Chapter 173
***
Before the match started.
“Booooooo─!”
Even with the jeers erupting from the Arsenal fans, Robin van Persie had no regrets about transferring to Manchester United.
As long as he stayed at Arsenal, he knew there was no chance of adding a league title trophy to his career.
Honestly, isn’t it ridiculous for a great player like him to not have a league title in his career?
Would he remain a legend of Arsenal without a league title?
Or would he become a legend of the Premier League?
His contemplation was short, and Robin van Persie chose to transfer.
And indeed, Robin van Persie’s quick decision paid off with a league title trophy.
His transfer to Manchester United could be proudly claimed as the best choice in his life.
Even though he was cursed as a traitor by Arsenal fans, he believed there would come a day when the fans would understand his choice.
“Boooooo─!”
“Drop dead, traitor!”
“I curse the whore who gave birth to you, you bastard!”
It was only until the game started that he heard the over-the-top insults from the Arsenal fans directed at him.
‘Why are they cursing me so much?’
The feelings of guilt towards the Arsenal fans that had filled van Persie’s heart vanished, leaving only resentment for being insulted.
Hadn’t he tried everything to stay at Arsenal for a lower salary?
It was Arsenal who didn’t propose a renewal.
[Robin van Persie, if you want a renewal, you have to meet my conditions.]
Van Persie completely forgot the actions he had taken in the transfer process and was furious about the ‘baseless’ jeers from the traveling Arsenal fans.
‘Those who insult me are not my fans.’
He swore revenge against the away Arsenal fans.
“Adnan!!”
And an opportunity for revenge presented itself soon.
A cross from Januzaj flying towards him.
‘Looks like I need to step back a bit.’
Van Persie thought as he leaned back and crossed his legs.
An impact occurs in mid-air.
A well-hit shot sped towards the goal, ripping through Arsenal’s net.
Confirming the score, van Persie got up and ran straight towards the Arsenal away section.
As the wind whipped past his cheeks, the insults from the Arsenal away fans drew nearer.
Reaching the opposite corner flag in a flash, Robin van Persie slid on his knees, and looking at the flying debris and the furious Arsenal fans, he finally realized what that ‘little child’ within him had longed for.
***
[Park Jisong, passes to Januzaj penetrating down the left! Januzaj! He sends it in!]
[GOOOOAL─! Robin van Persie’s fantastic bicycle kick shakes the Arsenal net!!]
└ SSSSSS
└ Kyah, lol, Park Jisong initiated it! SSSSS
└ Hey, it feels like Heuberg has been in form lately.
[Van Persie sprints with full force after scoring! But where is this player going?]
└ … but where the hell is that guy going?
└ No, why is he running for so long? Hahaha
└ Ah, if you’re thinking of that scene right now, you’re a football nerd. Haha
└ Shit, hahah
[Reverse run!! Reverse run! The legendary reverse run ceremony performed by Adebayor is being replayed by Robin van Persie.]
└ That reverse run is insane, did he lose it? Hahaha
└ The commentary seems insane too, look at how he accentuates the reverse run. Haha
└ That guy was hit in the face by Adebayor but wants to imitate his celebration?
└ But the reverse run ceremony is delicious, isn’t it?
└ It’s not like we’re being punished one after the other, shit, Son Jinho and Ronaldo are coming back, so van Persie is getting punished now.
└ For real, Ferguson is probably grabbing his neck in disbelief.
[Ah, objects are being thrown into the stadium by the furious Arsenal fans.]
└ Kyah, lol, the reverse run place is indeed 4snal. Hahaha
└ Legendary reactions haha
└ Ah, there should have been bath chairs by now, why aren’t they there? Damn it.
└ Wow. What’s happening? It’s more intense than when Adebayor was around?
└ That guy was the captain though, shit.
└ The captain transfers to a rival team, and the little child inside me whispers to go to Man U. Aita, da fu
└ The legendary moment when he used his renewal terms to release Aaron Ramsey and recruit his friend was also memorable. Haha
***
[What?! This player is smiling! Robin van Persie shows a bright smile in front of the angry Arsenal fans!!!]
└ Ha, seriously, what should I do about that traitor?
└ Celebrating like Adebayor, haha
└ Hahahaha
└ Not funny, you idiot.
└ Yeah~ everyone else is laughing except you~ idiot~
└ Shit, is the club going downhill? Why is it like this after Adebayor?
[Receiving a yellow card from the referee for provoking actions, Sir Alex Ferguson finally holds his neck.]
[Yes… it seems like additional penalties for provoking actions will follow. As a manager, this is bound to be a headache.]
