Dad was a Genius - Chapter 60
Only Noblemtl
My Dad Was a Genius Episode 060
The hottest topic in the K-League right now is probably Kang Dae-ho’s next destination.
Just like Son Min-ho, who is already playing well for Bayer Leverkusen, Cheonan also announced that it will actively support Kang Dae-ho so that he can raise the honor of the Republic of Korea by sending him abroad.
Because of this, his name was mentioned in many places.
Liverpool, Manchester United, Leverkusen, Munich, AC Milan, etc.
But realistically, it was extremely difficult for a K-League player to suddenly transfer to a big club.
Moreover, even if he were to transfer, there was a high possibility that he would only be used as a candidate for a short time, so everyone was looking at him with a cool head rather than making a fuss.
So, there were many opinions that he would probably transfer to a weaker team with slightly lower quality, build his career, and then transfer to a big club.
Meanwhile,
[Kang Dae-ho signs 2-year contract with Dortmund.]
Suddenly, the official announcement was made.
It was the famous team Borussia Dortmund that even brought down the Bundesliga dictatorship of Munich.
People responded by saying, “Is Kang Dae-ho really going to Dortmund?”
Isn’t this the place with the famous manager Jurgen Klopp?
There were mixed reactions, with some saying he would probably just be a candidate there, while others said he would definitely do great things like he did in the K-League.
Of course, most Koreans just hoped that Kang Dae-ho would continue to be active overseas.
At a time when the news of Kang Dae-ho’s transfer to Dortmund was heating up.
Another official has come out.
[Cha Seong-eun transfers to Wolverhampton Wanderers as coach.]
* * *
EPL Championship.
It is a second division league that can lead to promotion to the Premier League.
Although it may not seem popular because it is part 2, it is quite popular, with an average audience of 20,000 people.
Considering that the average attendance in the K-League is less than 10,000, it was more than double that and ranked 6th in the world.
This was possible because England is a country that is serious about soccer, and many companies are attached to second division teams and are making continuous investments, just like first division teams.
Manchester City, who are currently sweeping the 13-14 season, are also a team that came up from the second division.
And here.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are known as fixtures in the second division.
It was a truly lovely team that occasionally got promoted to the first division, but then returned to the second division the following season like a ghost.
“Wolves are finished now.”
“Stop saying things that will ruin your appetite in the morning.”
“Even if the food tastes bad, isn’t it British food anyway? Why look for flavor there?”
“That’s… … that’s right.”
The current atmosphere at Wolves is at its worst.
It was because they barely made it to the first division in 2011, but they couldn’t last a year and were relegated again and came back here.
The players and coaches who were confident that they would perform well in the first division this time were left frustrated by the high wall of the first division.
Is that why?
Since the start of the EPL Championship League, Wolves have suffered consecutive defeats.
In the meantime, the squad was put on emergency alert as all the players that were supposed to be recruited in the transfer market went to other teams.
Wolves are also facing their biggest crisis since their founding, with coaches also leaving in large numbers due to clashes with the board.
“In the midst of all this, who should we bring in as the new tactical coach?”
“I heard he’s Korean. He even coached in that league.”
“Haha. This is driving me crazy. A former director is now a coach? His pride must be through the roof.”
It’s not that strange for a foreigner to come in as a coach.
But it was a bit refreshing to see an Asian come to the EPL as a coach.
Moreover, the opponent is someone who served as a manager in the Korean league.
“I heard that guy even set an incredible record in the Korean league? He said he scored over 100 points.”
“Really? But what are you missing that made you crawl in here?”
“Well, I guess he wanted to try directing in England.”
“You crazy guy. Have you ever played on a British stage? No. Have you ever played on a European stage? Do you have a coaching license?”
“I have little experience as a player. I just have the basic license.”
I was already worried because the scouts we sent to Asia last time didn’t bring the players we asked them to bring, but instead recommended a Korean coach.
“Would it be possible for someone who was a director, and an Asian at that, to adapt to this system?”
“I absolutely can’t. I’d rather run away than have to eat this fucking British food.”
The EPL football world is not an easy world.
Here in the EPL 2nd division, things are even more difficult.
A siege to advance to the EPL first division.
A world where all kinds of trickery and intrigue reign supreme.
That’s right here in the EPL 2nd Division Championship.
Of course, it was not a world that a single Asian, not even a European, could survive in.
There is a reason why there has not been a single Asian head coach so far.
Rampant racism and persecution.
It was obvious that the nameless Asian would run away in despair at the wall of reality as soon as he arrived.
“How many days will it last? A month? Two months?”
“Haha. I’ll see you in a week.”
“You’ll be lucky if you can last a week.”
It seemed like the already boring second division life would become fun for a little while.
* * *
“It’s okay for everyone to go back now. The weather is cold.”
“It’s okay, Inma. What’s so hard about seeing you off?”
“Oh. So, I won’t be able to see you anymore, our youngest?”
“If anyone saw that, they’d think the youngest one was leaving forever. He comes to Korea whenever he has time.”
“Let’s hug our youngest.”
“also?”
I arrived at the airport, seen off by my family.
I don’t know how many hugs this is already.
I guess everyone feels that much regret.
Although I also felt sad that I had to live far away from my family, I planned to come to Korea as often as possible when I had time.
“Where else can you find someone as obsessed with work as you are? You’d be lucky if you could come to Korea at least once a year. I don’t believe you, you idiot.”
