LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 251
I began to think about acquiring Manchester United as I witnessed the deterioration of Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy.
However, I did not immediately express my intention to take over Manchester United.
[“Glazers OUT”, angry Manchester United fans flood the streets.]
[“The burning Glazer doll”, symbolizes the rage of United fans.]
Now was the time to let the anger of Manchester United fans brew a little longer.
After all, I should appear as their savior.
I had pegged this moment for the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
In a situation drawing global attention, I planned to publicly declare my acquisition of Manchester United and become the savior of its fans.
Well, that was a situation assuming I would win the Ballon d’Or, but so far, the buzz was that I was highly likely to take it home.
[Cristiano Ronaldo, “Son Jinho’s hat-trick was created with my help.”]
[Cristiano Ronaldo, “I think being the top scorer in the Premier League is harder than being the top scorer in the Champions League…”]
Just looking at Ronaldo, the human benchmark, it was certain that I would win.
“Can I watch too?”
“Well, since we’re married, we should watch together.”
Anyway, I started looking over the assets I had invested in with Gyeouri.
Even though I had invested in various places, including internet broadcasting platforms, my portfolio was slim.
Most of my assets were in cryptocurrencies.
To drive up the price of these coins and increase trading volume, I had no choice but to sell off small amounts.
Still, a tremendous amount of Bitcoin remained untouched in my digital wallet.
In fact, cryptocurrencies dominated my portfolio.
With the price of coins skyrocketing, they had become famously known as the gold mines of the 21st century.
The public had no idea what the technology behind blockchain meant; they just flocked to it because it made them money.
In essence, coins became even more expensive because of their high prices.
Having owned a substantial amount of coins, it was possible to replicate money by selling coins, causing their price to drop, and then buying back in…
Yet, I didn’t feel the necessity to go that far to make money.
What I had was already enough.
And, after all, my profession wasn’t that of an investor, but a football player.
As a football player, I believed I should focus on my main job, which was football.
– “Tied up”: Son Jinho. A great investor must sometimes be able to humbly accept losses.
– Ho-woo: “Did you lose again?”
– “Tied up”: …In that sense, how about we join forces?
– “Out of my mind”: If you, the greatest in Asia, and I, the greatest in Europe, team up, we could conquer the world.
Unlike someone who’s obsessed with investments and business.
“…I can’t do this anymore!”
While Gyeouri was sorting through the assets, overwhelmed by the numbers, she fainted on the sofa, giving me the opportunity to start buying American stocks with the money from selling coins.
“I am invincible, and the Nasdaq is my god!”
There’s a saying in Korea that if you want to get rich, buy American stocks, make money, and then buy real estate in Korea.
Since Koreans are particularly fond of land, real estate investment could draw all kinds of backlash, but I aimed to faithfully invest in American stocks.
Of course, I wasn’t a professional investor, nor had I anticipated a return, so I couldn’t pinpoint the exact timing for investments.
Before my return, I was a football player who spent most of my time training for the game, so I likely lacked knowledge of economics and finance compared to the average person.
So far, my investment profits had all been based on anticipating stocks that would rise based on my past knowledge. It wasn’t because I was exceptional.
And when the day comes that I can no longer utilize my return knowledge, I plan to just buy the Nasdaq index like the world-class investor Buffett grandpa.
Then, unless a gate opens, the probability of problems arising should be minimal.
“Wow. Nanosoft and FAANG are so cheap?”
Regardless, I had only known that American big tech companies were growing rapidly, so I centered my portfolio around future big tech firms.
“What was that… the company’s name? They sell graphics cards for games; I’ll have to ask Gyeouri when she wakes up.”
Having finished reallocating my assets, I silently shouted towards the founder of Nanosoft, who ranked number one in global wealth.
“Farewell, I was the greatest before my return – Bangbuyeo.”
***
[Manchester United records a draw at home.]
Manchester United played to a draw in the subsequent Premier League Round 2 match.
Carlo Ancelotti fielded me as a right winger in this game.
Well, I performed decently as a right winger, but I preferred playing centrally.
To resolve this issue, I headed straight to the coach’s office.
“Would you like some tea?”
“Ah, just water will do.”
“Is your kid doing well?”
“Yes. He’s growing by the day.”
“It’s nice to see you valuing family. A great father you are. Anyway, what brings you here?”