***
The match between Manchester United and Arsenal became more intense after Robin van Persie provoked his former team with a reverse run celebration.
Van Persie is being intensely marked.
[Harsh tackle on Van Persie! The referee blows the whistle declaring Arsenal’s foul!]
But van Persie, reborn through the match against Stoke City, had many aspects that Arsenal found hard to restrain.
[Eh? An Arsenal player who tackled is down on the ground and can’t get up?]
[Ah, Van Persie crushed him during his landing. I hope the injury isn’t serious.]
Rather, he was being overwhelmed by van Persie’s solid physique standing at 186cm.
“D-Do we really have to keep this up?”
In the end, the Arsenal players decided to reconcile with Van Persie and focus on the match.
Having acknowledged defeat in the fight, Arsenal gritted their teeth and launched an attack to win the match.
The fiercely contested match between the two teams competing for the league title continued.
Park Jisong diligently marked Özil, as instructed by Sir Alex Ferguson, disrupting Arsenal’s buildup.
Even while being marked by Park Jisong, Mesut Özil managed to send sharp passes towards the attacking side.
[Mesut Özil! Sees Olivier Giroud! Giroud! Shoot!!]
[Whoa! It’s saved! David De Gea!! The guardian of Manchester United saves them from crisis again!]
But Olivier Giroud’s shot couldn’t break past United’s goalkeeper David De Gea.
In the end, the match concluded with Manchester United securing a 1-0 victory.
Immediately after the match, van Persie, who scored the opening goal, was chosen as M.O.M and went for an interview.
“Arsenal should feel proud that a player like me played, even for a moment.”
And he threw out a quote that made countless Arsenal fans grab their necks.
***
[Manchester United, securing a 1-0 victory against Arsenal at Old Trafford.]
[The one who scored the winning goal, Robin van Persie,]
[‘Going Against the Flow’ Van Persie, performing the reverse run ceremony at Old Trafford.]
[Due to the reverse run ceremony, Van Persie receives a two-match suspension. “No regrets.”]
[Sir Alex Ferguson, “I have nothing to say.”]
[With the A match period starting simultaneously, the Ballon d’Or voting begins!]
***
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: That son of a bitch van Persie.
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: Hah. If that son of a bitch had just said it nicely, I wouldn’t be this angry.
– Gyeouri: Hahahahahahaha
– Cheolmo: Hahahahahahahaha
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: (Video of burning van Persie’s jersey_avi)
– Gyeouri: ????
– Gyeouri: Uncle, isn’t that expensive?
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: The wounds I received in my heart are much deeper.
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: I was a fan.
– Ho-woo: (Van Persie’s signed Manchester United jersey with Hwang Geum-soon’s name written in Korean.)
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: Hah…
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: Jinho, why are you saying that too.
– Ho-woo: You said you were a fan of van Persie last time, so I got his autograph the other day, should I just throw it away?
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: …Does that mean Van Persie wrote in Korean?
– Ho-woo: (Van Persie copying in Korean while looking) avi
– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: …For now, let’s just leave it.
***
After the match against Arsenal ended, the suspension I received from the FA finally came to an end.
“Freedom!”
But I couldn’t play in the league match right away.
Of all times, the A match period had begun.
On November 15, when the Ballon d’Or voting would end, a friendly match between South Korea and Switzerland took place at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Usually, the interest of Korean football fans would be focused on the national team match.
[‘Ballon d’Or voting ends’ Will Son Jinho be the first Asian to receive the Ballon d’Or? Experts consider racial discrimination, increasing Messi’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or…].
But right now, the attention of Korean football fans was on the Ballon d’Or.
This Ballon d’Or award could be the last chance for a South Korean football player to receive the Ballon d’Or.
While the public’s interest in the Ballon d’Or was peaking.
The South Korean national team achieved a 3-1 victory against Switzerland and a 2-2 draw against Russia.
And on November 20.
The day approached when the Ballon d’Or re-voting incident occurred in the original history.
[‘Hat-trick’ Ronaldo confirms Portugal’s entry into the World Cup by defeating Zlatan’s Sweden!]
Just like in the original history, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick and successfully brought Portugal into the World Cup, and I stayed up late checking the FIFA website.
“Son Jinho, are you not sleeping?”
“I should be sleeping now.”
As midnight passed and it became November 21.
“Gyeouri.”
“Yeah?”
The articles about the Ballon d’Or re-voting were nowhere to be found.
“Let’s slowly buy a display case for the Ballon d’Or.”
I felt confident about receiving the Ballon d’Or.
Well, the result would only come to light when it’s revealed.
***
On November 24, starting with the victory recorded in the comeback match against Cardiff City.
