Chapter 9

9. Strengthening the Team (1)

After the 9th round, the way the public viewed Seoul United changed. This was because, after the victory in the 9th round, they had not lost a single match in the following 10 games and had secured 6 more wins.

The sports media extensively covered this, and some even speculated about the possibility of Ha Jun being appointed as the official head coach.

11 games, 7 wins, 4 draws.

Amid the praise from Seoul's supporters and the sports media for the dramatic improvement in performance since Ha Jun took over as interim head coach, the K2 League entered a break period in mid-May. The reason for the break was the World Cup.

"The World Cup..."

It was the 2030 South American World Cup. This World Cup was a joint effort by Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile, commemorating the first World Cup held in Uruguay 100 years ago. While public attention was focused on the World Cup, Ha Jun seemed to have little interest in it.

"We can't exactly sign a World Cup star, and I hope they don't get injured. Sigh..."

Among the players who were in the top division until last season, two were selected for the national team: Shin Young-jun and Jeong Sang-gi.

Shin Young-jun was a versatile option in the midfield and was consistently named in the national team squad. Jeong Sang-gi, on the other hand, was named as a reserve due to his impressive performance this season.

"Still, Sang-gi's selection is quite surprising. How long has he been in the league?"

Ha Jun, who had not paid much attention to the national team, was unaware of the circumstances behind Jeong Sang-gi's selection. The national team was short on strikers, and with the injury of Seong Ju-hyuk, a regular starter, the coach had to look across the entire K League, where Jeong Sang-gi caught his eye.

Just as Ha Jun was planning the team's training during the break,

Knock knock.

The sound of someone knocking on the door of the head coach's office was heard.

"Yes. Come in."

The person who entered with Ha Jun's permission was Jin Jeong-hwan, the club's chief scout.

"Oh. You're here?"

"Yes, Coach. I've come to report on the players from the region you requested. Would you like to see the data?"

Ha Jun took the scouting report from Jin Jeong-hwan and showed a look of interest. The region Ha Jun had asked Jin Jeong-hwan to scout was Germany. He had asked him to look into South American, Asian, and European players in Germany who were about to become free agents.

"Hmm... Most of them don't even make it to the 2. Bundesliga?"

Jin Jeong-hwan nodded in agreement with Ha Jun's statement.

"Yes. We believe that players who can contribute to the rotation in the Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga would be difficult to contact."

That made sense.

Even though it was the second division, the 2. Bundesliga was one of the higher-level leagues outside the top five European leagues. A player who could contribute to the rotation in such a league would have little reason to come to Korea without a significant salary offer.

"Hmm..."

Although Ha Jun had expected it, the scouting report in his hands was even more disappointing than he had anticipated. As he flipped through the pages, a name caught his eye.

"Kwon Myung-ho? Is this player about to become a free agent?"

"Yes. He has recently fallen out of favor with the Bochum coach and is not getting much playing time."

"Myung-ho... Hmm..."

Tap.

Tap-tap.

Ha Jun, lost in thought after hearing Jin Jeong-hwan's words, rhythmically tapped his fingers on the desk.

Kwon Myung-ho.

One of the players who had excelled alongside Ha Jun in the Olympics. In his prime, he was a left-back who could create chances by breaking down the opposition's left flank with movements reminiscent of Marcelo. The thought of such a player becoming a free agent made Ha Jun think deeply.

'Is he still as good as he used to be?'

If Kwon Myung-ho's skills were still at their peak, Ha Jun would have pursued his signing without hesitation, offering the highest salary he could.

However, the fact that he had fallen out of favor with the coach and was not getting enough playing time was a concern.

"By the way, how long has Myung-ho not played?"

"Since the second half of the season, he hasn't played. He occasionally appeared in the DFB-Pokal, but after they were eliminated, even that stopped."

Ha Jun nodded slowly as he listened to Jin Jeong-hwan.

"I understand. Do you have any video footage of the players in the scouting report?"

"Yes, I was able to create videos for most of the players, but in the case of Kwon Myung-ho..."

He couldn't provide any footage because Myung-ho hadn't played.

Ha Jun nodded, understanding Jin Jeong-hwan's unspoken words.

"That's fine. Please pass on the video footage you have. Thank you for your hard work."

"I will organize the files and send them to you on a USB."

After Jin Jeong-hwan left the office, Ha Jun sighed and slumped onto the sofa.

"There's no suitable player. Is it because the idea of signing a free agent is so distasteful that they're hiding them from me?"

Ha Jun didn't intend to spend a lot of money in this summer's transfer market. The transfer budget set by the club, though substantial for a team that had been relegated to the second division, was only 30 billion won. Moreover, the players he wanted were not only expensive but also had no intention of playing in the second division.

"Still... How did he end up falling out of favor with the coach? Tsk."

Ha Jun searched for Kwon Myung-ho on his smartphone, which he had taken out of his pocket. He was a close friend, and even before his early retirement, or when he was a coach at Mainz, they often kept in touch. It was sad to see his friend's decline.

"He must still have the same skills."

