Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 127

< 126. Thirst? Malmö >

The League Round 6 match was a heartbreaking one for the Tottenham players.

Every away game is tough, but this one was absolute hell.

First of all, playing in a stadium where over 60,000 of the 66,000 spectators were home fans was hell in itself.

Starting the game already intimidated by the opposing team’s Ballon d’Or winner was also the worst.

However, those things only fueled the Tottenham players’ fighting spirit even more.

They were uninvited guests dragged to someone else’s party, but they had the chance to completely ruin it.

By playing a good game and winning.

However, the game didn’t go as the Tottenham players hoped.

Even after the game started, the Tottenham players had to suffer from the Ballon d’Or curse.

“Guys who haven’t even sniffed a Ballon d’Or are acting up.”

“Don’t keep clinging. I know you want to smell the Ballon d’Or, but don’t stick to me. I’ll sign autographs later.”

The derby matches between the two teams are always fierce.

Throughout the 90 minutes, the players’ bodies, as well as their mouths, never rest, as has been the case in every game.

But today, the Tottenham players had no grounds to win the war of words.

The West Ham players kept teasing the Tottenham players with the Ballon d’Or, and the Tottenham players had nothing to say whenever the Ballon d’Or was mentioned.

All they could do was seethe.

West Ham had three players in the top 30 [of Ballon d’Or ranking], while Tottenham had none.

“Is this a derby? It’s embarrassing. With a team that can’t even make it to the Europa League, let alone the Champions League.”

“Playing in the Champions League, playing against you guys makes the game so easy.”

Moreover, the West Ham players also taunted the Tottenham players about the Champions League.

The Tottenham players had no choice but to play the game in a mentally unstable state.

“Do you regret it now? The way you used to provoke us?”

However, they couldn’t exactly feel wronged.

It was all karma.

Until last season, it was always the Tottenham players who attacked with words first.

Even the same stories.

The Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.

Until last season, the situation of the two teams was the opposite of what it is now.

The Tottenham players always used to say that it was embarrassing to have a derby with a team that couldn’t even make it to the Champions League, and they bragged about the Ballon d’Or, mentioning Luka Modrić.

Modrić, the Ballon d’Or winner from Tottenham.

“You have nothing to brag about, so you brag about a player from another team? Tottenham ‘出身’ [shusshin, meaning ‘alumnus’ or ‘from’ in Japanese]? Proud to be a selling club?”

Now that has become a mockery.

A Ballon d’Or winner ‘from’ Tottenham?

They have a guy who received the Ballon d’Or while belonging to West Ham.

In the end, the Tottenham players had no choice but to be in a mentally and physically weakened state from the start of the game to the end.

In that state, there was no way they could properly play the game.

Capello claimed that the Ballon d’Or rankings were wrong, but looking at the game, you could feel that the Ballon d’Or wasn’t prestigious for no reason.

The players in the top 30 of the Ballon d’Or showed a higher level of skill and carried the game.

Capello, shining in 27th place, recorded 1 goal and 1 assist, showing a performance worthy of 27th place.

Bellamy, in 19th place, showed solid defense and tightly blocked Tottenham’s attack.

And Yohan, in 1st place, showed an awe-inspiring figure that changed the atmosphere of the ground whenever he caught the ball, ending the game with a hat trick.

A performance that anyone who didn’t know soccer would have understood why this player received the Ballon d’Or.

Perhaps, it was a good choice.

For Tottenham fans to give up on booking tickets for this game.

ㆍㆍㆍ

After League Round 6, the Premier League entered a brief break.

This was because the first and second weeks of October were the A-match day period [international match days].

Now, West Ham was no longer a team that could simply think of the A-match day period as a break.

More than half of the starting best eleven were also playing as starters in their respective national teams.

However, this A-match period was expected to be a sweet break.

Because last season’s national team schedule was so tight, the players who played in the Euros [European Championship] were not called up for this gathering.

In other words, most of the players were able to stay with the team, only train, and take a break.

“Why do we even have useless A-matches like this?”

“Huh? What are you complaining about again, Yohan-kyung [term of endearment]?”

“That’s right. If you’re going to do it, just do it all at once. What’s the reason for doing it in the middle of the league?”

“I don’t know either, you brat. Go argue with the UEFA [Union of European Football Associations] president.”

“We also need to get rid of the fixed idea of having a season for 10 months. If we just organize the useless schedules, we can finish it in half a year.”

“Still, we need weeks like this to rest. Ah, I guess it’s not a break for you.”

Well, the break week wasn’t a break week for Yohan.

On the contrary, it was hell week.

The training exemption tickets he had earned quickly ran out because there were no games, and he had to clock in at the training ground every day.

By the second week, he was complaining of dizziness, begging to be allowed to play in a game.

“The coach is amazing too. He made that guy beg to play in a game.”

“Anyway, the innocent Malmö kids are in big trouble.”

This made me feel sorry for Malmö for no reason.

After the break, West Ham’s first schedule was the Champions League group stage Round 3, away against Malmö.

Even though they were the opposing team, I was worried.

They had to face Yohan, who was begging to play in the game.

Malmö was already considered the weakest team in the group, so they were really in big trouble.

They’re in big trouble.

*

“Coach. When Yohan is like that, don’t you feel like playing a prank on him?”

“What kind of prank?”

“He’s just waiting for the Malmö game, what if we tell him we’re not going to let him play in the game? I wonder what his expression would be like?”

“How old is this guy, and he’s still thinking about playing pranks.”

“Oh, come on. It sounds fun. We were always the ones begging. This is a chance to see him begging.”

Coach Schmidt scolds Jamie, the coach, for his absurd words.

