Pérez had recently succeeded in winning re-election, defeating Calderón in the club president election.
Had Real Madrid failed to win the league title last season, the outcome might have been very different. But fortunately, he secured victory by a narrow margin.
The drop in Pérez's approval ratings stemmed not only from the failure of the Galáctico policy but also from criticism over his extravagant spending habits.
Pérez licked his lips.
In the midst of all that, the transfer offer for Robinho was a welcome bit of news.
'Looks like they made up their minds after watching yesterday's semifinal. Good. I was sick of his constant whining anyway.'
As long as Ho-young could replicate the performances he'd shown at the Olympics, there was no reason to keep Robinho.
While it would be a bit of a waste to let him go, if City offered a satisfactory transfer fee, Pérez was more than willing to sell.
'It's a shame to hand him over, but if it's Manchester City, I can live with it.'
Ho-young, however, was a different story.
'Those scumbags. Eyeing a kid who's not even under professional contract yet?'
Manchester City, backed by oil money, were actively pursuing several star players. But due to the club's relatively low prestige, they faced many obstacles.
No matter how much they offered in wages, few stars were willing to join a club that couldn't even qualify for the Europa League, let alone the Champions League.
Unless it was a player nearing retirement, it was unlikely that any in-demand stars would move to City.
That's why they were targeting young, promising players.
Players like Ho-young.
There was no one else in the world who fit that mold quite like him, making it only natural that he topped City's wishlist.
And it wasn't just City.
Many clubs in the English Premier League, including Arsenal's youth-obsessed manager Arsène Wenger, were also joining the race to sign Ho-young.
That was what worried Pérez.
Ho-young was just 15 years old.
He wasn't under a professional contract yet, so any club could sign him if they were willing to pay a training compensation fee and a buyout of around 10 million euros.
Moreover, in England, players can sign professional contracts once they turn 16.
If Sheikh Mansour really wanted to, he could easily lure Ho-young with wages in the hundreds of thousands per week.
In contrast, Real Madrid had a wage cap for youth players.
The maximum weekly wage they could offer Ho-young was 20,000 euros.
'Ho-young isn't the type who chases money...'
Still, it was something to worry about.
'This is troublesome. The budget is tight this year.'
Wage burdens like Roberto Carlos and Zinedine Zidane were difficult to manage.
They were like bones stuck in the throat—too important to let go, but too expensive to keep.
The year-end budget review was already shaping up to be a challenge.
"Hmph."
From that perspective, selling Robinho was the more beneficial move in the long run.
The only issue would be backlash from Robinho's fans, but if Ho-young's presence could completely overshadow Robinho, that problem would solve itself.
'Just do your thing.'
Pérez's full attention was now on Beijing.
As fate would have it, in just two days, Ho-young and Robinho were set to face off head-to-head.
August 22.
South Korea was in a frenzy that morning.
Following the Olympic baseball semifinal against Japan, the evening's football 3rd-place match had become a major talking point.
[Brazil, the tournament favorites... overall squad slightly weaker than Argentina... Foreign football analysts suggest it's doable...]
[The dream of Korea's first Olympic football medal begins now]
[2008 Beijing Men's Football: Korea vs Brazil Emerges as a Top Storyline]
[D-Day. Brazil manager Dunga frustrated by injury crisis... Korea's Park Sung-ho smiles...]
Due to Brazil's overwhelming reputation, few predicted a Korean victory. But there were still many who believed in the saying, "The ball is round."
Everything would be decided once the match began.
The stage was set.
7 PM local time.
A crowd of over 80,000 filled the stadium in Shanghai, China.
The Olympic football bronze medal match between South Korea and Brazil was about to begin.
An upset.
That was the word many sports outlets were using to describe this showdown.
Korea, once considered unlikely to make it past the group stage, now found themselves in the 3rd-place match.
On the other hand, Brazil, one of the tournament favorites, had failed to reach the final and now had to settle for playing for bronze.
The feelings were different, but both sides stood on equal footing.
