to avoid relegation.

Wolverhampton was in a dire situation: they had to win against title contenders Liverpool, and also needed Bournemouth, who were also fighting relegation, to lose, in order to secure their survival.

Conversely, Manchester City’s opponent was QPR, who had already been confirmed for relegation.

Which would prevail: QPR, who had nothing left to lose, or Wolverhampton, who were desperately fighting for survival?

Would it be Manchester City, facing the last game of the season, or Liverpool, who had two crucial matches ahead, including the Champions League final, making it difficult to prioritize one over the other?

Amidst heated debates among critics and intense fan interest, Liverpool ultimately defeated Wolverhampton 5-1, securing the championship.

Manchester City won 2-1 but finished as runners-up due to the goal difference.

For Manchester City, who had consistently achieved success since Pep Guardiola’s arrival in the summer of 2016, with trophy-less seasons being rare, it was a painful season where they missed out on winning any competition.

Chelsea secured 3rd place, and Burnley claimed 4th, securing the final two spots for the European Champions League. Tottenham and Aston Villa finished 5th and 6th, respectively, booking their places in the Europa League for the next season.

Meanwhile, Manchester United finished 8th, and Arsenal finished 9th, as traditional powerhouses struggled. Burnley and Aston Villa consistently performed well, establishing themselves as emerging prestigious clubs.

On the other hand, QPR and West Brom were relegated, returning to the Championship [the second tier of English football] after just one season. Wolverhampton joined them, bringing an end to their five-season Premier League era since the 2018/19 season.

So, following the previous season, all eyes were on the fierce battle where the champion was decided on the final day. However, Burnley fans, detached from all of that, were focused on Turf Moor, their old home ground, where a farewell ceremony was to be held.

***

“…So, this place is also saying goodbye.”

Although it didn’t affect the standings, they won against Aston Villa, finishing the Premier League season.

And a busy day was coming to an end, having completed the Europa League and Carabao Cup victory celebrations, as well as the farewell ceremony for Turf Moor, all in one go.

On a day when Burnley fans, who had won their first-ever European trophy, flocked to say goodbye to their beloved home ground,

Turf Moor, which had been open to fans until late at night, bustling with a mix of sadness, excitement, anticipation, and fear about leaving their cherished home ground and moving to a new stadium, was now deserted.

Although it was announced to the fans that they could take anything from Turf Moor except for the items that would be placed in the museum to be built in the new stadium, club officials were taken aback by fans taking away the stadium’s grass and soil, as well as even tearing off some of the seats in the stands to preserve their precious memories.

But everyone laughed it off.

Since demolition work was scheduled to begin tomorrow under the direction of professional personnel dispatched from the architectural firm, they hoped that fans would cherish their memories.

Sitting in the middle of the Jimmy McIlroy Stand, located on the east side of Turf Moor, which had largely preserved its form, Helena watched the silent stadium. Hyungmin, who was sitting next to her, nodded at her words.

“We’ve made so many memories here, and now it’s disappearing…”

“…?”

Hyungmin, who trailed off, gave a faint smile to Helena, who was waiting for an answer.

“It’s bittersweet.”

“Yes, ‘bittersweet’ is the perfect word.”

The CEO, who normalized the club’s operations after facing bankruptcy in just two seasons, and the manager, who elevated the relegation-threatened rural team to a European powerhouse during the same period, exchanged smiles.

“Shall we go now? We’ll be busy again from tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

Helena, who took Hyungmin’s outstretched hand and stood up, looked at Turf Moor bathed in moonlight.

“The next time we come here, it will be a new place.”

****

As Helena said, Burnley Football Club officials were thrown into a whirlwind of fierce battles from the very next day, more intense than any match.

[…No, I can’t confirm that.]

[…Not yet. Then. Of course. I’ll let you know first.]

The emergency situation room was set up in the conference room next to Burnley’s Football Director Jonathan Landris’s office.

Shelley Piper, Burnley’s press officer, slumped in her chair after ending the latest call amidst a flood of incoming calls.

“Where is it this time?”

“The Guardian. Jonathan, we can’t stop it anymore. We need to make an announcement soon.”

“What announcement? The player has to make a decision before we can announce anything.”

Jonathan also answered calmly, but his face was slightly pale, even though it wasn’t even past lunchtime yet.

The transfer market is always busy as soon as the season ends.

However, Burnley, who conquered the Europa League with a young squad coveted by all the major European clubs, was on a different level.

And the most outstanding gem among Burnley’s many jewels was sitting in the specially prepared conference room next door with his agent, his face slightly pale from the offers pouring in.

“Um… what should I do with this?”

“Hmm…”

Alexander Bayer, the agent of Karim Adeyemi, the German national team player and Burnley’s young ace, swallowed hard at the player’s question.

When Bayern Munich’s offer came in, he thought they could just make a decision without much deliberation, but he was speechless in the face of the flood of offers that followed.

Jonathan Landris was ruthlessly rejecting offers that didn’t meet the condition of paying the full buyout clause in cash immediately, but Europe’s mega-clubs were lining up to acquire Burnley’s young gem, even if it meant paying £73 million upfront.

In mainland Europe, there were Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and PSG [Paris Saint-Germain].

Within England, there were Chelsea, Manchester United, and even Newcastle.

