Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

198 – The Price of Victory

198

The two protagonists facing off in the Champions League final, the last match of the 37/38 season, were Manchester City, the English champions, and PSG, the French powerhouse.

Both teams are representative clubs that cannot be left out when it comes to oil money. Although Newcastle has recently risen to join the ranks, Manchester City and PSG, along with Newcastle, stand out from other sugar daddy-type club owners.

It’s true that not all teams that have received oil money are the same, but Manchester City, PSG, and Newcastle are distinct. Most teams that have received a windfall of cash tend to splurge on player signings, but Manchester City, PSG, and Newcastle have taken a different approach.

They have rebuilt their teams from the ground up, laying the foundation for a long-term future.

The massive investment has yielded impressive results, with the three teams representing oil money shining brightly, but the outcome is quite different.

Manchester City, which has a long history, has finally overcome its inferiority complex and risen to become a top club in the world, surpassing its local rival.

Then, what about PSG? It’s still a regional powerhouse.

It’s a so-called “true world-class” team, with its own unique world-class standards.

PSG has dominated the French league, but the French league itself is not very competitive. Its reputation in Korea is also lacking, and even though it’s considered one of the top five leagues in Europe, it’s still not on the same level as Portugal or the Netherlands.

Ultimately, it’s the performance in European competitions, particularly the prestigious Champions League, that matters. PSG’s performance has been disappointing, to say the least. Of course, by absolute standards, it’s not bad, as they’ve consistently made it to the knockout stages.

However, PSG’s goal is not just to participate in tournaments. Given the scale of their investment, they should be aiming for the championship.

On the other hand, Manchester City has consistently reached the semifinals and even made it to the final last year, showing remarkable progress.

As such, PSG’s mindset going into this final is like standing on the edge of a cliff, with their fate hanging in the balance. Of course, Manchester City also has a strong desire to win, but…

This is evident from the fact that the owners of both teams, UAE’s Vice President Mansour and Qatar’s Emir Tamim, attended the final in person.

Coincidentally, the venue for this match was the largest soccer-specific stadium in the world.

However, what makes this stadium even more famous is that it’s the home of Barcelona, Camp Nou.

* * *

The match began with PSG’s onslaught.

The PSG players, with their unparalleled quality, launched a beautiful and organized attack on Manchester City’s defense, but were repeatedly blocked by the opposing goalkeeper, leaving Tamim to sigh in frustration.

“What a shame. I should have signed that player.”

As the Emir of Qatar, Tamim is a British-educated individual who graduated from Sandhurst Royal Military Academy and has a deep love for football.

Naturally, his approach to building his team is also sincere, but despite pouring in massive amounts of money, he has failed to win the Champions League title, leaving him eager to sign another player who can bring him glory.

Someone like Mbappé or Neymar… or even Messi.

But that someone was Juji-tae.

“On the contrary, it’s good that we didn’t sign him. Would we really spend 400 million euros on one player? That’s not a good use of our resources.”

Tamim was consoled by PSG’s new director, Jan Žiška.

With a relaxed expression, Žiška gestured to the stadium.

“Now is the time for a scientific and systematic scouting approach to take root in football. Juji-tae is an excellent player, but spending 400 million euros on him is not a wise investment. It’s crucial to use our resources wisely, thinking long-term. We’ve already achieved our master plan, haven’t we?”

As Žiška gazed down at the PSG players, who were launching a counterattack, he smiled contentedly.

This transfer market has been unprecedented.

Manchester City, which signed Juji-tae and Cho Jae-shin, is a prime example, and rival teams that missed out on Juji-tae are likely to splurge again.

Naturally, PSG and Newcastle have dominated the transfer market, with massive amounts of money being spent, making this the biggest “money war” in the last 10 years.

And the person who has been in charge of PSG’s transfer budget, exceeding 400 million euros, and has overseen the team’s recruitment and strategy, is none other than Jan Žiška, the mastermind behind PSG’s current success.

The massive spending by Manchester City and PSG has naturally drawn people’s attention.

Manchester City, which invested 4 billion euros in one player (Jo Jae-shin was buried), and PSG, which signed three world-class players with 4 billion euros.

People debated whether the transfer fee guaranteed success or not, but in the end, both teams reached the finals, proving that money was the most important factor in achieving success.

So, what’s left is the victory between Manchester City, which invested heavily in one player, and PSG, which distributed its investment.

As Yan Zhi-shu gazed at the intense battle between the 4 billion euro player and the 4 billion euro players, he couldn’t help but smile leisurely.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. One person can never surpass two. Modern football is ultimately about how many high-quality players you can concentrate in the same space.”

It was Tamim who interrupted Yan Zhi-shu’s words.

“That’s enough.”

“Ah, I didn’t know there was a guest beside me. I apologize. Manchester City’s owner must have been uncomfortable.”

It was then that Mansour, who had been quietly watching the game, spoke up.

“Your Highness, when did you sign him?”

“Not long ago. We just signed him this time.”

Yan Zhi-shu looked at Tamim, who replied with a subtle expression, and then turned his gaze back to Mansour.

“Hmm, you still don’t know, do you?”

Mansour, who couldn’t help but laugh at Yan Zhi-shu’s bewildered expression, finally burst out laughing.

“This is ridiculous. You still don’t know us.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Money isn’t important to us. 4 billion euros, 8 billion euros, or 80 billion euros.”

The amount was too heavy to speak lightly, but to the people in front of him, it was a trivial amount.

Everything in the world was relative, after all.

Yan Zhi-shu newly recognized the person in front of him.

These people… were the real deal. They could view tens of billions, hundreds of billions of euros as petty cash.

“What’s important is the result, my friend. Look. Can’t you win with just 4 billion euros?”

Wow—

The VVIP box erupted in cheers. Yan Zhi-shu, who quickly turned his head, could see it.

“When…? How did he…?”

Among the stunned PSG players, Joo Ji-tae was standing, looking at the audience.

The ball… was rolling around in the goal net.

“How is it, Your Highness? It seems I won again this time.”

“Uh-huh…”

Tamim let out an uncomfortable sigh and got up to leave.

Yan Zhi-shu, still looking dazed, got up halfway and froze, and Mansour clicked his tongue.

“Do you understand? This is… a childish game. A game where we show off our toys. Who has the more impressive toy? A childish game, indeed. I can show off my toy with just 4 billion euros, so it’s not a loss, haha.”

“Toy…”

Yan Zhi-shu, who had lost his spirit, collapsed back into his seat.

Somehow, the players who seemed so proud didn’t seem like they could win anymore. The victory that seemed so certain… was no longer visible.

* * *

『The Man of the Finals, Joo Ji-tae!!』

『It’s Joo Ji-tae again! Joo Ji-tae, selected as the Finals MVP!』

『100% chance of winning the championship after reaching the finals! Joo Ji-tae, the man of records, writes history again!』

『Manchester City takes home the Champions League trophy!』

There was no anomaly.

But it was an anomaly.

No one thought PSG, which had shown such a strong presence, would easily lose to Manchester City.

Both teams were known for their strong pressure and fierce attacking power, so everyone expected a intense battle to end with Manchester City’s victory.

But the game was one-sided.

PSG’s offense was dull in front of Ju Ji-tae, and Manchester City’s offense was sharp, piercing through PSG like a awl.

The result was a 3:0 complete victory.

It was Manchester City’s win.