An adult who has eaten enough age is playing a prank on a kid.

That won’t do.

“···.”

But, I’m a little curious.

What kind of reaction he would show.

Honestly, it’s been fun these past few days.

It was fun to see Yohan complaining about when the break would end.

I thought to myself, ‘I’ve lived long enough to see everything.’

Yohan begging to play in a game.

From the first time I saw him, I did everything I could to get him to play in a game.

I’ve lived long enough to see this.

Anyway, Yohan was just biding his time for the Malmö game.

Yohan was thinking of Malmö as some kind of oasis.

He was going to quench the thirst he had felt during the break in the Malmö game.

But what kind of reaction would he show if he was told that he wouldn’t be playing in the Malmö game?

“Honestly, it sounds fun, right? Huh?”

“Shut up, you brat.”

It’s not that it sounds fun.

······I’m just curious.

*

“Huh? W-what do you mean.”

“What do I mean? Just what you heard.”

“···Are you kidding? I-I don’t have any problems. I’m overflowing with energy.”

“It’s okay. You can rest. Malmö is a team below our level. Kane can play and we can win easily. You can rest.”

“···.”

Seeing Yohan’s bewildered expression, Coach Schmidt turned his head for no reason.

Trying desperately not to laugh.

Coach Schmidt cleared his throat a few times and turned his head again.

“This season is different from last season. There are many games. The time for you to perform will come soon. There’s no need to rush.”

“I’m different this season too. I can play in every game. I’ve decided to end it this season.”

“Hmm.”

“Please let me play, Coach. Huh?”

Coach Schmidt turns his head again.

I shouldn’t be doing this at this age, but a thrilling pleasure rises up.

Yohan begging to let him play.

I’ve made a person.

I’ve made a person.

“Are you confident?”

“Confident···? O-of course. Coach.”

“Hmm. Then, I’ll make a special allowance.”

“Thank you··· Thank you, Coach!”

Yohan, who bowed his head repeatedly and turned away at Coach Schmidt’s words that he would allow him to play.

Only after Yohan left the coach’s office,

“Puhuhu···”

Coach Schmidt burst into laughter that he had been holding back.

ㆍㆍㆍ

“That’s harsh. That’s so harsh.”

October 16, 2028.

The day of the Champions League group stage Round 3.

Malmö FF’s coach, Stellan Sigurdsson, clicked his tongue after checking the starting lineup.

Coach Sigurdsson had expected that West Ham, the opponent in today’s game, would come out with some of their strength taken out.

No, it was more of a wish than an expectation.

West Ham had already beaten Barcelona and Paris anyway.

Then they could take it easy when they play against them.

The Premier League schedule is already tight.

However, West Ham did not come out with their strength taken out.

No, they did take it out.

But it didn’t feel like they had taken it out at all.

What I mean is, Yohan was named in the starting lineup.

“Still, Capello and Bailey, those two are on the bench.”

“Does that matter, you idiot. The guy who won the Ballon d’Or is out there.”

“We have to think positively. Still, it’s better to block one than to block three.”

“Yeah. That’s right. If it’s one, then maybe something will happen.”

Malmö had lost both of their last two games, against Paris and Barcelona.

However, they didn’t lose completely helplessly.

In particular, the game against Barcelona at home was quite fierce.

They blocked Barcelona’s attack well throughout the game, but lost 0-1 with a goal they gave up at the end.

In that game, the Barcelona fans couldn’t help but be quite surprised.

Because Malmö’s defense was unexpectedly good.

Of course, it is true that it is difficult to break through any team if they are determined to play ten-back [a defensive strategy where most players focus on defending].

Malmö showed a decent defensive performance even among them.

Even Barcelona, who came to the game with their best lineup to make up for their loss against West Ham, was held by Malmö to just 1 point.

Certainly, Malmö’s defense was decent.

In fact, Malmö has not traditionally been a team with good defense.

Malmö’s strength is rather on the attack side.

That’s because, although Malmö is one of the weakest teams in the Champions League, Malmö is like Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in the Swedish league.

They are the strongest team in the league.

Thanks to this, Malmö had no choice but to have its own difficulties.

They can’t play the soccer they play in the league in the Champions League.

Malmö plays attacking soccer based on technical build-up in the league, but when they come to the Champions League, all they can do is ten-back.

They can’t play build-up soccer against Barcelona or Paris.

Because of this, Malmö has always struggled in the Champions League.

In the first place, their power level itself had no choice but to be like that.

Anyway, Coach Sigurdsson was a coach who wanted to solve such problems.

The solution was the transplantation of defensive soccer.

It was to make Malmö a team with a strong defense.

Coach Sigurdsson’s idea was that if they couldn’t play like they do in the league in the Champions League, they should make the league a team that plays like they do in the Champions League.

Since Coach Sigurdsson’s appointment, Malmö’s style has changed to soccer that focuses on defense.

In the beginning, it drew the resentment of the fans, but as a result, it achieved its own results and is now trusted.

Because of this, they were quite confident in today’s game as well.

Of course, it is very burdensome to have to face the Ballon d’Or winner, Yohan Ban.

There is no Capello, who is the core of the midfield, and there is no Joshua Bailey, who is a quite difficult winger.

With this much, I had some confidence that I could block it quite well like in the Barcelona game.

However, when the game actually started.

Coach Sigurdsson, who thought it would be worth a try, couldn’t help but be quite embarrassed.

“···Does he have a grudge against us? Did we do something wrong?”

This was because Yohan, who had been waiting for today’s game, was going crazy from the beginning of the game.

The sight was like a hungry beast released from its cage.