Football Manager Tournament Winner Han Shin Becomes a Real Manager
"Congratulations! The winner of the World Football Manager tournament is the God of Tactics from Korea—Han Shin!"
The caster, veins bulging in his neck, gripped the microphone and roared the champion's name.
Han Shin! Han Shin! Han Shin!
The thunderous cheers of the crowd filled the Magazin Event Hall in London, England.
The black-haired man, Han Shin, tore off his headset and shot up from his desk. Then, launching into the most famous celebration in football history, he unleashed a roar that threatened to blow the roof off.
"Siuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The Ronaldo celebration. It was a contractual obligation for every contestant in the tournament.
In 2026, a tournament bold enough to shake the entire world of football took place.
It was the open audition program for football managers: Manager War.
In other words, the Game of Thrones of football.
But a mere "open audition" alone could never have rocked the globe like this. What truly demanded attention was the "Game" in Game of Thrones.
Yes. The game.
Its name was World Football Manager.
A brand-new football simulation that had risen as the chief rival to Football Manager—one of the so-called Three Devil Games. It became a massive sensation when football figures famous for playing FM invested in the developer and served as consultants.
The roster of participants was dazzling.
Antoine Griezmann of Atlético Madrid.
Former Chelsea captain César Azpilicueta.
Manchester United legend and manager, the baby-faced assassin Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
And the one true god of football.
The GOAT.
The Legend of Football.
The face that greeted players on the game's home screen belonged to none other than our big brother—Cristiano Ronaldo.
Having amassed enormous wealth at Al-Nassr, he poured aggressive investments into every direction. One of them was football gaming. After launching UFL as a challenger to EA FC (formerly FIFA) with himself as the face of the franchise, he threw down a gauntlet against the near-monopoly of football strategy games.
That gauntlet was World Football Manager.
To promote the game on a grand scale, they staged a tournament with a prize beyond imagination—something unprecedented in history.
The prize: the managerial position at Sunderland AFC of the English Championship.
Sunderland AFC, the English club that had become wildly famous even in Korea thanks to the Netflix documentary Sunderland 'Til I Die.
Handing the reins of such a club to the winner of a video-game tournament?
It was an earth-shaking event, more than enough to capture the attention of football fans and media worldwide.
People from every walk of life entered. Unknown managers from around the globe who dreamed of breaking into English football. Players who already held coaching licenses. And, because the game was modeled after FM, tactical masterminds famous for crafting strategies joined the fray as well.
Among them was the contestant known only by the nickname "K-Hannibal."
Until he finally revealed himself, Han Shin had been shrouded in mystery—rumored to be the greatest football tactical genius alive. Whispers claimed, "There's a K in the name, so he might be Korean," or "He could be an actual elite strategist already managing in the Champions League."
Whenever a new tactic under the handle "K-Hannibal" appeared on FM tactics-sharing sites, it racked up enormous likes, shares, and downloads. He was a top-tier veteran player. Some real-world managers even faced accusations of copying his creative setups.
Microphone in hand, Han Shin performed the Ronaldo celebration he had memorized for this exact moment of victory.
"Muchas gracias a todos, esto es para mis padres, Siuuuuuuu!"
A little embarrassing. Once again, this is in the contract.
Ronaldo beamed and applauded.
Still, for today at least, the GOAT of football for me isn't Messi—it's Ronaldo.
The announcer's voice rang through the hall.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, owner of Sunderland AFC, is now coming up on stage to present the trophy in person!
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
Current owner of Sunderland AFC. Born in 1997, the Frenchman had taken over the club at the remarkably young age of twenty-three. His known fortune alone exceeded three trillion won.
Under the sponsorship of the Dreyfus Group, Sunderland AFC had partnered with the World Football Manager tournament and offered the radical condition that the game's winner would be appointed the club's real-life manager. It was both a marketing masterstroke and a bold new challenge for the club.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus stepped onto the stage, handed the trophy to Manager Han Shin, and spoke.
"Congratulations, Monsieur Han—or should I call you Manager Han from now on?"
"Thank you, Mr. Dreyfus! Should I call you Chairman as well?"
Kyril extended his hand.
"Just call me Kyril. Looking forward to working with you at Sunderland, Manager."
Han Shin clasped his hand in a firm, grateful handshake.
"The pleasure is all mine. Looking forward to it, Chairman."
The caster climbed onto the stage and turned to Han Shin.
"Manager Han Shin! Congratulations on the victory! Along with the prize money, you've earned the chance to take charge of Sunderland. Are you ready for the challenge?"
"Yes, I'm extremely excited. Above all, no Asian has ever held a first-team managerial post in a European league. To become the first Korean manager is an infinite honor."
"There are so many football figures here tonight. I'm curious—who do you consider the greatest player in the world? And if you could sign anyone for Sunderland, who would it be?"
What kind of question is this... Still, it's in the contract. Sorry, Han Shin.
The caster winked.
I understand...
"The greatest player in the world. I choose CR7—Ronaldo. In Korea we call him Our Big Brother. If I could bring him to Sunderland, I'd have no more wishes left."
Actually, on the Korean peninsula he's more often called "Your Big Brother," but never mind.
The no-show incident.
If only he hadn't no-showed at Seoul World Cup Stadium in 2019 while at Juventus—or even just walked around for five minutes—would the world line have changed? Still, it's amazing that his star power never died.
"How about it, Ronaldo? He's just called you the greatest player in the world. Would you like to work with Manager Han Shin, the final victor of Manager War?"
Ronaldo took the microphone.
"Hahaha, thank you. If Manager Han leads Sunderland into the Premier League, I might reverse my retirement and spend a year on the English stage."
"What a shame, Manager Han! If Ronaldo hadn't announced his retirement after the Euros, we might have seen him play for Sunderland."
"Then getting to the Premier League comes first, right?"
"Exactly. As the new manager of Sunderland, the pressure of the fans' expectations must be enormous. Are you confident of winning?"
"I am confident. This season I will bring glory back to Sunderland through the championship!"
"That bold, self-assured attitude is surely the secret to Manager Han's popularity. Chairman Kyril is smiling with satisfaction as well."
The caster flipped a page on his cue sheet.
"A return to the Premier League is the dream of every Sunderland supporter. Manager! Please look into the camera and say a few words to the fans watching from home, the pub, and the stadium screens."
Han Shin declared his ambition.
Applause erupted.
"Wow, I can almost hear the fans cheering from here. Unfortunately, we're out of time. We'll close this long journey of Manager War by asking Manager Han for his final resolve and determination. Thank you for watching!"
Boom—! Boom—!
The lights dimmed as fireworks and confetti painted the hall.
A single spotlight locked onto Han Shin.
"When you take charge of a team in World Football Manager, the first thing you do is name the save file, right? I always saved mine as 'The Beginning of a Legend.' Supporters, I am now ready to bury my bones in Sunderland and write a new legend!"
He raised the trophy high and roared.
"This trophy is only the beginning! Just one of the many I will bring! To every supporter thirsty for Championship glory, I will deliver the trophy!"
He thumped his chest.
"But I will need your passionate support! Please give the same burning encouragement you've always given—not only to me, but to the players as well! I will repay you with the title! Sunderland 'til I die!"
Finally he bowed deeply.
"To everyone who has supported me until now—thank you from the bottom of my heart!"
Click-! Click-!
Camera shutters fired without pause.
That night, with the eyes of the world fixed on the tournament, articles poured out like a flood.
YouTube channels raced to cover the story as well.
But the YouTube comment section was pure carnage—absolute chaos.
Laugh all you want.
That laughter.
I'll turn it into cheers.