The night of the final.
An unexpected visitor arrived to meet Calderon, who was still basking in the joy of Real Madrid's Champions League victory.
Whether it was good news or bad remained to be seen.
What was certain, however, was that a possible lifeline had appeared to pull the club out of its financial crisis.
President Calderon formally welcomed the guest into his office.
Soon, a middle-aged man stepped forward and shook Calderon's hand.
One glance at his perfectly shaved head was enough to know who he was.
"Congratulations on winning the Champions League, President Calderon."
"Thank you, Vice Chairman Adriano."
Adriano Galliani—the Vice President of AC Milan.
It wasn't hard to guess why he had come to Madrid. He was the true power behind AC Milan.
"I'd like to make an offer for Woo Young."
Calderon chuckled lightly.
Galliani wasn't one to beat around the bush. Normally, he'd circle around with small talk to seize the upper hand, but today was different.
'He's in a rush. That cunning old fox.'
Calderon could read Galliani like an open book.
And he was right—AC Milan was in a tight spot.
After struggling in the Champions League, they'd appointed Ancelotti and replaced Leonardo, only to crash out of all major tournaments. The rebuild they'd planned by selling Kaka to Madrid had fallen apart when Perez stepped down and Calderon was elected instead.
As a result, Milan had every reason to be desperate for Real Madrid's cooperation.
Still, Galliani and Calderon had maintained a good relationship over the years. That's what had brought them to the table now.
Logically speaking, it was unthinkable for Real Madrid to sell Woo Young—hero of their double crown. But considering the club's current financial turmoil, there was a crack in the wall.
Galliani knew this well—and he had come knocking.
But Calderon wasn't going to yield so easily.
"Would you sell Woo Young if you were in my shoes? Do you have any idea what the fans would do? There'd be riots."
"You may be right. But you did just win the Champions League. If we create a distracting media buzz, it might be enough to cool things down. Isn't that what the press is for?"
"I get your point. But can AC Milan even afford Woo Young? Are you seriously suggesting adding Kaka and cash to the table?"
"You underestimate us."
"I'm sure you know your own club's financial limits better than I do."
"I'm afraid your information might be outdated."
Just a few weeks ago, an incident had rocked the pillars of Italian politics, economics, and football.
Berlusconi—the Prime Minister of Italy and AC Milan's owner—had hosted a notorious party filled with actresses and showgirls at one of his luxury villas in Milan.
While public sentiment in Italy was relatively lax toward such scandals, the real issue was the involvement of minors.
To shift the public's focus, Berlusconi decided to inject 200 billion won in cash into AC Milan.
As a result, their summer transfer list exploded with star-studded names: Robinho, David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Cristiano Ronaldo... and Woo Young.
Among them, Woo Young was by far the top priority.
"Woo Young's buyout clause is currently set at 22 million euros. But Real Madrid needs somewhere around 130 million euros, right?"
"!"
Calderon's expression twitched. Galliani had struck a nerve.
There was no mistaking it—Milan had a spy inside the club.
'Galliani... a man who doesn't hesitate to play dirty.'
But the truth was, the situation was even worse than that.
The club needed nearly double that amount to stay afloat.
"So you're planning to take Woo Young at that price?"
"We can't afford to be reckless either. Who's going to pay that much for a non-EU player? He's only sixteen."
"Then what are you offering?"
"Our maximum offer is 80 million euros."
"That's absurd. I don't think there's anything more to discuss. This meeting is over."
"If you walk away now, you'll regret it."
Calderon paused mid-motion, his interest piqued. Galliani leaned forward.
"We're not offering 80 million out of generosity."
"Then?"
"You must be very uneasy about Woo Young's current contract. That 22 million euro release clause is far too low. But you can't change it, can you? His agent won't allow a renegotiation."
That was true.
Former President Perez had already raised Woo Young's salary to the legal maximum, eliminating the need for a renewal anytime soon.
Perez had left a ticking time bomb behind when he stepped down.
But Galliani had a workaround.
"You don't need to transfer capital through Woo Young."
"You're talking about adding other players into the deal?"
"Arjen Robben would be ideal."
"Robben…"
Calderon had already been considering letting him go.
Robben's market value was in decline, thanks to repeated injuries and waning form.
"So, you're proposing a transfer involving Arjen Robben?"
"Yes. We'll pay 80 million euros for his transfer. In return, Woo Young comes along as part of the package."
"Eighty million for both? Even a dog on the street would laugh at that."
"Then include a buy-back clause for Woo Young."
"Buy-back?"
"We'll only hold onto him for half a season. He won't participate in the Champions League either. When we send him back, we'll ask for just 70 million euros. That's our condition."
A buy-back clause—giving Madrid the right to repurchase a sold player.
