Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 167

167. New Boys

Although the transfer market was still buzzing for other teams, Burnley Football Club’s first team squad, having completed all their summer transfers and signings before June even ended, gathered on Tuesday, July 4th, to prepare for the pre-season.

In a press conference held the previous day by Football Director Jonathan Landris, over ten new players were introduced to the media. Guided by Nicholas Seiwald, who was serving as the temporary captain in the absence of James Tarkowski, they toured the Banfield Training Centre. However, the new recruits still seemed uneasy in their new training grounds.

As the new and existing players eyed each other nervously in the locker room, one player decided to break the ice and approach the newcomers.

“Hi! I’m Bailey. Let’s get along well!”

Burnley’s goalkeeper, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, extended his hand with a smile to his new teammate, who occupied the locker next to him, for a handshake.

The brown-haired Italian goalkeeper, Marco Carnesecchi, who was almost the same height as Bailey at 193cm (6’4″) but with a slightly sturdier build, looked back and forth between his face and the offered hand before declaring in a heavily accented voice:

“You, me, enemy! Me, you, hurt heart! Me, you, win!”

Then, he vigorously grasped the offered hand, shaking it firmly while opening his other arm wide to hug him tightly, even kissing both cheeks before finally releasing the bewildered Northern Ireland national team’s starting goalkeeper.

Astonished, Bailey Peacock-Farrell looked down at his still-tingling hand before looking back at his goalkeeping rival.

He had taken a leap of faith to approach first, but what was this bizarre mismatch between words and actions?!

From the corner of the locker room, assistant coach Carolina, who had been watching their conversation and expressions, approached Marco Carnesecchi with a peculiar expression and asked him something in rapid Italian.

After a short, rapid exchange that Bailey Peacock-Farrell couldn’t understand, Carolina grabbed her stomach with a scream-like laugh and collapsed to the ground, rolling around.

In an instant, the squad’s attention focused on Marco Carnesecchi, who, with a flushed face, looked around in embarrassment. Tommaso Pobega, an Italian national who approached him with quick steps, asked a few questions and then burst into laughter as well.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

As Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who had become close with Tommaso Pobega over the past season, pressed him, Tommaso Pobega barely suppressed his laughter and explained the situation.

“Hahaha!! He wants to be friends with you! He likes you!”

“And?”

“His English is poor, so… Hahaha!!”

Realizing that he had inadvertently declared war, Bailey Peacock-Farrell looked down at Tommaso Pobega, who had finally burst into laughter and was sitting next to Carolina, who was still rolling on the floor, and shrugged at the young Italian goalkeeper who was looking at him with a gloomy expression.

Then, he forcefully kicked Tommaso Pobega’s butt.

Amidst the laughter of the squad, his teammate groaned in pain and rolled on the locker room floor, but Bailey Peacock-Farrell didn’t care.

More important than that indifferent midfielder was a teammate who, on one hand, was a positional rival, but on the other hand, was a colleague he would be training with all season long.

“It’s okay. As long as we get along well. Let’s get along in the future.”

Bailey Peacock-Farrell replied awkwardly to Marco Carnesecchi’s bright expression as he smiled broadly.

“Oh, but you need to study English a bit.”

“Me, soccer player! Me, study, can’t!”

“No, you mean you haven’t studied.”

Bailey Peacock-Farrell, with his arm around the giant Italian, led his new friend towards the training ground.

Of course, assistant coach Carolina, who was still rolling on the floor laughing… was too scary to even think about kicking.

***

“Uwaaaaaaack!”

Burnley Football Club’s annual pre-season ordeal had begun again.

Although they hadn’t started full-fledged training yet, under the guise of checking how much the players’ physical condition had deteriorated during the summer break and what the condition of the new recruits was, Burnley’s first team players were once again having their physical limits tested.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’ll get used to it soon.”

“Uwek… waek… eurgh…”

Last season, Luka Sučić had watched the spectacle of others vomiting and comforted his teammates.

Tommaso Pobega, who wasn’t very good with such sights, handed a water bottle he had brought to his new teammate with a slightly disgusted expression, even though his butt was throbbing.

“It’s okay. I was like that last season, but I got used to it before I knew it.”

“Ugh…”

He had heard the rumors and his agent had repeatedly warned him, so he thought he had done enough physical training in advance.

At least he started the pre-season in better physical condition than during the season, but what was this?

Keane Lewis-Potter, who had newly joined Burnley, thought as he rinsed his mouth with lukewarm water.

The existing first-team players who had returned from last season all looked fine, but the new recruits were all struggling.

Luca Pellegrini from Juventus, who had come from the Italian Serie A [Italian top-flight league], or Andreas Skov Olsen from Bologna, or Adam Hložek, the young ace of the Czech national team.

