Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

165 – Rivalry

165

The Champions League is divided into two large stages.

The group stage, which can be considered the qualifying round, and the tournament stage.

Among them, the tournament stage consists of two games, one home and one away, and if you lose by four goals in the first game, it’s almost impossible to come back, even with one more chance.

There has never been a case in Champions League history where a team has come back from a four-goal deficit, but it’s not like it’s impossible. It’s just that it rarely happens.

Moreover, it’s even more impossible to come back from a four-goal deficit against the current Barcelona, who have won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Super Copa de España.

So, after the first leg between Barcelona and Dortmund, the football world has practically confirmed Barcelona’s Champions League final berth.

“4:0 victory! Barcelona books a spot in the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena!”

“Is Barcelona’s quadruple possible? Their golden era is returning!”

The 34/35 season Champions League final will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

This will be the third time the stadium has hosted the Champions League final, after the 11/12 and 24/25 seasons.

Barcelona has already won the Super Copa de España, and is likely to win the Champions League (not yet confirmed), the Copa del Rey (also not yet confirmed), and the league title (even more uncertain). The fans are ecstatic.

“My goodness! Our team is showing us this kind of performance? It’s been ages since we’ve seen the real Barcelona!”

“Champions League final? We’ve given up hope since that miracle win five years ago… Jose is a true Barcelona DNA coach.”

The expectation is so high that it’s almost premature to celebrate their championship.

And the fans’ expectations will be put to the test in the upcoming 33rd round of the league against Real Madrid.

* * *

Pila Villa has spent most of her career in Korea, but she was born and raised in Catalonia.

As a strong Catalan, she introduces herself as “Pila Villa from Catalonia”, and most Koreans who hear her introduction respond with “Catalonia? Ah, Barcelona!”

And those people naturally assume that “since she’s Catalan, she must be a Barcelona fan”.

Additionally, it’s a must to ask “Do you know Juzi Tai?” as if it’s a given that she’s a Barcelona fan.

During the period when I didn’t understand Korea well, I used to say, “He’s from Seoul, so he must be an FC Seoul fan, right?” whenever I was asked, but now that I’ve lived in Korea for three years, I’ve become familiar with the country and know that’s not an appropriate response.

Whenever I’m asked that question, I just give a mechanical response, “Yes, yes, I’m a Barcelona fan, and I know Juzi Tai!”

But to be honest, I’m not a Barcelona fan, and I don’t know much about Juzi Tai either. I just know that he’s a Korean player from Barcelona, plays soccer well, and is handsome.

Initially, I didn’t even like soccer!

Not all Europeans are crazy about soccer. There are people like me who aren’t interested in soccer. Moreover, not all Catalans are die-hard Barcelona fans. There are other football teams in Catalonia besides Barcelona.

If I had to specify, I’m from Tarragona, a city in southern Catalonia. And, if I had to specify further, I’m a supporter of Gimnàstic de Tarragona, a team from Tarragona.

Most teams with a local rivalry have a bad relationship, but I don’t dislike Barcelona. On the contrary, I like them. And so do my family, who are enthusiastic supporters of Gimnàstic.

Why? Because Gimnàstic is in the Primera Federación, the third division! Rivalry requires a certain level of competition, and our team is struggling in the third division, while the neighboring team is leading the era, so rivalry doesn’t arise. Instead, I feel affection for them like a close friend.

So, I don’t mind calling myself a Barcelona fan.

I’m not very interested in soccer, and I actually like Barcelona, so now my Korean acquaintances all think I’m a die-hard Barcelona fan.

It’s only natural, I suppose.

“Phil. Are you going back to your hometown?”

“I’ve been in Korea for three years, so I should go back once.”

My coworker, Han Seung-hoon, who has been with me for three years, knows I’m popular. Honestly, I’m pretty, and I was popular back in my hometown too.

But I’ve never been interested in romance.

It’s been like that since I was young.

