December 14.
The aftermath of the shocking El Clásico upset was immense.
Real Madrid's tactics, which had toppled the seemingly invincible Barcelona, were revealed through interviews, leaving the football world stunned.
Even though Schuster confirmed it himself, many still refused to believe it.
Some pundits even pushed conspiracy theories.
[The value of Ho-young, who scored a hat-trick in El Clásico, continues to soar.
There are few football fans left who don't know the name Ho-young. All eyes are on the boy, and everyone eagerly awaits his performance in every match. Reports that Ho-young now ranks in the top three for Real Madrid jersey sales are far from exaggerated.
From this perspective, Schuster's interview might have been a calculated move to promote Ho-young.
Did Ho-young really come up with those tactics?
We should consider this in light of the music industry. A composer lays out the base, and an artist tweaks the melody slightly and releases it under their name.
Sounds plausible, doesn't it?
Right now, Real Madrid needs a star. They need a forward to carry on the legacy of Madrid's heart, Raúl, a midfielder to succeed the commander, Zidane, and a good-looking player to follow in the footsteps of Beckham.
Ho-young fits all those criteria.
Furthermore, since that match, the phrase "tactical genius" has begun to follow him. His intelligence will captivate fans and spark an urge in many to buy his jersey.
This is why Pérez is trying to turn Ho-young into a superstar.
Real Madrid's front-of-shirt sponsor deal with 'Bwin' and kit contract with 'Adidas' both expire next year. Ho-young's value will have a significant impact on the negotiations.
In fact, when Real Madrid signed David Beckham five years ago, they managed to massively increase their sponsorship income.
In short, it can be interpreted that Pérez has designated Ho-young as Beckham's successor this season.
The question is, can Pérez's star-making project succeed? To do so, Ho-young will first need to surpass Messi and become Spain's top jersey-selling player.]
It wasn't without merit.
Though Real Madrid was not drowning in debt, the massive rebuild planned for next year would require considerable funding.
Even just the shortlist of targets included proven stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidić from Manchester United, Kaká from AC Milan, Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso from Liverpool, Cesc Fàbregas from Arsenal, Karim Benzema from Lyon, Claudio Marchisio and Giorgio Chiellini from Juventus, David Villa and Raúl Albiol from Valencia, and Franck Ribéry from Bayern Munich.
Such names required massive financial backing, and Pérez had to consider all possibilities in leveraging Ho-young.
"Make full use of Ho-young's public image and likeness rights for marketing."
"Yes, sir."
December 14, inside the president's office at Santiago Bernabéu.
Pérez issued the directive to Secretary General Jorge Valdano.
They then began a detailed conversation about upcoming policy strategies.
"Do you really think the board will approve a budget of this scale?"
"Instead of asking that, come up with a way to make it happen."
"Yes, understood."
Pérez was a meticulous businessman.
He might have a lavish public image, but when it came to financial management and profit generation, he was second to none.
Every policy he pushed was grounded in profitability.
Even Real Madrid's wage structure was determined by a player's marketability and commercial value.
To bring in top-tier stars, enormous investment was needed, which inevitably meant more debt.
That made today's budget review meeting especially critical.
Once the club's board had gathered in the meeting room, the first round of the budget review assembly began.
After the two-year plan briefing, Vice President Ignacio was the first to speak.
"These numbers are hard to accept."
A natural reaction.
Pérez's proposed figures were staggering — €420 million in operating budget and €280 million in transfer fees, totaling €700 million.
The board members collectively wore troubled expressions.
"You're planning to funnel two years' worth of club revenue into next year's budget? With all due respect, I can't agree to that."
"Agreed. What salary range are you projecting for these new signings?"
"And €280 million for transfer fees? Have you forgotten that this season's total transfer budget was €92 million?"
The board members voiced their distrust.
But Pérez stood his ground.
"Did none of you watch the two-year plan presentation? If projections hold, we'll reduce the club's debt by half by June 2010."
Coming from a businessman with a background in civil engineering and construction, Pérez had generated massive profits through real estate development.
He also planned to construct a Disneyland-style theme park in Madrid next year and was in the midst of negotiating a sponsorship deal worth hundreds of millions with the royal family of Abu Dhabi.
Even so, the board's reaction remained skeptical.
In the first round of voting, the overwhelming opinion was that the proposed budget needed to be cut.
But Pérez was not the type to give up.
'I'll have to bend the rules a little.'
To stick to his belief that "the most expensive player is the cheapest player" and push next year's budget through, he needed to employ various tactics.
The second Galáctico era.
With that goal in sight, there was no turning back.
He wanted to see a Ho-young–Cristiano Ronaldo–Kaká–Ribéry line lighting up the Bernabéu.
December 19, Valdebebas.
A training session was held a day before the match against mid-table side RCD Mallorca.
The training complex was swarming with fans.
Since El Clásico, supporters had been flocking to the grounds daily, to the point where players struggled to get out of their cars.
A true hero's return.
