Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 177



Only Krnovel

Episode 177 Contradiction

There are only two cases when I don’t want to go to Kimnasium. One is the day of a game, and the other is the day after a loss.

[You lost yesterday?]

[It’s strange to win.]

It’s quite embarrassing to watch Ralph Pfaff’s god-like scheming –

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just jealous.”

“… … .”

This is because I don’t like the way my friends try to please me in a nonsensical way.

“You feel bad because everyone only talks about you.”

“… … My story?”

“Yeah. The teachers are like that too, and when you go to the supermarket, the neighbors say they’re sad. Oh, what I mean is… … You did well, but it’s a shame that you lost the game.”

Lisa Weiss spouted pleasant words from between her plump cheeks, but it didn’t make me feel any better.

Because the moment you lose a game, it doesn’t matter who did well or who did badly.

But whether they know these feelings or not, Morsi and Lisa Weiss are looking at their phones and fussing.

What’s floating on the screen is a scene of an interview at the training ground.

This was a picture taken a few days before the Champions League, holding a gift card sent by a game company.

“Is 85 high? It must be high.”

“I, I looked it up… … and there aren’t many players higher than him.”

“But what are these numbers underneath? PAC, SHO, PAS… … these.”

I tried to ignore it, but the glancing glances were annoying, so I reluctantly opened my mouth.

“Pace, shooting, passing, dribbling, defense, physicality.”

“Oh, I see. But when you say face… … .”

“Speed ​​and acceleration. You can roughly think of it as running speed.”

“Thanks for letting me know. There’s something like that too. I know that.”

There are so many game-crazy authors around, so you can’t help but know.

“So, your running speed is 90? 90 is high, right?”

“… … Not really.”

“Not really?”

Morsi’s questions are not answered.

No matter how much Cologne flew and crawled, they were ultimately evaluated at the level of the Bundesliga, so it could not be said that they received a good evaluation, even in vain.

In terms of overall ability, Elias Schiri is 83, Jonas Hector is 79, Benno Schmitz is 78, Florian Kaints is 77, and Mark Ut is 78.

By the way, the old meerkat was going crazy saying ‘How could you give me such a score?’ Plus, he was nitpicking about my potential.

“But the potential is still 91. Does that mean it can grow to 91 in the future?”

“It’s just written there for looks.”

It’s true.

Whether it’s 80, 90, or even over 100, it doesn’t have any effect on reality, so what’s the point?

“but-”

“I just wrote down what other people think of me. It’s not like I really have those abilities. My positioning and finishing skills are great, and my dribbling skills are sky-high, but my passing skills are completely shattered. Do you think that makes sense?”

“uh…….”

“Physicality is the same. How can a person have 69 stamina? Do you know what Ut said to me? He was sarcastically saying that I was subbed every time I breathed because my stamina was reduced by 1. I can’t help but laugh at that. I grew a lot physically in the 22-23 season, damn it.”

“… … .”

“… … Anyway, that’s it. I’m sorry for swearing.”

As three pairs of eyes widened in sudden anger, I tried to calm myself down and gather my thoughts.

If Jonas Drga hadn’t added his comment… … it would have been resolved quickly.

“Don’t be so surprised. He only has a penalty kick ability of 52, so he’s acting like that. It’s understandable to be angry.”

“… … .”

“Don’t be surprised either.”

crazy.

How did you know?

“you…….”

“Hanul.”

The stinging sensation only lasts for a moment.

When I turned my head at the unexpected call, I saw a dark-skinned boy. Emilio, from Asia, was wearing an earring on his left earlobe as usual.

“why?”

“Bridget Cole called. She asked me to come up to the consulting room.”

“The principal? Right now?”

“now.”

Did the absentmindedness from the morning class just flow into me? Or maybe Ralph Pfaff has hatched a new plot.

Just when my mind was starting to get complicated, a few refreshing words from Sophie Hertz came rushing in.

“It’s probably because of the career counseling. Don’t go somewhere else and go talk to me right away.”

“Well, did you get it too?”

“We took turns receiving them from the beginning of the month. The principal didn’t call us directly though.”

This is special treatment.

“Okay. See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, hello!”

It will soon be lunch time, so my schedule at school is over, so I say goodbye and walk out of the classroom.

The counseling room is one floor above the classroom.

After passing through the hallway that was noisy with the voices of children of the same age, I went up the stairs and saw a sign that said [Beratungsraum: Counseling Room].

Knock knock.

[You may come in.]

As I opened the door, there were framed paintings hanging on the beige walls, and in the center was a large table that could easily seat eight people.

and.

Bridget Cole sits with such an upright posture that it’s as if she had a spine replaced with a steel pipe.

“……hi?”

“Please sit comfortably.”

“… … .”

Is this what a principal looks like regardless of nationality?

As always, the outfit is a combination of a formal semi-formal suit and square glasses. The shoulders of the upper body fall smoothly, and the nape of the neck looks excessively long.

Her face is round but her jawline is sharp, revealing her determination (and how determined she is).

Her eyes were cold but rational, giving the impression that she was examining me closely, her expression was extremely strict, and her hair was tied up in a ponytail so that not a single strand of it would deviate.

If the eyelids hadn’t blinked, the quality would have been such that you’d suspect it wasn’t a plaster doll.

“You look like the principal again today.”

“… … ?”

“Oh, you’re the principal, right? What I meant was, you’re like the principal of principals.”

“… … .”

“It means it looks that cool.”

“Okay, thanks for the compliment.”

Immediately after correcting what could have been a slip of the tongue, the main topic comes flying in from across the table with a polite smile.