As the players entered the pitch, a thunderous roar erupted from the stands.
Most of the cheers were directed to the left.
The players wearing yellow kits with five stars on their chests.
The Seleção, the Brazilian national team.
[Yes! The players from both teams are entering the field. Who would've thought we'd see a day like this?]
[Indeed. Most expected Korea to face the Netherlands in the 3rd-place match. This was unexpected, but many believe it turned out for the better.]
[Right. Facing the tall Dutch players, most of whom are over 190cm, would've been tough. In comparison, looking at Brazil's starting lineup, this might be more manageable.]
It was a fair point.
Brazil was a mess after their match against the Netherlands.
That semifinal, held just three days ago, had been nothing short of a bloodbath.
It made Korea's match against Argentina look like child's play.
Just from the numbers alone—12 cards and 3 injuries—you could tell how brutal it was.
As a result, Brazil had three injured players and two suspended.
With Olympic football squads limited to 18 players, it was a critical blow.
[It'll be tough, but if they give it their all, our players might just pull this off.]
[Yes... they have to believe they can win.]
With key players like Ronaldo and Ronaldinho missing, there was certainly room for optimism.
Still, most expected Brazil to win.
Korea's performance in the semifinals hadn't been promising enough to suggest otherwise.
Unless Ho-young could produce another wonderplay.
[Now, with the national anthems done, players are exchanging handshakes. Ah, Marcelo gives Ho-young a warm welcome.]
The two, known to be friendly off the pitch, exchanged a warm handshake.
But Robinho was different.
Even before kickoff, it was obvious from his face that he was wary of Ho-young.
That was fine.
In fact, it was exciting.
That kind of tension always made his heart race.
And as the last in line approached, a man built like the Hulk greeted Ho-young.
A familiar face.
"Breno."
"Ho-young, good to see you."
It was Breno Borges, former captain of São Paulo FC.
A reunion after nearly three years.
"I heard you transferred to Bayern Munich this season? Congrats."
"I'm still just a backup. I also heard you're about to be promoted to the first team. So, will we meet in the Champions League?"
"Haha. Isn't that getting ahead of yourself?"
The friendly banter flowed easily, and both cracked a smile.
But the mood quickly shifted.
A heavy silence fell over them, as if the air had thickened.
"Ho-young, this is our first time facing off for real. Let's make it a good one. I won't be as easy as I was before."
"Same here. I'm not holding back this time."
They were opponents now.
No more mercy.
Tweet!
With a light hug, the whistle soon followed.
Kickoff for Brazil, started by Robinho from the left wing.
[Brazil lines up in a 4-2-3-1. Alexandre Pato as the lone striker, with Anderson in the attacking midfield role.]
Brazil manager Dunga fielded pacey players to exploit Korea's slow defense.
Robinho, Anderson, and Pato formed a devastating triangle.
They were a nightmare for Korea.
Korea came in with a countermeasure of their own.
Thud!
"Ugh."
Robinho was knocked off balance by a rough challenge from Ki Dong-jin.
Korea's strategy was clear: break Brazil's rhythm with fouls if necessary.
They especially targeted Robinho, known for his fiery temper, using tight, suffocating defense to disrupt his free-flowing play.
But physicality alone couldn't close the skill gap.
Korea's defense had no answers. Brazil's front three were destructive.
[Kwon Chang-soo! He steps up to Robinho, but... oh! Robinho breaks through easily! He passes to Kim Min-soo! Watch out for Pato on the right!]
A moment of crisis.
"Get in there! Stop him!"
Coach Park Sung-ho's voice boomed across the pitch.
Just then, Ho-young's eyes sharpened.
He pounced on Robinho like a predator.
Rocketing forward with explosive speed.
Thud! Crash!
Robinho fell backward as the ball spilled out toward Ki Dong-jin on the right.
A right-footed back tackle from Ho-young.
Not the cleanest, but it broke Brazil's momentum.
"You bastard!"
Robinho roared as he jumped to his feet.