Perhaps it was fortunate that Barcelona, who didn’t make an offer due to their shaky financial situation, Manchester City, who didn’t have much concern about their attack after acquiring Erling Haaland, and Liverpool, who still had to play in the Champions League final and couldn’t get involved in such a big deal, were missing.

The moment the article came out in the morning that Bayern Munich had officially made an offer to pay the buyout clause, Alexander Bayer and Jonathan Landris’s phones were ringing off the hook.

They could match anything he wanted in terms of weekly wage or other conditions!

He just had to come!

Football directors or key figures equivalent to them from each club were flying into Manchester Airport on private jets to negotiate directly with the player. Thanks to Helena’s threat to not allow outsiders into the Banfield Training Center, the player and his agent were barely able to buy themselves some time to think.

“What does the manager think?”

“Uh…”

*I’m the one who’s being robbed of you?*

Hyungmin looked slightly embarrassed, but he erased his reluctant expression at the young player’s pleading eyes and seriously considered his answer.

“Hmm… If I were you, I’d start by eliminating the places I wouldn’t want to go.”

“Ah, that’s true too.”

Unless there were no other options, there was no need to put up with something he didn’t like in a situation where there were so many options and the detailed conditions were expected to be similar.

Karim Adeyemi, nodding as if he understood, turned to his agent.

“Then please exclude all the English clubs for now.”

“Are you sure?”

Alexander Bayer asked back with a bewildered expression.

No matter what anyone said, the English Premier League was the best league in the world.

A place where the best managers and players in the world competed against each other in the most financially abundant environment.

Karim Adeyemi nodded to his agent, who was asking with his expression if he would give that up so easily.

“I don’t know about later, but I don’t want to face Burnley yet. The manager is still going to be here, right?”

Hyungmin flinched at the word ‘yet,’ but eventually chuckled.

“Yeah. I plan to stay. But we might face each other in the Champions League?”

“Well, that can’t be helped. You won’t listen even if I beg you to go easy on me then.”

Hyungmin made a dumbfounded expression at Karim Adeyemi’s confident declaration.

“What are you talking about? I’m going to tell the kids to break both of your legs. I recommend you wear two layers of protective gear.”

“Are they going to chase me with their slow feet? Tell them to just eat my dust.”

The teacher and student exchanged jokes and chuckled.

Alexander Bayer also chuckled and removed three of the proposals on the table.

“And I’m not going to PSG.”

“Okay.”

Although it was a breeding ground for promising players, the French Ligue 1 was inferior to other European leagues.

And although PSG claimed to be the richest club in the world, that title had also faded as Newcastle was acquired by a Saudi Arabian consortium [a group of companies or entities with combined resources].

Above all, the star-studded attack of Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, and even Lionel Messi was still intact.

Of course, Lionel Messi was nearing retirement, and Neymar was also getting older, but PSG’s attack would inevitably revolve around Kylian Mbappé.

Although Karim Adeyemi was altruistic compared to his outstanding skills, he didn’t really want to be in the position of being second-in-command and taking care of other players throughout his career.

“Then there are only two choices left.”

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Warm Spain and cold but climatically familiar Germany.

To be honest, it was a bit difficult to say who was superior in terms of history and tradition, but more people still considered Real Madrid to be a cut above.

Real Madrid, boasting a historic rivalry with Barcelona and dominating the Spanish Primera Liga [the top professional football division of the Spanish football league system] and European stage.

Bayern Munich, maintaining its position as the absolute powerhouse of the German Bundesliga [the top-tier German professional football league] and securing its status as a strong team in Europe.

Spain, where he would have to adapt to a new language and environment, and Bayern Munich, where he wouldn’t even need an adaptation period with his German national team colleagues.

Karim Adeyemi was lost in thought between the two.

The agent and manager were waiting silently for the young ace’s choice, and Karim Adeyemi, who had been contemplating, raised his head and looked at Hyungmin.

“It feels like it was just yesterday that I came to Burnley… and now I’m already leaving.”

“I know. On the one hand, it feels like a long time has passed, but it’s only been two seasons.”

The young prospect who came to Burnley as a promising player boasted by RB Salzburg was now growing into a world-class player, and the day of his departure was approaching.

“I didn’t know I’d be leaving this soon. Last season, I had fun with Niki, Hannibal, and Jacob… This season, Benjamin and Luca came, and I became close to Christian, but it’s time to say goodbye.”

Hyungmin smiled at his student’s words as he reminisced as if saying goodbye.

“You’ll be able to make new good friends wherever you go. Well, both of the teams you’re considering have German national team players, right? Real Madrid has Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger, and Bayern Munich will be full of players you know.”

“Heh, well, there’s nothing I can’t do wherever I go. I just have to play soccer well.”

Hyungmin smiled back at Karim Adeyemi, who was grinning.

“Hehehe, yeah. You just have to play soccer well.”

“Thank you for everything, Manager. Thanks to you, I was able to enjoy playing soccer in Salzburg and Burnley.”

“Yeah, I enjoyed it too.”

“If I have the chance to play under you again in the future, I think it would be fun.”

Hyungmin chuckled at the young player’s words, unable to hide his disappointment.

“Heh, thanks. Take care of yourself. If we meet as opponents, score a lot of goals.”

“Hehehe. Yes.”

As Hyungmin smiled, Karim Adeyemi turned to his agent.

“I’ve made my decision now.”