After some brief small talk, I got straight to the point.
“I want to play centrally rather than on the wing.”
Having played under fiery managers like Jürgen Klopp and Alex Ferguson, I looked at Carlo Ancelotti with a tense expression.
“Alright then. From the next match, you’ll be back in the center.”
As my tension faded, Carlo Ancelotti readily accepted my request.
‘…?’
As I struggled to hide my surprise at Ancelotti’s response, he broke into a benevolent smile at my expression.
“I don’t want to limit your creativity. Football should be free above all else, and you should play as you wish on the pitch. If my orders conflict with your thoughts, proceed the way you believe is right; even if your judgment proves wrong and we lose, I will bear the responsibility as the coach. Just enjoy the game freely every moment.”
As Ancelotti finished speaking, I felt something familiar from him.
‘Is this… Gi-hyun Choi with a football philosophy?’
***
“Take care on your way back.”
Carlo Ancelotti, who succeeded Alex Ferguson as the Manchester United manager, observed Son Jinho leaving after their consultation, deep in thought.
“Roberto Baggio and Del Piero.”
As an Italian, he saw fantasy star potential in Son Jinho.
However, Son Jinho still lacked the status to be called a fantasy star.
“A fantasy star must be free from tactics. He is currently too constrained.”
To become a fantasy star, he had to seek a bit more freedom.
While pondering how to grant Son Jinho that freedom, Carlo Ancelotti’s thoughts were interrupted.
“Father, are you done yet?”
His son and son-in-law entered the manager’s office.
Ancelotti put a stop to his work and promptly left for dinner with his family.
“Even in war, one must have dinner first.”
He was the very definition of a typical Italian man who valued family over work.
***
As the players started to adapt to Carlo Ancelotti’s tactics, Manchester United began to see an improvement in their performance.
Though Ancelotti faced criticism for ‘Cliché Football’ or ‘Do It Football’, he was indeed a manager with a solid Plan A.
Of course, while the attack strategy lacked detailed tactics, it allowed tremendous autonomy for individual players.
This wasn’t a problem for Manchester United, which boasted world-class strikers.
Starting with me and Ronaldo, even if our forms were slightly declining, we began racking up points alongside Robin van Persie, a top-class striker showing his skills, and the rapidly growing Sadio Mané.
[Reviving Manchester United showcases the might of a powerhouse.]
└ Wow, when did the Manchester Blue bastards rise to second place?
└ ??? Why is Manchester United a bastard?
└ In the early part of the season, Manchester United was 9th, so they were called “Man-9”, which then became “Man-bal” then “bastard.”
└ Ah, I see.
Before long, the team climbed to second place in the league, joining the title race.
However, contrary to the rising atmosphere within the team, the mood among Manchester United fans remained grim.
The news of the massive dividends received by the Glazer family reached the fans through the media, pushing them into a state of fury.
Fans began protesting for the Glazers’ resignation every single match.
In the midst of it all, the Glazers cluelessly visited the stadium to smile and watch the matches.
“Huh… don’t the higher-ups have a clue about what’s going on?”
Well, at least the Glazers hadn’t written an autobiography.
***
While Manchester United fans protested the resignation of the Glazers, time was passing swiftly.
As Leicester City made waves in the Premier League, finishing the first half in first place.
[UK Labor MP, Glazer must step away from Manchester United….]
[Saudi Crown Prince shows interest in acquiring Manchester United. Acquisition amount is 57 trillion won?]
In response to the angry Manchester United fans and the UK government, the Glazers began spreading rumors about a sale.
[The Glazer family won’t sell Manchester United for less than 8 trillion won.]
Of course, the Glazers truly had no intention of selling, demanding astronomical amounts.
[Glazers, “We’ll consider selling if the price we want is met.”]
Considering that the Glazers acquired Manchester United for about 1.5 trillion won in debt back in 2005, their attitude clearly reflected that they intended to milk it dry.
– Gyeouri: Son Jinho.
– Ho-woo: Hmm?
– Gyeouri: What if I did a paint terror on the owner’s office?
– Ho-woo: Just hold on;;;
It was no surprise that Manchester United fans were even more incensed by the Glazers’ attitude.
As the accumulated anger of the fans reached its limit, the date of the 2015 Ballon d’Or ceremony was approaching.