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Two days after the second round of the Premier League against Chelsea.

The period of the Champions League group draw was approaching.

The Manchester United players checked the draw in their own ways.

“Son Jinho! Hurry up!”

“What’s going on? Did it start?”

“Yeah!”

I decided to watch it at home with my family.

-Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: Please, let’s go up comfortably!

Chairman Hwang Geum-soon wasn’t here in person, but his spirit was with us, and after Chelsea’s defeat, Gyeouri and my mother-in-law, who had been fiercely arguing in the group chat, clasped their hands together in prayer.

“Please! Let us be assigned to the honey group!”

Hmm.

It was truly a rare moment of mother-daughter unity.

Unlike Gyeouri, who was fervently wishing, I didn’t pray for Manchester United to be placed in a honey group.

Having already navigated countless death groups in Dortmund and believing that with Cristiano Ronaldo and Van Persie, we could breezily advance through the group stage.

– Bumdud: Son Jinho. More important than who the opponent is, is my own play.

– Little kid throwing shade: My inner child says this draw will bring good luck to Man U!

Despite their personalities, both of those guys had remarkable skills.

Anyway, time passed and the group formation for Manchester United was completed.

Whether Gyeouri’s earnest prayers were answered or my inner child truly existed, I couldn’t know.

[Champions League Group A: Manchester United – AC Milan – Basel – Celtic.]

Manchester United successfully ended up in a honey group.

“Wow!! This is a jackpot!!!”

As soon as the group selection was announced, Gyeouri jumped up from her seat and ran towards me, hugging me.

Squish.

“Uh.”

And peace settled in my heart.

Would I not laugh it off even if Ronaldo provoked me now?

As a sage now, I patted Gyeouri’s head in my arms while objectively recalling the strengths of the other teams in our group.

‘Van Dijk’s with Celtic, and Salah’s with Basel, right?’

If Van Dijk and Salah performed well against Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson would surely recruit both during this winter transfer window.

Well. I couldn’t guarantee that just because the two were signed, it would ensure Champions League victory.

Winning the Champions League isn’t just about the players’ names being prestigious.

I managed to lift the Champions League trophy by luck in Dortmund, but truthfully, winning it isn’t easy.

In my opinion, lifting the big ear requires the right people, timing, and luck.

Just look at how Pep Guardiola, despite pouring in astronomical amounts of money, still took seven years!

That’s how hard it is to win the Champions League.

Moreover, during this period, Van Dijk and Salah being close to being underdogs is another reason I couldn’t assure victory.

Unlike the original history where he soared at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, there was a chance they could remain mediocre players if their growth was hindered.

Especially Salah, who had been overly timid during his time at Chelsea and confessed later in an interview that he suffered from mental pressure.

At least Bojan Krkić, who was once referred to as the next Messi, also struggled with panic attacks due to pressure, preventing him from developing properly. The mental care of young prospects was undoubtedly important.

Well… Ferguson will manage that well.

Ferguson was a master at player training.

He knew how to give harsh criticism to better-performing players and shower praise on those who needed it.

“Hm. Was Ronaldo so precious because of Sir Fergie?”

I had this strange feeling inside that Sir Ferguson’s image was morphing into that of a nagging mother. If the referee warned him, I could imagine him saying, “Why are you killing my kid’s spirit?” Perhaps there would soon be a no-manager zone on the touchline set up by the referee association.

While I was lost in my odd fantasy, the draw continued.

“Nice!!”

Judging by my mother-in-law’s voice, Chelsea’s group formation seemed pretty good too.

And finally, the Chairman Hwang Geum-soon, who supports Arsenal…

– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: Ah, f*ck.

After leaving a message with a lot of implications, he disappeared from the group chat.

[Champions League Group A: Manchester United, AC Milan, Basel, Celtic.]

└ Wow. Manchester United’s draw luck is crazy good.

└ This group is a battle between Man United and AC Milan for first place.

└ Ah. Seeing Manchester United cruising through the group stage for three years makes me super jealous.

└ If you’re envious, you lose, hehe.

└ Ho Woo, let’s get one more big ear for our old man!

[Champions League Group B: Chelsea, Schalke 04, Shakhtar Donetsk, Steaua Bucharest.]

[Defending champions Dortmund are in a group with Arsenal, Napoli, and Marseille.]

└ No lol why is Dortmund in hell again this season? lololol.

└ How did the draw end up with Dortmund, Arsenal, Napoli, Marseille lmao?

└ Huh? But why is Arsenal in pot 2?

└ It seems that since last season’s Dortmund won the Champions League, they were pushed to pot 2?

└ Hmm. So then, Arsenal is guaranteed to advance to the round of 16, and it’s up to Napoli, Dortmund, and Marseille for the last spot?

└ ??? Why is it assumed that Arsenal will advance to the round of 16?

└ For real, Dortmund, the defending champions from last season, are in pot 1, yet Arsenal is being assumed to advance to the round of 16 lol.

└ Tsk tsk, are you guys having a science competition or something?

└ Ah lol that’s what it meant. Arsenal’s fourth place in the league and advancing to the Champions League round of 16 is scientific.

[The prestigious Geumsun High School, which produced the ‘Ballon d’Or favorite’ Son Jinho, posts a peculiar banner. “Congratulations, Chairman! Arsenal, welcome to the hell of champions! -All faculty-”]

└ Geumsun High School is a science high school, right?

└ No no, it’s not.

└ But how is the chairman a Gunner? lol.

└ Not funny.

└ I think it’s funny.

└ Man U doctor: Is it because the chairman is a Gunner, so it’s a science high school? lol.

