Chapter 46
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 46
Chapter Title The Eldest Son Yearns for Soccer
Alright, lets take a look at our teams situation.
While I was away on national team duty for the KoreaGermany exchange tournament, they played four matches.
The first was a UEFA Youth League game against an easy opponent, Dusseldorfwe ended up with a 11 draw.
Well, upsets happen all the time in kids games, so whatever.
The next was league round 6 against Manchester City.
The score 04.
Theyre the absolute powerhouse of the youth league, so I get that beating them is tough, but conceding four goals...
Fine... theyre that strong, and our defensive line isnt anything special without Lindeman, so we got hammered. Lets leave it at that.
The one after was league round 7 against Nottingham Forest... and we lost?
Even if youth games are full of surprises, this wasnt some international matchit was a familiar league opponent, an overwhelmingly weaker team, and we were at home. How do you lose that?
No, and why a draw against Copenhagen?
What the hell is wrong with our team?
I just cant wrap my head around losing or drawing everything except the City game.
What on earth is the problem?
I only found out the cause after returning to the team.
Argh...
A groan escaped my lips.
The team itself was the one suffering.
It was a fullblown injury ward.
Not only the two starting centerbacks, but even the replacements werent in any shape to play.
And that was the least of it.
Most of our key players were banged up.
No, seriously, why?
What the hell happened while I was gone?
Move! Make the tactics your own by moving!
No way?
I stared at the man standing sternly on the training pitch.
Break time is still a long way off! Everyone, focus!
DiQual.
You?
I looked at our teams kids.
These were the same boys whod always trained and been managed so systematicallywhat the hell had been done to them while I was away? They looked like absolute wrecks.
Newcastle isnt the kind of club that grinds its youth players like this.
Sure, there are coaches out there who want to drill their players like video game characters to implement their precious tactics.
But until now, thered been someone faithfully keeping that coach in check.
Our senior coach, Adam Kellington.
Come to think of it, I hadnt seen him.
Whered he go?
It didnt seem like hed been gone just a day or two.
Just then, a staffer passed by carrying gear wed be using, so I asked.
Hey, wheres our senior coach?
Huh? You didnt hear? He collapsed a while back and got admitted to the hospital.
Ah...
One restraint was gone.
Even so, this didnt make sense.
We still had the youth director, Frankie Kalsen.
Where was Frankie Kalsen?
His wife suddenly fell ill, so hes on leave. They say he might never come back.
My God.
Everyone holding DiQual back was gone.
Taeyang, youre back.
DiQualwhod turned into the teams dictator now that all restraints were lifted, gleefully grinding the playersgreeted me with an arrogant look.
What do you do in a situation like this?
Should I refuse to train?
Should I just play along with whatever DiQual wants for the time being?
Fortunately, my worries didnt last long.
I figured I should at least go through the motions, so while slogging through the brutal training session, the board showed up in force to inspect us.
They watched us for a good long while, chatting among themselves, called over a few coaching staff for talks, then all left together in a group.
They didnt even speak to head coach DiQualjust talked to the staff and vanished?
What the hell?
Whats going on?
I had no idea, but something was definitely happening.
As everyone knows, Newcastle Uniteds owner is the King of Saudi Arabia.
But the kingand his countrydont interfere. Or rather, they cant.
That was the condition of becoming Newcastles owner.
Of course, it was all just a game of peekaboo.
The clubs ownership was held by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund financed by his money. And the chairman, appointed in the funds name, held operational control.
That inaugural and current chairman was the kings closest confidant.
A loyal servant carrying out the kings directives to the letter.
But he had plenty to do for the kingdom, so he mostly left things to the clubs two coownerswho each held 10 stakesand the general manager theyd jointly appointed, without meddling much.
That all changed.
The Public Investment Fund had acquired full ownership of the shares. And the kings confidant, whod been Newcastle Uniteds chairman until now, had retired, paving the way for a new one.
Talik Muhammad Ahiya bin Salman.
A distant relative of the current king, he was more obsessed with soccer than anyoneeven more than the clubs owner, the king himself.
He was the sort whod willingly step down from every position he held just to run Newcastle.
Nohe wanted to drop everything else to focus solely on Newcastle.
Pondering what to do with this capable distant relative, the king saw how he feverishly pitched himself, all fired up about what it would take to bring titles and glory. In the end, the king approved his appointment as chairman.