But Ho-young was already gone.
He was pleading his case with the referee.
The verdict: a yellow card.
Since his foot wasn't raised and the tackle wasn't reckless, a booking was deemed enough.
[Yes, just a yellow card. Korea survives this scare, but they'll need to be careful from now on.]
"You son of a bitch!"
Robinho flared his nostrils and shouted at the back of Ho-young's head.
"You reek, you little punk."
"What'd you say, you monkey-looking freak?"
"You're the monkey. Stinky yellow monkey."
"Weren't you ranked 22nd in Marca's looks ranking?"
"You piece of...!"
During the July World Tour, Spanish tabloid Marca had humorously ranked the Real Madrid squad by appearance.
Robinho was 22nd out of 23.
Dead last was Mahamadou Diarra.
First was Ho-young.
That fact left Robinho speechless.
Crude banter, but that's how it was on the pitch.
A place that could make even grown men act like children.
The bickering didn't stop there.
Within just 10 minutes, Korea had already picked up two yellow cards, all exchanged for denying Brazil's shots on target.
Still, they weren't just sitting back.
Brazil had weaknesses too, and Ho-young kept pressing them.
'Their defense is soft.'
Ho-young's quick assessment said it all.
A back four of Marcelo, Alex Silva, Breno, and Ilsinho.
Not as solid as Italy's catenaccio or as destructive as Cameroon's defenders.
Except for Marcelo, the rest were barely second-division level in Spain.
Brazil had made it this far thanks to the experience of Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.
But now, they had no one to take up that role.
That was the key difference between Brazil and Argentina.
A tiger with no fangs.
'We can break through.'
Ho-young charged forward with confidence.
This was the end of the road anyway.
Even if the sky fell, he was determined to win this one match.
The difference between a bronze and no medal was just a single match, but the military exemption was on the line. For Ho-young, it was non-negotiable.
But the opponent wasn't easy.
Every time Ho-young touched the ball, rough tackles came flying in from every direction.
It was a battlefield.
Crack!
"Damn!"
The goal was in sight, but a tackle and body check from the side caused him to lose the ball.
Still, it wasn't for nothing.
Tweet!
The referee blew for a foul by Alex Silva.
And pulled out a yellow card.
'Good.'
There were still plenty of chances.
If they kept hammering like this, the door would eventually open.
That chance came not long after.
13th minute of the first half.
Ki Dong-jin launched a long ball past the halfway line.
Ho-young quickly moved into position.
Smack!
[The aerial ball drops just past midfield. Ho-young uses his superior physique to get into a great position.]
Defensive midfielder Lucas tried to challenge, but he couldn't match Ho-young's positioning or physicality.
Ho-young won the duel.
And the attack didn't stop there.
Smack.
A killer pass to the open space on the right.
Lee Chung-yong burst into the gap.
A counterattack.
[This is good! They need to capitalize on this chance!]
[Right now, there aren't many defenders back. They just need to stay calm and make each move count...]
Then it happened.
Tap.
Lee Chung-yong sent a short pass to Ho-young before darting into the box.
Near the penalty area.
Only Breno stood between Ho-young and the goal.
The duel began now.
Tap, tap.
"...!"
Ho-young's dazzling footwork made Breno's eyes spin.
But Breno stayed calm.
He knew Ho-young well.
Likewise, Ho-young knew Breno.
Mentally fragile, physically strong.
But vulnerable to foot skills.
Knowing that, Ho-young displayed what true dribbling was.
Like a circus performer, he went wild with his feet.
Left and right.
Up and down.
'What the...'
Breno's expression stiffened.
In that fleeting moment, Ho-young mixed in an upper-body feint, and Breno's eyes went blank.
In the blink of an eye.
Ho-young got past him.
And unleashed a surprise shot.
Goalkeeper Diego Alves leapt, but the ball was already screaming toward the left corner.
No chance to stop it.
Thump!
13th minute of the first half.
Ho-young signaled the start of an upset.
(To be continued.)