So, I’ve been brushing off Han Seung-hoon’s interest, but…

“Great! I’m going to Spain to visit the headquarters, so I got tickets to the Barcelona game too. It’s in Madrid. Phil, you’re from Catalonia, right? Why don’t we go together?”

“I’m going back to my hometown in Catalonia.”

“You should visit the headquarters too. Since you’re going, why not watch the game?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Don’t be surprised. It’s the El Clásico against Real Madrid! If you’re from Catalonia, you can’t miss it. It’s a chance to see Barcelona win the league title!”

“…Okay, fine. Let’s go.”

I couldn’t resist.

Even though I’m not interested in soccer, it’s the El Clásico, which decides the league title. And I’m a Catalan, after all.

The 33rd round of La Liga had garnered global attention.

The El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, considered the greatest derby in football, was not only an event but also a decisive match that would determine the league champion.

With only five games left, the gap between first-place Barcelona and second-place Real Madrid was five points.

A win for the champion team is always worth three points or more, and in the current situation, the 1-2 matchup had real value.

The value of the league title was at stake.

With five games left, if Real Madrid wins, they can narrow the gap to two points. It’s a crucial opportunity for a comeback. On the other hand, if Barcelona wins, the gap will widen to eight points.

Considering the remaining schedule and the momentum from the El Clásico win, the league title competition would practically be over.

The clash between Juzi Tai and Fernando Álvarez, forming a fiery rivalry, and the fact that this game would decide the league title, made this 33rd round a must-watch.

And that was evident from the media day held the day before the game.

The media day was held at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s home stadium.

Real Madrid’s coach Raúl Harke and vice-captain Fernando Álvarez attended the interview, while Barcelona’s coach José Luis Molowny and ace Juzi Tai also attended.

Both teams had carefully selected their representatives, taking into account public opinion.

They say enemies resemble each other, and the recent El Clásico, which had lost its spark, was reignited by the rivalry between two players, Juzitae and Fernando Alvarez, who were determined to strengthen their teams’ rivalry.

It was indeed a game that lived up to its name, and the two teams’ officials, coaches, and media personnel all knew that the real battle was about to begin.

“Real Madrid has been showing good performances lately, but experts say they are still weaker than Barcelona. What do you think?”

“Those critics are just outsiders. Their opinions are just noise. We’ve already proven ourselves by defeating PSG 2-0 in the Champions League quarterfinals. We’re strong, and Barcelona may be strong, but we’re even stronger.”

“Does that mean you’re confident of winning?”

“Of course. We always think we can win every game. We’re Real Madrid, after all.”

“This is Rafael Bol from Marca. I’ll ask Coach Jose. There’s talk that this game will decide the champion. Do you think you can win and secure the title at Real Madrid’s home?”

“We haven’t won the title yet. We still have five games left, including this one against Real Madrid. We may be in a favorable position, but we can’t afford to be complacent. Football is unpredictable until the end.”

However, the officials, coaches, and media personnel from both teams didn’t need to make much of an effort.

Because two people were waiting to pour oil on the fire, or rather, to add fuel to the flames.

The interview scene, where the two players were engaged in a casual and relaxed conversation, was about to take a dramatic turn.

The two players, who had been quiet until now, finally opened their mouths.

“I’ve been hearing some weird rumors lately. They say there’s a player who’s better than me. It’s ridiculous. Just because someone won a game, does that make them a better player than me? I’ve also beaten that player, so what does that say? I’m a Ballon d’Or winner, and I’ll continue to be a winner.”

“That dog next door is barking loudly. Isn’t there a saying that a barking dog never bites? That Chihuahua… no, it’s too ugly to be called a Chihuahua, so let’s call it a bulldog instead. This time, I’ll put a muzzle on that loud bulldog.”

“…defenders should just focus on defending instead of trying to do everything.”

“Woof woof! The dog is barking!”

“This stupid dog!!”

“Ah, stop it!!”

The internet exploded.