Once chairman, Talik felt like Newcastles current state had been tailormade for him.
The first team was primed for titles with just two or three worldclass signings. And the youth teamthe foundation of the clubboasted plenty of promising talents that even the top scouts guaranteed had bright futures.
But he wasnt some fool ruled by passion alone.
He knew you couldnt buy a title overnight, no matter how much money you had.
If it were possible, Newcastle wouldve already lifted more trophies than Man City by now.
And from the start, he didnt want to hear whispers that hed just bought a win with cash.
He wasnt saying no spending at all, but he craved a perfect victory that everyone acknowledged as built on solid foundations.
That would take time.
He estimated a minimum of three years, maximum five, to reform the team for titles.
That means well need to recruit worldclass talent. But I have no intention of bringing in players demanding absurd fees and wages.
He told the general manager, who stood before him.
Wise words, sir. Those kinds of players just ruin squads. Look at Man Unitedtheyre still miles from past glories.
Exactly. So scout carefully over the long term.
Understood.
The chairman watched the GM jotting notes on his tablet PC, then spoke again.
And about the youth team.
Yes, the youth setup?
The directors expressed his intent to resign, correct?
Yes.
Accept it. And hire this man as the new director.
The chairman had preevaluated Kalsen and deemed him capable.
However, he didnt like the mans approach.
Scouting and bringing in talented kids was fine.
But the chairman believed they also needed to aggressively pursue youth signings.
For truly elite prospects with guaranteed futures, it was worth the risk and the money to snag them.
He planned to hire a director suited to that philosophy.
And then.
Marciano Diaz.
You mean Director Diaz?
Yes, thats the one.
And that wasnt the only thing he disliked.
Even if it was just the youth team, they needed to experience winning.
Hed brought the man in to refine the players tactics, but he couldnt stand this MD who seemed like hed only studied theory from behind a desk.
Tactics could be taught lateror you could hire a coach for that if needed right away.
A coach has to teach players how to win.
...Pardon?
Cut him immediately. And bring in this man.
He forwarded a photo from his smartphone to the GM.
Seeing it, the GM looked shocked and stared at him.
This man, sir? Are you sure hell...
Hes resigning soon, they say. Make contact. Hell come here, for sure.
Ah, yes.
The GM nodded and made a note. Seeing that, the chairman raised a hand.
General manager.
...Yes?
I said immediately.
...Understood.
DiQu... no, actually, it was Director Diaz who got sacked.
Really?
Mom jumped in surprise at my words.
Truth be told, I was shocked too.
DiQual getting fired overnightwhod have thought?
The new chairmans decisiveness was terrifying.
So, what happens now?
At Moms question, I shrugged.
Actually, it might work out better.
Really?
Yeah.
I recalled the chairman Id briefly met today.
Your contract can be arranged the year after next?
Yes, good. Think about your conditions until then.
I have no plans to loan you out anywhere. You need to be the teams future.
It sounded like a proclamation, but anywayhe seemed to value me highly.
And hed asked something else.
So, is there anything you need right now?
Id thought for a moment.
What I wanted from inside Newcastlea world without DiQualhad been resolved so easily that I wondered if there was anything else.
Financial stuff wouldnt sort until two years from now, so I couldnt ask for that yet.
So Id made one request.
Buy this for us.
It was the latest training equipment that no club was using yetbut in five years, every club would kill for it, envying those who had it.
The company that developed it was probably hustling around right now, begging clubs to buy.
Strike while the irons hot, or itd be impossible later.
Itd benefit me, sure, but itd be great for Newcastle toosurely hed approve?
To our owner, it was pocket change anyway.
By the way, son, next ones at home, right?
Yeah. Why, you coming to watch?
Mm, your dad wants to see it.
Coming before my game?
Yeah.
Dad must be back from his business trip to Korea.
Knowing how much he loves soccer, hed definitely want to catch the Real Madrid match.
Guess Ill be facing Dios again.
Still not fun, though.
He needs to grow a bit more before I can see that heartpounding, terrifying Dios.
How much time will that take?
The thought that I needed to turn pro ASAP made every day drag on.
Like grains of sand slipping through an hourglasss narrow neckone day at a time.
But time flowed on somehow.
Faster than Id expected, even.