“Father, it’s cold outside. You should go inside now.”
“Okay. I have to see you go in. And with so many people gathered here to see you off, are you just going to go in?”
It wasn’t just my family that came to see me off.
Cheonan players, front office staff, coaches, and countless fans who cheered for Cheonan.
When they all gathered in one place, the airport was packed with people.
Even if a top star showed up at the airport, I don’t think there would be this much of a rush.
“Director Cha Seong!”
“You have to do well even when you go to England!”
“Seongeun hyung, you have to come back!”
I waved at the fans who were shouting at me.
I already promised them.
I don’t know when, but I said I would come back to Cheonan again.
It was never an empty promise.
I will return to this team someday, the one that gave me the chance to dream again.
“Director… … .”
I had a brief greeting with the players.
Then, the place where my gaze stopped was my father, Kang Dae-ho.
“I am confident that the director will succeed on the British stage.”
“I also have no doubt that Kang Dae-ho will dominate the German stage.”
“Then… … we can meet again later, right? I really want to join the team led by you, coach.”
We are reunited again as coach and player.
To be honest, it was a very difficult task in terms of probability.
But don’t they say that dreams are ultimately about believing in what you can’t see?
“Yes, it will definitely happen.”
I shared a warm hug with my father.
No one knows when we will see each other again, but when that day comes, we will surely be successful in our own leagues.
No, I will definitely try and try to make it happen.
“Then let’s go in.”
I bowed to everyone who had gathered for me and then went through the immigration process.
Having completed one step towards success as a Korean manager, it was now time to take the next step towards his goal of becoming the first Asian manager in EPL history.
* * *
After arriving in London, I took a train to the industrial city of Wolverhampton.
It took quite a while to get to Wolverhampton by plane and train.
It is said that people become kimchi and spread out.
There was someone there to welcome me at the Wolverhampton headquarters where I arrived after enduring such a long journey.
“Thank you for your hard work getting here. My name is Doyle.”
“Ah. Mr. Doyle… … That’s the person who recommended me here.”
“Haha. That’s right. I went to Korea to work as a scout and was really fascinated by the coach’s tactics. I heard that other scouts also enjoyed watching the coach’s games. They even made time out of their schedules to watch the games.”
Asians cannot play in the EPL.
Even though this is the second division, the EPL’s second division is a major league ranked in the top 5 in the world, so of course there are an abundance of applicants.
How could an Asian person set foot in a place like that?
But this guy Doyle strongly recommended me and sent me an offer from Wolves.
“After you sign the contract at the head office, we will guide you to the accommodations the coaches use. Have you found a house nearby?”
“Yes. I bought one in advance before coming here.”
“Ah. That’s good. But you’ll probably be using the dorms a lot. You’ll be working late into the night more often than you think.”
After that, I went into the headquarters with Doyle’s guidance, signed the contract, and took a quick photo. Then, as he was going to the lobby to introduce the other coaches, he said to me.
“Today, I am personally guiding the coach… no, coach. It’s nothing special. In fact… .”
“Is it because the other coaches don’t welcome me?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“I’m used to it. I don’t think they would like it if an Asian, not even from England or even Europe, were to step onto the EPL, which is said to be the most competitive coaching stage in the world.”
The word familiar is perfect.
Isn’t this something you’ve experienced enough in your past life?
“But I know that in the end, if you prove it with your skills, you will be recognized by everyone.”
“Haha. I’m glad you have a positive mindset. I hope that mindset doesn’t change.”
Following Doyle, I arrived at the lobby where the coaches were gathered.
“… … .”
There they looked at me with cold eyes.
A look that asks why such a dog bone came in.
Doyle must have felt those gazes as well, because he tried hard to lighten the mood.
“Okay. New member of the family. This is Cha Seong. He had a great record while working as a manager in Korea. He will be working as a tactical coach at Wolves.”
“… … .”
They didn’t react much.
“Ahem. Ramsey. Would you please show Coach Cha Sung to his quarters? You’ll be sharing a room.”
Coach Ramsey gestured for me to follow him, his face all swollen.
He doesn’t seem to like the idea of sharing a room with a foreigner he’s never met before.
“This is your room from now on. I hope you keep it clean. I mostly live here.”
He looked me up and down and asked.
“Are you snoring?”
“no.”
“Well, I heard that Asians smell really bad when it comes to garlic. Do they eat that kind of food?”
“If I eat it?”
“I would fucking hate that.”
“It’s okay. Compared to you guys, Koreans are genetically less likely to smell. And what can you do about me smelling like that?”
Then Ramsay burst into laughter.
“What? Did you live in England by any chance? Your pronunciation is so British.”
“I’m a native Korean. I just speak English well. My family was very wealthy, so I received a thorough education from an early age.”
“Haha. Does your family have more money than the Wolves here?”
“Yeah. A lot more.”
“… … ?”
Ramsay tilted his head and cleared his throat.
“Well… … Anyway, let’s get along. I’m glad it’s not as bad as I thought.”
“That’s what I’m going to do. Please take care of it.”
“I won’t lose a single word.”
He winked and left the room first.
I put my luggage down and looked outside the window for a moment.
Here you can see the Wolves training ground at a glance.
“You’re finally here… … .”
In my last life, I started out in worse conditions than this.
Things are several times better now than they were then.
But let’s not let our guard down.
Let’s not let this England, this EPL, eat me up.
“In the end, I will be the one who eats you.”
My second life in England has finally begun.