La Liga Debut. (3)
The match period had started, and with the U-17 World Cup finally over, my friends and I had no schedule left. We were finally able to unwind the tension we had been holding back from the U-17 World Cup.
Of course, since we weren't adults yet, it wasn't a wild party or anything like that. We were just wandering around the Barcelona city center, checking out cafes or looking around.
“...Is that really that fun? You're laughing while watching.”
Ryu Ha-neul highlight reel for the Regenes match
Ann: Wow, I've never seen a player like this. It's definitely a generational talent in terms of football skill.
Terry: Usually, strikers who can choose their play are advantageous, but watching this scene, Ryu seems to have lured the opponent's foot and played to exploit the gap to beat Gorcne. The reaction speed is that fast, and he knows exactly what play to make.
Ellison: Wow, the composure when scoring the first goal. He completely outplayed the goalkeeper. This player is 15 years old? I was busy drinking at that age. Haha.
Ann: You debuted at 17 too, right?
Ellison: Yeah, 17. Haha. If I hadn't drunk back then...
As the match period began, my friends and I had no schedule left after the U-17 World Cup ended, so we were finally able to unwind the tension from the U-17 World Cup.
Of course, since we weren't adults yet, it wasn't a party or anything like that. We were just wandering around the Barcelona city center, checking out cafes or looking around.
“...Is that really that fun? You're laughing while watching.”
Anyway, while we were having fun, the kids went to the bathroom, and I checked my blog, scanning the comments fans had left.
Valentina, who had been sipping coffee in front of us, suddenly turned to us with a bored expression.
“Tina, you should start a blog too. With your looks, you'd probably gain some followers.”
“...Cough. I'm good. I don't really like that kind of thing. Well, now I see you're more like a guy since you like that.”
“Haha, if you're a football player, you should at least make a blog. This is the measure of product value.”
Among us, only Valentina didn't have a blog. Her body was basically adult, but the childishness still showed.
Any athlete needs fans to exist, and managing them requires SNS. Even experts can't ignore fan opinions, and when awards come, if skills are similar, fan influence can't be avoided. Managing fans through SNS is important.
“Mom said I was a football player, right? Is that why you're so rigid?”
Yu-ri, Camila, and even Bruna, who only knows football, had made SNS accounts, but Valentina, who was still acting like a tomboy saying “Football players only need to play football well,” was a bit pitiful.
“I can't let this slide. I'll make one for you today.”
“Ah, I'm good.”
“Hey, listen to the adults. Nothing bad will happen.”
“What adults...?”
“I'll just make it for you. Later, agents can manage it.”
“Haha, really, I don't need it. ...Here. But I won't be posting anything.”
“Okay, I'll follow you back. I've already followed the others. Only you are left, right now.”
“...Alright.”
After some back and forth, I finally created Valentina's SNS account.
“Huh?! Isn't that the Barcelona Ryu player?”
Someone approached our table. Well, it wasn't strange. People who recognize me occasionally come to the Barcelona city center when I want to clear my head.
“Yes, that's me. Would you like an autograph?”
“Yes! Can I get a photo too?”
“Of course.”
After giving the fan an autograph and photo, I sent him away, and Valentina muttered with a tired voice.
“...Again?”
Honestly, Valentina was getting tired of it. After debuting for Barcelona B, people occasionally recognized me, but it wasn't like this every day. Maybe one person every hour?
But today, it seemed like one every ten minutes.
“The first-team debut really helps. More people recognize me.”
After the Champions League first-team debut, I had been stuck in the dorm because I was sent back to B-team, so I hadn't noticed, but the increase in recognition after debuting in the first team was undeniable.
“I won't be able to play with you anymore. Superstar.”
Valentina said this with a grumpy tone, and I understood. I enjoyed the attention, but there were players who hated it.
Of course, it would annoy me if it became like my previous life where crowds followed me everywhere, but this level was still tolerable. Back then, I couldn't go out much, so during vacations we rented an island...
Maybe in this life, I'd have to win two or three Ballon d'Ors to experience that. Or maybe just one, since I'm a guy?
“I'm not a superstar yet. Here, I made it.”
“Thank you. ...But did you follow me back?”
“Yeah. Just follow me back.”
After creating the account for Valentina, the kids who had gone to the bathroom returned.
“Hey, I made a blog for Tina, so follow it too.”
“What? You said you wouldn't make one, but you did?”
“Ha-neul kept pestering me. But is this really fun? Bruna, you don't like this kind of thing either.”
“I just contact my friends back home with it. It's more convenient than WhatsApp.”
“Yeah...”
“Good. Today, I'll raise your recognition. Everyone gather. Let's take a group photo.”
Football players with many followers have no bad things, so after taking a photo with the gathered kids, I tagged them. And thanks to the photo, Valentina's account, which had only 1 follower, started climbing past 1,000.
Valentina's pretty face helped, but the 5 million followers of this body helped too.
After the photo, we wandered around enjoying the long-awaited vacation with friends, then returned to the dorm to check the blog's reactions.
“Hello. Ryu Ha-neul player. This is Georgia Hernandez, a sports agent. Barcelona didn't tell us how to contact the player, so I contacted you via DM. Would you like to chat?”
...The DM window finally had the contact I wanted. Georgia Hernandez was exactly the kind of big agent I had been waiting for, with a portfolio of superstar clients unlike the small fry.
“Yeah, after playing one or two games, the interest comes right away. Well, if you can't recognize my value, you should be stripped of your agent license.”
At the same time, Barcelona wanted my pro contract.
Perfect timing.