In other words, Real Madrid could sell Woo Young now for emergency funds, then buy him back once their finances stabilized.
It was exactly what Calderon had been hoping for.
A way to secure both cash and the player.
But there was one concern.
'What if Woo Young refuses to return?'
If he felt betrayed by the club, the buy-back clause would be meaningless.
Calderon had to be sure.
Sensing his hesitation, Galliani offered more reassurance.
"No player belongs permanently to any club. No player serves loyalty over opportunity. Except for Woo Young. He's young—and different."
"What do you mean?"
Galliani pulled out some documents.
They were news clippings from a Spanish sports paper, AS, dated from the time AC Milan first approached Woo Young.
---
[Javier Sanchez]
[Yesterday, Woo Ho Young single-handedly drove out AC Milan's Leonardo Araujo from Madrid. A clear display of his loyalty to Real Madrid.]
---
"This article has nothing to do with Milan. It seems to have been leaked from Woo Young's side when we first made our move."
"What did you offer him?"
"We overhauled our youth budget just to offer Woo Young a salary equivalent to Kaka's—the highest in the team at the time. That was eight times what he was earning."
"Hm."
"We even offered him a luxury villa worth 3 billion won, a car for his family, and all the best perks in Italy. But he flatly refused. His loyalty was real. I guarantee that even if he spends six months elsewhere, he'll return. You know this better than anyone."
"What makes you say that?"
Calderon didn't respond—but he didn't have to.
'He's right. This is a plan that could work. Woo Young is loyal. Unlike Ronaldo.'
Six months.
If Woo Young was away just for that long, their finances might recover dramatically.
With that buffer, they could restore the Jordan-Bahrain Middle Eastern connection that Perez had lost.
There were also whispers of a massive German sponsorship deal with another top club.
Time was of the essence.
"Then tell me what Woo Young will get from Milan. What kind of compensation are we talking about?"
"Of course."
Galliani grinned, confident—and ready.
---
The next morning.
A massive crowd had gathered at Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles.
Tens of thousands flooded in to witness Real Madrid's championship parade.
Last year, they celebrated La Liga. This year—it was the Champions League trophy.
Raúl and Woo Young stood beside the iconic statue, each lifting the Big Ears trophy and planting a kiss on its crown.
"Waaaaaah!"
"¡Madrid! ¡Madrid! ¡Madrid!"
The celebration ran longer than usual—it was, after all, the club's tenth Champions League title.
Then came the fan Q&A segment.
Among the crowd, selected citizens got to ask their favorite players questions.
This time, it was Woo Young's turn.
"There was an incident with Marco Materazzi during the match. Are you okay?"
The question came from a woman wearing Woo Young's jersey.
"Thank you for your concern. As you can see, I'm fine. I'm just not sure about him—I hit him pretty hard."
"He deserved it! Did he come at you first? Did anything happen after the match? Any behind-the-scenes stories?"
"No, nothing like that. But if we're talking behind-the-scenes… he did say some nasty things during the game. That might be it."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Woo Young quickly followed up.
"But as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Today is a celebration. So let's enjoy the moment."
But the crowd was already in an uproar.
"That bastard Materazzi!"
"I knew it when I saw him!"
"Son of a—!"
"He'll never change."
"Filthy to the core!"
Online was no better.
The story exploded across Spanish media and spread globally.
Materazzi's social media was immediately flooded—more than 90% of the messages were in Spanish or Korean.
---
[Don't even think about coming to Madrid. That'll be the end of you.]
[Set foot in Korea and you're done.]
[Don't go home either. I'll come for you myself.]
---
Materazzi read the translated messages one by one and scoffed.
'Idiots. They'll forget about it soon.'
He wasn't fazed.
Back then, he trained harder.
He was aiming for selection to the 2010 World Cup squad for South Africa.
Though he'd slipped down the pecking order, he still held onto hope.
But the controversy didn't die down. Thanks to Woo Young's rising influence, it only got worse.
While most Italians sided with Materazzi, others didn't.
Public criticism began to swell, casting doubt on whether he deserved a spot on the national team.
And the next day, this headline dropped:
---
[Italy's National Team Coach Marcello Lippi: "Marco Materazzi was never in consideration."]
---
"Ha."
Materazzi looked crushed when he saw it.
He'd known his chances were slim—but hearing it outright shattered him.
Age and declining form were reasons enough, but it was clear now: the scandal had sealed his fate.
"Damn it!"
The season he'd dreamed of—leading Inter and going to South Africa—was spiraling into a nightmare.
---
And the morning before Woo Young boarded his flight to Japan—
President Calderon called him into the office for a private conversation.
"I asked you here because there's something I need to say."
"Yes, sir. I'm listening."
There was a heaviness in Calderon's voice as he spoke.
"Do you love this club?"