These were all players who were considered quite promising among the young players in European football, but they all had pale faces.

Patrick de Paula, who had come from Brazil where he had been in the middle of the season, also had a terrible expression.

Ah, of course, there was an exception.

Óscar Mingueza from Barcelona, who had been on loan to Burnley for half a season two seasons ago, was still holding up well, although his face was slightly pale.

And Amar Dedić from RB Salzburg, standing next to him, seemed completely fine, joking with Benjamin Šeško and Luka Sučić, who were also from RB Salzburg.

“Why are they…”

In response to Keane Lewis-Potter’s question after splashing water on his face with the water bottle Tommaso Pobega had given him and regaining some composure, his new teammate shrugged.

“The guys from Salzburg are a bit crazy anyway.”

“Tommaso! I can hear you from here!”

Tommaso Pobega chuckled at Luka Sučić’s shout and waved his hand.

“It’s true that the guys from Salzburg are crazy!”

“Well, I won’t deny it!”

As Burnley’s existing players and those from RB Salzburg giggled, Tommaso Pobega patted Keane Lewis-Potter on the back.

“It’s okay! You’ll get used to it soon.”

“Uh… but please stop patting my back… I feel more nauseous.”

“Ah, sorry.”

***

The expressions of the coaching staff, who were wearing the dreaded red caps and examining the players’ records and test results, were bright.

“Their condition is better than I thought? It seems they didn’t slack off too much during the break.”

Fitness coach Paulo Morais agreed with assistant coach Carolina’s words as she reviewed the indicators of the returning existing squad.

“It seems they followed the diet and exercise routines appropriately better than expected. The new friends are also… not bad.”

It would still be difficult to handle the intense training that Hyungmin demanded, but it was fortunate that they weren’t in a situation where they had to completely lose their fitness during the summer break and rebuild their bodies from scratch.

“It seems your reputation precedes you. The kids came with gritted teeth.”

“Reputation! We only do the minimum amount of training necessary!”

Hyungmin retorted, trying to shake off Taejin’s arm as he draped it over the manager’s shoulder.

The reason for the prior defense was that if the conversation proceeded with that thick arm around his shoulder, it would lead to the experience of being choked at some point, but the giant former Korean national team’s starting striker didn’t budge.

“Ha, if you can handle your training volume, you can play in any team in the world, right?”

He wanted to refute, but Hyungmin gave up arguing when he saw the coaching staff’s faces nodding in agreement.

Objectively, it was true that Burnley’s activity level was high, and it was also true that they emphasized physical training to support that activity level during the pre-season.

“Ah, whatever. Anyway, continue the physical check with Paulo. We have time until we leave on Friday, so give us the current physical condition and the physical program to be performed by each person by Thursday.”

“Of course, Manager.”

Hyungmin, who was still struggling to escape from Taejin’s sneering arm, finally freed himself and stroked his reddened nape, looking at Carolina.

“Then let’s go in and finish the tactical training plan.”

“Okay.”

After last season, Burnley Football Club officially offered Taejin a first-team coaching position.

Originally, the number of first-team coaches was too small, and during the second half of last season, Taejin had established himself well as a coach in the first team, contributing greatly to Burnley’s achievement of a small double [winning two trophies in a season], according to evaluations by Jonathan Landris and the coaching staff.

If Hyungmin, the manager, planned the overall tactics, it was assistant coach Carolina’s job to add detailed offensive and defensive tactics.

Fitness coach Paulo Morais was responsible for the physical training and management of the players to support this.

Taejin was responsible for caring for the players’ psychology and condition overall while conducting the planned training sessions.

And the detailed tactical changes according to the opponent were all conceived together and decided by Hyungmin.

Of course, there was also the process of getting Hyungmin’s reluctant consent, but no one thought it was important.

Frankly, he had to admit that Taejin was the right person to join the coaching staff.

Of course, there was the process of persuading Taejin’s wife and family, who suddenly had to move from Korea to the English countryside.

However, Taejin’s wife, Hyerin, not only liked the quiet and peaceful Burnley she had visited last time, but Taejin succeeded in persuading his wife in one shot with the keyword of English education in the local area, which all Koreans immediately understood.

In the end, Taejin, who had been busy looking for a house and schools for his children near Burnley during the summer break, confirmed his schedule to return to Burnley with his family after the summer tour, after entering Korea with the squad.

It was thanks to Helena, who had chartered a private plane for the summer training camp and friendly matches to be held in Korea, readily approving the family’s accompaniment.

Having completed the preparations step by step, Burnley Football Club finally started its first-ever East Asia tour in the club’s history.