It was very typical of her not to add any unnecessary details.

“I called you today to talk about your future. You have one year left until graduation. For a normal student, this would be a consultation for college admission, but you’re a bit of a special case, aren’t you?”

“huh.”

“Do you have a field in mind? If you haven’t decided yet, how about choosing a sports-related major? This is the first time I’ve had a professional soccer player as a student, but I’ve had students who wanted to be coaches or in sports marketing before.”

A pamphlet is brought to the table in a skinny hand.

[German sports school]

The direct translation is ‘German Sports University’.

“There is a state-run, government-run university of physical education in Cologne. It is said to be quite famous in Europe, and it seems to have a systematic system for bachelor’s and master’s programs.”

“… … .”

“Of course, the prerequisite for advancement is that you continue playing for Cologne FC.”

“It’s FC Köln.”

“Yes, FC Köln. Anyway, that’s why I called you here to discuss your future plans. The Gymnasium is an institution that spreads learning, and it’s our duty to inform you of all the options available to you. You may end up leaving Köln, but you still have to continue your studies, right?”

“… … .”

However, at the bottom of the pamphlet, there is a description of the university along with a list of its various departments.

Sports management and sports communication.

Sports performance.

Sports journalism.

Sports and health, prevention and treatment, etc.

If I had to choose, I think the second and fourth ones would be fine. On the other hand, I also feel pressured, so I won’t say anything lightly.

“It’s your decision.”

“Okay. I’ll think about it some more.”

“That’s right. If you go this way, it’ll be easier to continue your studies. Not only in terms of your job, but also physically.”

“What does physical mean… … .”

“The campus is very close. It’s right next to the Rhein-Energie-Stadion (Cologne’s home stadium).”

* * *

That afternoon, Gaisbokheim.

I’m sitting across from Hannes Dold in the training center’s main analysis room. As expected, the monitor screen is showing footage from the last match against Atletico Madrid.

“Hmm.”

“… … .”

“Hmm.”

“… … .”

Just earlier this week, I was going crazy talking about the performance against Club Brugge. But today, I have nothing to point out.

“Oh my… … Tsk tsk.”

“……What are you doing?”

“huh?”

“If you call someone, you should talk. Why do you keep talking to yourself?”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer so I blurted out a word, but the answer I got back was not very satisfying.

“Because there’s nothing to point out.”

“Why isn’t it there?”

“There’s none, so there aren’t any. It was like that just now, and if you look at it now, the passing lanes are gone because the teammates are being crushed by the opposing defenders. Kainz and Remperle were held back the whole game, and Ljubicic couldn’t even participate in the attack because he was overwhelmed by the opposing midfielders. That’s why Ut stayed in the second line the whole game, and he must have felt like he had no answer, so he went forward… … Look here. He got caught in the offside trap here. In that case, there are only two options: pass back or break through.”

“… … .”

“But if you turn back, what’s next? You can’t attack the opponent’s weak point, the side space. To be honest… … This is just a weight class difference. It’s a tactical advantage and disadvantage, and your individual skills are completely ruined. So I think your choice to break through was the best decision. At least you got a free kick chance.”

From the middle of the first half to right before he uses his substitution card on the bench in the second half, he gives a harsh evaluation of his fellow players, unlike usual.

Florian Kainz was useless apart from one lobbed pass, Remperle was literally just working hard and Mark Uth did his job, but the result was that the wide attackers were blocked and Jonas and Schmitz were left to deliver useless crosses.

“… … Isn’t that too rude?”

“I have no personal feelings. That’s the problem. If you tell me the truth and I feel like I’m gossiping, how bad must you be? Or should I make up some compliments that aren’t there?”

“… … .”

“You can criticize your play, but what’s the point? Sometimes you have to accept that you’ve been completely defeated, that your team is not up to par with the opponent. You may not know this, but that’s what happened last season when we were on the verge of relegation. Tactics that your players can’t execute are meaningless.”

Still, I can’t shake the feeling that I spoke a bit harshly.

That was when.

“Did you feel suffocated?”

“… … .”

“Was it stuffy?”

“… … .”

“That’s right.”

“That’s not it.”

“No, that’s not true.”

The price for late denial is paid with the bitter smile of Hannes Dold.

“That’s just how football is. Why would players transfer to big clubs? It’s because they feel their limits at some point. In a one-off match, you can turn things around once or twice, but will you be able to win for sure when you meet again? The moment you start to wonder, you can’t turn back. More importantly, if you played without making any big mistakes, it’s even more so.”

“… … I’ve made mistakes a few times too.”

“You bastard, if there was a big mistake, I would have told you a long time ago.”

“… … .”

“Anyway, don’t over-think what you’ve experienced. It’s a natural emotion. Romantic? That’s good. Playing for one club your entire career? That kind of player deserves respect. But every choice comes with a price.”

“… … .”

It sounds like I’m being told to transfer if I have any complaints, but I don’t argue back. I did that because I thought if I opened my mouth now, the other person would blame me.

I wish I had never taken tactics classes.

Just like last year, if I had focused on scoring goals without losing the ball – and had only focused on how well I played… … it was an emotion I would never have even thought of in the first place.

“You did well, Hanul. Even a hot-tempered analyst like me can’t find a single flaw.”

“… … .”

If this is the limit that can be reached in Cologne, is that okay?

… … No, it’s not okay.

My brother’s struggle with illness, my uncle Gunther and my school friends, my love for the team Cologne – none of these things really touched my heart when I was contemplating the transfer.

Ironically enough, the very sanctuary of football was shaking me up inside.

okay.

I was dissatisfied.