Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Not Yet - 3
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"So, why don't you go and try it yourself?"
At first, I thought he was telling me not to get cocky.
It sounded like he was saying, "How dare you point out the flaws of your senior players in the first team? Do you think it's that easy? If you're so smart, why don't you go and do it yourself?"
But that wasn't it.
The coach was asking me with a serious expression on his face.
"What do you think?"
"Pardon?"
"Do you think you could handle it in the first team?"
"Ah, how could I possibly..."
"A player who can bring creativity to the attack. I think that's you, Ji-an."
"Uh..."
Because it was so sudden, I couldn't answer and just floundered. The coach waved his hand and said,
"Ah, don't misunderstand. I'm not telling you to go to the first team right now. That's for Coach Vincenzo and the higher-ups to decide. I'm just asking if you've ever thought about wanting to play in the first team."
Hmm.......
At the coach's words, I fell into thought for a moment.
To be honest, well...
If I think about playing in the first team, the first thing that comes to mind is fear.
Because I saw what the atmosphere was like at the stadium yesterday.
Playing at the Artemio Franchi Stadium was a completely different story from playing at the youth stadium.
At the youth stadium, the most spectators you'll see is around a hundred, but there are thousands to tens of thousands there.
Just the thought of playing soccer in the middle of that is intimidating.
Also, I'm not confident that I'm any different.
I don't think I can identify problems and find solutions on the field the way I can when I'm comfortably watching from the stands.
How could someone like me, a 16-year-old who's still lacking in skill, do something that even the first-team players can't?
But... that's not what the coach is asking me right now.
He asked if I wanted to try it.
If I had to answer that...
"I... I did think about wanting to try it. For a moment, just a brief moment..."
It was just for a moment, but I did have the thought.
The thought that I wanted to play there.
Well... it was because of Ji-woo, of course.
If Ji-woo saw tens of thousands of people cheering for me...
Ah, no.
I can at least imagine it, can't I? Imagining.
I just thought it would feel so proud and good.
I'm not saying I could score goals if I went to the first team...
Anyway.
I did have that thought.
"Is that so? You had that thought?"
I nodded at the coach's words.
A faint smile appeared on the coach's face.
"That's good. That's good."
With that faint smile, the coach tapped his desk with a pen—click, click—for a while. Then, a moment later, he said with a serious face.
"People become more timid as they get older. They start to avoid challenges. Because they have more to lose. So they choose the safe path. That's how stagnation happens."
"..."
"That's the advantage of being young. You can challenge yourself as much as you want. Because you don't have much to lose. You've got nothing to lose, as they say. Change doesn't happen without young blood taking those challenges."
Hmm.
The words were a bit difficult, but the coach was speaking so seriously that I listened intently.
I'd never seen him this serious before.
"In short, a challenge where you have nothing to lose is a privilege of young players. While others are risking their lives with a dive, you can be the one to do a bungee jump with a rope. So you don't need to be scared."
The coach glanced at me and smiled.
"No one curses a young player for taking on a challenge like that. Everyone cheers for them to do well. They even get jealous. That's what it means to be young... it might even be an animal instinct. I'm getting off track, but what I want to say is this. You don't need to be afraid of a challenge. If an opportunity comes your way in the future, don't hesitate. What's there to lose, anyway?"
At the coach's words, I thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Yes. I understand."
"Good, good. Go get some good rest. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."
I got up from my seat, bowed, and left the coach's office.
And as I walked down the hallway, I mulled over what the coach had said.
A challenge...
Right. Maybe I don't need to be so scared.
But, Coach...
You don't know this, but I actually do have something to lose...
That's how I managed to get this far in the first place.
Still, well...
I did learn something when I was training with Coach Luca and when I faced Juventus.
The joy you can get when you overcome fear and take on a challenge is immense.
...But why did he suddenly bring that up?
I don't know.
I headed home while thinking about various things.
···
ACF Fiorentina First Team Training Ground.
Training hours were over, and the training ground was quiet.
"Oh, you must be exhausted."
"Welcome."
Someone had come to the coach's office.
It was Coach Toni. Vincenzo Italiano, the A-team coach who had already prepared coffee and was waiting, welcomed him warmly.
"My, you've lost so much hair. You must be going through a lot."
"Shut up and sit down."
With his shaved head and fierce expression, Vincenzo Italiano looked like a madman for letting Tony's boundary-crossing joke slide, but the two were actually very close friends.
Vincenzo trusted Toni as much as he trusted his own head coach.
"Looking at you lately, you're going to live a long life. You've been cursed out so much."
"I'm numb to it by now."
"I've endured enough! Vincenzo Out! Could you be numb to that, too?"
"I've endured enough myself, too."
The two coaches chuckled and sipped their strong espresso.
Ah, that's the stuff. Toni grimaced in appreciation of the coffee's taste and said,
"So, what about the front office?"
"The front office?"
"What are they planning to spend in the winter?"
"Well... I have to see, but they said if they can't keep Dusan, they might reinvest about a third of his transfer fee."
"A third? Why are they suddenly being so generous?"
"That's what they say, but who knows if they'll follow through."
The two coaches both gave wry smiles.
Fiorentina's current performance wasn't bad, but regardless of the results, they were receiving a lot of criticism.
The cause, as always, was their gameplay.
They were somehow scraping by and winning thanks to a bit of luck, but the quality of their play was painfully dull.