└ Wow. Is this funny?

[Premier League Round 3, most anticipated match? The North West Derby between Man U and Liverpool.]

[Manchester United starting lineup announced.]

FW: Ronaldo – Van Persie

MF: Januzaj – Son Jinho – Carrick – Zaha

DF: Evra – Vidic – Ferdinand – Rafael

GK: De Gea.

***

The day after the Champions League draw ended.

The Manchester United players boarded the club bus to face their rivals Liverpool in an away game.

Manchester and Liverpool were only about 50 minutes apart by bus, and we planned to make it a day trip.

The Man U players gathered in groups inside the spacious club bus to chat, with the main topic being yesterday’s draw.

“The Champions League draw wasn’t bad.”

To Ji Song’s words, I shrugged my shoulders and responded.

“What matters more is the knockout stage opponent than the group stage.”

“Well, I never thought we’d meet Dortmund in the round of 16 last year.”

I playfully replied.

“Man U came up as second in the group and faced them.”

“Who would have thought Real Madrid would come second in the group?”

“That’s true.”

While having a conversation in Korean with Ji Song, Ji Song’s best friend Evra, curious about what we were saying, approached us.

“Ji. What’s Jinho saying?”

“Huh? He said we flopped out of the Champions League last year because of us?”

“Oh~ Boss!! Jinho says it’s our fault that we got knocked out in the last 16 last season!”

Hearing this false information from Ji Song, Evra exaggeratedly reported it to Ferguson, who responded nonchalantly.

“It’s because you didn’t play well, so it’s your fault, isn’t it?”

Evra pouted his lips in response to Ferguson’s words, while the bus filled with laughter at Evra’s exaggerated antics.

“Ji. I’m so sad.”

“Do you want me to teach you how to say that in Korean?”

“Oh. Sure.”

“I am a fool.”

“I’m a fool…. Oh, no! no! no! That’s what I said last time!”

Then, Evra and Ji Song started a comedic routine, and I checked a message from Hongmin Hyung.

– Hongmin Hyung: Hey.

– Ho Woo: Huh?

– Hongmin Hyung: Is Dortmund cursed or something?

– Hongmin Hyung: Why is their Champions League draw like this for three years in a row?;;

– Ho Woo: hahahahahahaha

While exchanging messages with Hongmin, Anfield, Liverpool’s home ground, came into sight.

– Ho Woo: Hyung, still, if it’s Arsenal, it’s feasible.

– Ho Woo: Back in my day, the opponent was Real Madrid~

After sending the message to Hongmin, I tucked my smartphone away.

***

Upon entering Anfield, Liverpool’s home stadium, we were warmly greeted by the fellow Kopites.

Hearing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” echoing through the stadium made it feel like I was in Dortmund.

If only there had been fireworks in the south stand, it would have been perfect.

“Is this kid really this year’s transfer?”

“What a joke!”

“Just don’t cry after getting bodied by Sanchez!”

Anyway, the Kop at Anfield was confident of victory.

Having traded Alexis Sánchez and Luis Suárez, Liverpool was on a two-game winning streak since the start of the season.

“Sánchez! Sánchez!”

In the original history, Sánchez, who would have spent the season as the Messiah King at FC Barcelona, after being traded to Liverpool, led the attack with Daniel Sturridge and won the admiration of Liverpool fans.

Beep—

With the referee’s whistle, the North West Derby between Man U and Liverpool began.

In the 11th minute of the first half.

Januzaj, who started as a right midfielder, nervously made a mistake due to the atmosphere of Anfield.

Gerrard, who intercepted Januzaj’s pass, quickly connected a through pass to Alexis Sánchez, who was playing as the left winger.

And Alexis Sánchez,

Swish—

“Waaah—!”

He repaid the faith of the fans cheering for him.

***

[(Live) Liverpool 0 : 0 Manchester United.]

– 11th minute: Alexis Sánchez scores the opening goal.

– Assist by Steven Gerrard.

└ Sssssssssssssss

└ King Chess! King Chess! King Chess! King Chess!

└ Isn’t King Chess worse than the Messiah King?

└ Messiah King! Messiah King! Messiah King! Messiah King!

└ Hey Man U kids, do you get it? This is Huang Liverpool!

└ The Messiah King is for real insane. At this pace, he’ll score 38 goals in 38 games, right?

└ We’re only three games in and here we are talking about a 38 goal pace, seriously.

└ Ah. What’s the idiot’s name who messed up the pass over there?

└ Who? Januzaj? He was a promising young player in your team, idiot.

└ You don’t even know the name of the player you support, your level as a Man U fan is lol.

└ ??? What nonsense are you talking? I’m not a Man U fan.

└ If you’re not a Man U fan, why are you cheering for Man U? lol.

└ You’re acting like you aren’t a fan now that they’re under attack, huh? Disgusting, right?

└ I’m not a Man U fan, I’m just a Son Jinho fan.

└ Ah. So Son Jinho fans get it, huh?

└ Ho Woo really can’t hold it back, huh? lol.

└ I don’t want anything else. Just let my brother avoid horror and record it. You guys can win the game.

└ Okay, I hope Son Jinho scores one goal and Liverpool wins 2-1.

└ Man U doctor: ??? Why did the conclusion suddenly end up like that?

└ Ah. Please step aside, ma’am.

└ Man U doctor: I’m not a ma’am!

└ Man U doctor: Anyway, Son Jinho will score a hat trick and Manchester United will win 5-0!

└ Ma’am, we already scored one goal, you know?

└ Man U doctor: ;;;;

└ Man U doctor: Manchester United will win 5-1!

 

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