The players could feel the impact of their success.
And it peaked when Ho-young arrived.
Though the season was only halfway through, Ho-young had already become the hero of the 2008/09 season.
His popularity was unmatched.
Anywhere in Madrid, people recognized him, asked for photos, and gathered around school gates hoping to see him after class.
And Ho-young never turned down a fan's request.
Today was no different.
"Just one photo, please!"
"Could you sign this?"
After a round of fan service, Ho-young finally made it into the training ground.
Just then, someone called out from behind.
"Hey, Young!"
"Aren't you being a bit too generous with your fan service?"
It was none other than Van Nistelrooy and Robben, two players Ho-young was especially close with.
Robben slapped his palm with Ho-young's as a greeting.
Van Nistelrooy, as always, ruffled Ho-young's hair affectionately.
From the moment Ho-young joined the first team, these two had helped him settle in.
Van Nistelrooy was close with Park Ji-sung, and Robben with Lee Young-pyo, which had helped them relate to Ho-young.
"Young, you remind me of Ji."
"And I think of Young-pyo. He was always so kind to fans too. No matter how tired he was, he always smiled and signed autographs. Are all Koreans like that?"
Van Nistelrooy casually referring to Park Ji-sung as "Ji."
Robben, pronouncing "Hyung-pyo hyung" like a native.
As Ho-young chatted with the two, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
'I probably won't see these two next year.'
If things unfolded as expected, the Dutch connection would be dismantled after this season.
Ho-young felt a pang of regret.
They'd only been together for six months, but it was more than enough time to build a bond.
It was also enough time to acquire talents.
'Still six months left.'
His next targets were the Dutch connection.
Van Nistelrooy and Robben's talents.
The next day.
Around 70,000 fans gathered at Santiago Bernabéu for the 16th round of the league against Mallorca.
Despite being a match against a weaker team, the stadium was nearly full thanks to the approaching two-week Christmas break.
Even footballers were getting time off after today's game.
"This is the last match of 2008. Our job is to give the fans at the Bernabéu a wonderful Christmas gift."
It was the year's final match.
The players could've been excited, but instead, they were solemn.
After all, they had fought hard to win El Clásico. Losing here was not an option.
Then the starting lineup was announced.
"Casillas, Marcelo, Pepe, Garay, Ramos, Gago, Diarra, Malouda, Ho-young, Saviola, Raúl. Get ready."
Once a backup, Ho-young was now named in the starting lineup as usual.
A certified key player.
The match kicked off at 8 p.m.
[Real Madrid showing aggression from the start. They're firing on all cylinders.]
[This is the same Real Madrid that beat Barcelona just a week ago! No surprise they're playing without fear!]
Mallorca, a solid mid-table team, were no pushovers.
With experienced defenders like Navarro, Josemi, Corrales, Scaloni, and Martí, they had conceded only 20 goals in 15 games.
Their attack, built on youthful pace, was dangerous on the counter.
But Real Madrid were simply stronger.
[Garay with a clean tackle to stop Pierre Webó's run.]
[And here comes the counter. Real Madrid launching an attack.]
[A long pass switches it wide immediately. Florent Malouda controls it.]
[Malouda! Beats Lionel Scaloni with a sharp dribble and charges down the flank to create a great opportunity!]
[A low cross driven just outside the penalty area! Ho-young is making a run into the open space!]
As Real Madrid grew stronger, so did Ho-young.
He now had the mid-range shot of Diego Forlán (U), the Thunder Thighs of Cha Boom (L), and the Explosive Kicking Power of Roberto Carlos (S+3).
The synergy of these three resulted in a fearsome one-touch strike.
And then...
Boom!
Clean contact.
Thud!
[Goal! Ho-young smashes a powerful mid-range shot into Mallorca's net! That was a thunderous strike that blew the roof off the stadium! Perfectly hit!]
[Wow… that was a rocket. I wonder what the ball speed was on that one. But seriously, was his shooting power always this strong?]
[Looks like he's gotten even stronger.]
[Haha. Makes sense now. Didn't they say a few days ago that Spain's AETSAD selected him for a doping test? Now I see why.]
1-0.
Real Madrid took the lead and dictated the match from that point on.
Mallorca, hoping to pull off a year-end upset, came in with decent tactics, but the game quickly turned one-sided.
Three goals came in the first half, and the dominant play continued into the second.
Final score: 4-0.
Real Madrid secured all three points with a flawless performance.
Ho-young played the full 90 minutes, recording one goal and one assist.
As he returned to the locker room to roaring applause, club officials were already lined up inside to greet the players with a standing ovation.
Standing at the center was sporting director Predrag Mijatović, who had come in person to commend the team.
"Well done this year, everyone."
But he had something specific to say to Ho-young.
"And Young, head to the reception room. A guest from Italy is here to see you. Seems they have something to give you."
"From Italy? For me?"
"Go see for yourself. I think you'll like it."
Ho-young made his way to the reception room.
(To be continued.)