To the point where the watching fans were complaining of suffocation.
Thanks to that, it was a time when some change was needed.
To make matters worse, coming into winter, Fiorentina was in a situation where they had to worry about player outflow rather than strengthening the squad.
It was because of the team's star striker, Dusan Vlahovic. Following last season, he was continuing his solid performance this season as well, and it was no exaggeration to say that he was carrying the current Fiorentina on his own.
But this Vlahovic had refused to renew his contract.
As a result, clubs from all over Europe were already showing interest in him.
At the very least by next summer, and possibly as early as this winter, his transfer seemed all but certain.
If he were to leave as well, the situation would be truly hopeless.
If proper winter reinforcements weren't made, they would have to give up on this season and start preparing for the next one.
That's why Vincenzo Italiano was feeling like he was losing what little hair he had left.
"So, do you have a replacement in mind?"
"I have a list."
"A striker, I presume?"
"Of course."
Though the club president himself was said to be a money-grubber, he had at least promised to invest.
Fiorentina now had to quickly find a replacement for Vlahovic.
Vincenzo Italiano was also spending most of his free time on just that.
Toni, who had sipped his espresso, said,
"Have you still not thought about trusting me on this?"
"...The thing you mentioned the other day?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
At Toni's words, Vincenzo couldn't easily answer and fell into thought.
It was a few days ago.
A long message had arrived from Toni.
The entire message was about a single young player. According to Toni, he was an incredible talent who could solve all of Vincenzo's current worries.
A talent who could become a commanding midfielder who dictates the game, a fantasy star who brings creativity to the attack, or a problem-solver who can solve things on his own when a goal is needed.
He even said that the future of Fiorentina must be built around this player, and that they needed to start preparing for that from now on.
However.
Since he was only 16 years old, he still needed time and experience to fully blossom his talent.
Toni had asked for a little more patience and to look at the long term.
He said it wouldn't take long.
If they just let him gain experience with the youth team this season, he would be fully capable of being an immediate impact player from next season onwards.
So, instead of strengthening the attack this winter, they should invest in a backup midfielder.
They should hold out with that, and once he's ready around the second half of the season, bring him up to the first team occasionally to let him get a taste of it.
And then, using the money saved in the winter, make a proper investment in the summer to completely reorganize the team and start fresh next season. That was Toni's opinion.
"..."
Vincenzo Italiano had known Toni for a long time. That's why he knew. That he wasn't the type to get worked up easily.
For him to say something like that, Vincenzo had to think about it two or three times.
Even though it was an absurd opinion when you think about it.
Wasn't it?
Basing half a season on the trust in a single 16-year-old prospect?
If it weren't for Toni's words, it would have been nonsense not even worth considering. He would have dismissed it as the ramblings of someone who doesn't know the industry.
That's why he had to think about it again, simply because it was Toni who had said it.
Of course, it was also true that he remained negative about it.
"Well... I am thinking about it seriously."
"You've seen the records and videos we sent, right?"
"Ah, I've been so busy lately..."
"You haven't seen them yet? Should I leave a mark on your head for you?"
"..."
Look at this.
Even though they were close friends, the guy who used to politely cross the line was now openly doing it.
Just how good is this kid to make him so desperate?
Vincenzo Italiano was also getting curious at this point. After all, the situation was already quite bad.
Eventually, Vincenzo Italiano let out a big sigh and then, with a face that still showed reluctance, nodded.
"Alright, I'll take a look."
"You've made the right decision. You just need to see him once. There's nothing to lose in judging him after that."
"Send it by next week. To the training ground."
"Yes."
"I'll watch him train once... and then we can talk more about it later, taking our time."
"Understood. Let's do that."
Toni finally nodded with satisfaction. Vincenzo Italiano smirked as he watched him.
The two drained the rest of their coffee.
"Well, if things go well, I'll give you a head coach position. I can do that much for you."
"Head coach?"
"Yeah. Come work under me."
"Ah, come on. How can a male lion go under a lioness..."
"Pffft!"
"Bwahahaha!"
At the lioness comment, Vincenzo Italiano pretended to splash coffee from his empty cup, and Toni recoiled in terror. Seeing this, Vincenzo Italiano burst into a hearty laugh.
···
On the weekend, we went on an away trip to Modena, a city near Bologna.
They said Modena FC was the lowest-ranked team in our group, so the match felt easy.
Especially since our previous match was an away game against Juventus, it felt even more so.
I only played the first half of that match, recording 2 goals and 1 assist in 45 minutes.
Well, it wasn't a record outstanding enough to brag about.
We ultimately won that match 7-1.
Anyway, that's how we finished another week.
The following Monday was recovery training.
And the day after that, today, I was heading to the training ground as usual.
"Hey- Ji-an."
"Hello."
As I entered the training ground, Coach Luca greeted me. I also gave a slight bow and was about to head to the club house, but the coach stopped me.
"Ji-an. I have a place I need to take you to today."
"Pardon? Me?"
"Yeah. The coach told me to."
"Where?"
I tilted my head at the coach's sudden words, and he said,
"The first team training ground. We're training there today."
"......Ah, yes..."
I've been surprised so often lately that...
I'm not even that surprised anymore when I hear something...
"What!? Where are we going!?"
"The first team training ground."
No, even so, this is a bit much...!?