Only then could he bring him in.

Ha Jun glared at his smartphone, suppressing his thoughts.

No matter how close they were or how they had won medals together, as a coach, he couldn't sign a player who lacked the necessary skills.

* * *

Thud!

Whizz! Thud!

Thud! Bang!

Watching Myung-ho skillfully dismantle the opposition at high speed on the screen, I felt relieved. If his skills had deteriorated, I would have had to give up the idea of signing him as a free agent.

"Damn, he hasn't lost it yet."

Back then.

Before I suffered my first major injury and changed my playing style, when we both represented the national team in the Olympics and played together, I can't forget those moments.

At the time, the reason South Korea won its second Olympic bronze medal in football history was attributed to me, Lee Hyuk-ho, and Myung-ho. Especially, the left flank, where I and Myung-ho played, was as strong as any European powerhouse.

My ability to dismantle the opposition's final third and Myung-ho's ability to dominate the left flank were reminiscent of the partnership between Ronaldo and Marcelo in Madrid. The only difference was that, unlike Ronaldo in Madrid, I focused more on creating chances and breaking down the opposition's defense rather than scoring goals.

"Well, thanks to that, Hyuk-ho managed to win the scoring title easily."

After reviewing the league footage from the first half of the season and the DFB-Pokal footage from the second half, I concluded that his skills were still intact. Although his match fitness might have declined due to lack of playing time, I could help him regain it, so it wasn't a problem.

"The question is whether he wants to come back to Korea..."

In his mid-20s, he was entering his prime. It was extremely rare for a player in his prime to return from Europe to Korea, except for military service reasons. Therefore, I couldn't be certain that he would join our team.

However.

Realistically, the chances of Myung-ho continuing to survive in Europe were close to zero. His individual technique, decision-making, and dribbling skills were exceptional, but his defensive abilities were a problem. No matter how attacking a wing-back is, if their defensive skills are lacking, coaches won't give them much attention.

This was likely the reason he fell out of favor with the Bochum coach. In a team that doesn't rely on an attacking wing-back to dismantle the opposition, a wing-back with poor defensive skills is often avoided.

This was also evident from the fact that he had been a journeyman, moving from team to team. His attacking talent was undoubtedly outstanding, and he could create various patterns in the final third.

However.

"It's ambiguous. He was probably a liability to them."

Despite his exceptional abilities, he couldn't compete with the established players in the top teams of the first division. For lower teams in the first division or teams in the lower divisions, a player with poor defensive skills would be a difficult choice.

Thus, while he could transfer to other teams, he eventually ended up on the bench.

Still, the one reason I could consider signing Myung-ho was his ability as a "flank destroyer."

The characteristic of a flank destroyer, as shown by the insight in my left eye, was evident in the match footage where he performed like Marcelo.

Knock knock.

"Boss, it's Vollmer."

"Ah, come in."

I called Vollmer to discuss the possibility of signing Myung-ho. Although he was working as a coach in Korea, Vollmer had experience as a coach in the Bundesliga, so he would be a valuable partner in this discussion.

'Wait. Why is he coaching in Korea?'

I suddenly wondered why a German-born coach with Bundesliga experience was coaching in an Asian team.

"I called you for a meeting, Vollmer."

"Hehe. I always welcome meetings for the team's development, Boss."

I placed a cup of coffee in front of Vollmer, who was sitting on the sofa, and sat opposite him.

"Um, before the meeting, I have a personal question."

"Hmm? Do you have a question?"

"Vollmer, I know you coached in the Bundesliga. How did you end up in Korea?"

Vollmer, who had opened his eyes wide at my question, laughed and answered.

"Ah! That's because my wife is from South Korea. I got married during my time as a Bundesliga coach, and my wife's homesickness was so severe that we moved to Korea. In front of love, the Bundesliga is just another football league, Boss."

I nodded slightly at Vollmer, who proudly spoke about the power of love. While I didn't fully understand that level of love, it was good to have a talented person on my team.

"I see... Well, I called you today to discuss the signing of a player."

"Oh! Which player?"

Instead of answering, I took out a tablet PC and played Myung-ho's match footage, handing it to Vollmer.

Vollmer let out exclamations of "Oh!" and "Wow!" and "Phew!" as he watched the footage, and after finishing, he said:

"What an incredible player! His destructive power in attack and in the final third is like watching Marcelo. However..."

Vollmer, who had praised his attacking movements, then frowned and continued:

"He is a player with very poor defensive skills, to the point where the Bochum supporters suggested he should play as a winger. Do you have a negative view on signing this player, Vollmer?"

Vollmer shook his head in response to my question.

"Not at all. While he has clear strengths and weaknesses, given your tactical style, I believe we can minimize his weaknesses and maximize his strengths. He could also create more patterns in the final third."

Encouraged by Vollmer's confident words, I picked up the phone and dialed.

Ring ring ring.

After a few rings,

- Hello? Is that Ha Jun?

Kwon Myung-ho answered the phone with a somewhat low-energy voice.

"It's been a while, Myung-ho. Would you like to work with me again?"