We steadily piled up points.
On November 27, in the fifth group stage match against Celtic, Michael Carrick’s opening goal became the deciding goal as they won 1-0. Manchester United secured the group’s top spot regardless of the result of the away match against AC Milan.
Time flowed quickly.
[2013.12.01 13R Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United. 2:2 (away)
Goals: Kyle Walker 18′, Aaron Lennon 65′: Son Jinho 73′, Ronaldo 78′ (Penalty)]
[2013.12.05 14R Manchester United vs Everton. 2:0 (home)
Goals: Robin van Persie 12′, 22′ Assist: Ronaldo 12′, Son Jinho 22′]
[2013.12.07 15R Manchester United vs Newcastle. 0:0 (home)]
The long-awaited December 9.
[Messi-Ronaldo-Son Jinho, Final Candidates for the 2013 Ballon d’Or.]
[Bravo! Pride of Korea! Son Jinho! The first Asian to become a finalist for the Ballon d’Or!]
[‘First Asian finalist for the Ballon d’Or, Son Jinho’ When is the Ballon d’Or ceremony?]
└ Hah, shit, how can I wait until January?
└ For real, lol, so excited haha
└ When are the Player of the Year Awards?
└ That’s merged with the Ballon d’Or.
└ Oh, I see.
Finally, the three final candidates for the Ballon d’Or were announced.
***
[Title: Comparison Analysis of the 2013 Ballon d’Or Finalists.]
Name: Son Jinho.
Age: 18 (Years Old).
Former Team: Borussia Dortmund.
Current Team: Manchester United.
Team Achievements.
Bundesliga: Runner-Up.
DFL-Pokal: Runner-Up.
UEFA Champions League: Winner.
DFL-Supercup: Winner.
Personal Achievements.
Total: 54 Matches 21 Goals 34 Assists.
UCL-Bundesliga-Pokal assist trifecta winner.
Name: Cristiano Ronaldo.
Age: 28 (Years Old).
Former Team: Real Madrid.
Current Team: Manchester United.
Team Achievements.
La Liga: Runner-Up.
Copa del Rey: Runner-Up.
UEFA Champions League: Semi-Final.
Supercopa de España: Winner.
In essence, no trophies.
Personal Achievements.
Total: 55 Matches 55 Goals 12 Assists.
Champions League top scorer (13 goals/13 matches).
League top scorer (34 goals/34 matches).
Cup second-top scorer (7 goals/7 matches).
Name: Lionel Messi.
Age: 26 (Years Old).
Team: FC Barcelona.
Team Achievements.
La Liga: Winner.
Copa del Rey: Semi-Final.
UEFA Champions League: Semi-Final.
Supercopa de España: Runner-Up.
Personal Achievements.
Total: 50 Matches 60 Goals 15 Assists.
League top scorer (46 goals/32 matches).
└ I can’t believe there’s a Korean player on this list.
└ For real, haha, feels like a dream.
└ Wow, he’s a trifecta assist king? Haha
└ Son Jinho surpassed 30 assists!
└ Aside from Son Jinho, is there anyone who has surpassed 30 assists in a single season?
└ In 08/09, Xavi recorded 10 goals and 30 assists.
└ Wow, last season Son Jinho was a freak monster.
└ So, does that mean my brother surpassed Xavi in 08/09? That’s awesome haha.
└ No, Xavi played lower than Son Jinho, so his stats are lower.
└ Oh, I see.
└ But if you think about it, Dortmund isn’t even the 08/09 Barca squad, so it’s difficult to evaluate.
└ Is there a football association that expelled players comparable to Xavi? Boom boom.
└ Shut up, you bastard.
└ Why is that guy suddenly making me feel bad?
└ It seems like that guy is a bigger pain in the ass than a United specialist.
└ United Specialist: I was minding my business, why did I lose? T.T
└ Kyah, why is Messi’s stats so insane?
└ Not just Messi, others also have mind-boggling stats.
└ That insane fella Ronaldo is scoring a goal per match, lol.
└ If you only look at fear factor, isn’t Son Jinho the least impressive?
└ My brother is a midfielder, you idiot.
└ Among the three, it wouldn’t be weird if anyone won.
└ Since it’s a Champions League win, shouldn’t Son Jinho definitely win the Ballon d’Or? There weren’t any major tournaments like the World Cup or Euros.
└ The Asian disadvantage and relatively fewer attacking points are significant. The first thing that catches the public’s eye is attacking points.
└ Hah… If only he had lifted the Pokal, my brother would’ve been a sure thing.
└ Even with the Pokal, it’s uncertain because Jeff Blatter is a known racist.
