Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

189 – 1 Year Later (3)

189

When Joo Ji-tae returned to the locker room after a long time, he was shocked by the chaotic scene before him.

Even though he was Barcelona’s ace, the team seemed to have fallen apart without him. But this was ridiculous.

Getting eliminated in the Champions League round of 16? That’s frustrating, but it can happen. Tournaments are unpredictable, and it’s hard to win every game. But this?

What’s going on with the locker room?

When Joo Ji-tae first saw this, he thought it was ridiculous.

But he quickly changed his mind.

“If you had passed the ball, we would’ve had a chance! Why are you holding onto it? Are you Messi? Are you Juu-ji? You’re just going to turn it over!”

“If you pass the ball, it’s just going to be a back pass! You need to break through the opponent’s defense! What can you do on your own? It’s just going to be a back pass!”

“When there’s an opening, you can shoot, and if someone’s open, you can pass to them!”

“Ugh, don’t pass the ball to that guy. Just let him do his own thing. He thinks he can do everything on his own!”

It’s not surprising that factions form when people gather. It’s natural for smaller groups to form within a larger group, whether it’s based on similar personalities, hobbies, or racial and national backgrounds.

This is a very natural phenomenon.

It’s not like everyone in the same class at school gets along. Similar kids form their own groups, just like in football teams.

No matter how much they’re exposed to the media and receive enormous salaries, football players are still human beings. And, in fact, they’re often more childish and immature compared to others of the same age group.

What’s the big deal about having a lot of money and being famous? They lack socialization.

Typically, a Korean in their 20s would go through various socializations such as elementary, middle, and high school, university, part-time jobs, and military service. However, elite football players who have walked the elite path have a lower level of socialization.

Despite their enormous salaries and fame, they’re often trapped in a luxurious life, and Joo Ji-tae had seen many football players like that. They’re mentally quite… immature compared to their peers.

That’s when Joo Ji-tae had a good idea.

‘Wait, this is a great opportunity to show off my leadership skills!’

Currently, Joo Ji-tae is the leader of Barcelona.

Who else can lead the team to a comeback in this situation, where external criticism is severe and internal conflicts are being discussed? That’s the end of it.

As a center-back who has proven his skills and leadership… this is something he can’t resist.

* * *

When Joo Ji-tae was recruited, Barcelona had to gather funds to do so, and they got rid of many high-salary players.

In the football world, it’s possible to become a high-salary player at a young age if you have skills, but generally, those who rank high in salary are players who have both skills and experience.

Naturally, the high-salary players Barcelona got rid of were mostly in their 30s, and when Joo Ji-tae_tCame to Barcelona, there were only 5-6 players in their 30s left on the team.

Even then, most of them left due to the financial crisis last season, and the only 30-year-old player left was goalkeeper and vice-captain Hector Port.

The fact that the team’s average age has decreased is seen as a positive aspect by many fans.

In reality, most clubs try to lower their team’s average age, not increase it.

However, if the team is too young, various problems can arise.

They may lack experience and be weak in unpredictable situations, or lack calmness and be swayed by their opponents’ intentions or atmosphere. But the biggest problem is the high probability of not having a proper leader in the locker room.

But Barcelona had not shown any of these weaknesses until now.

That’s because Joo Ji-tae was there.

Although he’s still in his early 20s, Joo Ji-tae is not your average 20-year-old. As a regressive player with overwhelming skills, he has a majestic charisma that dominates the locker room, and that’s why Barcelona was able to let go of almost all their veterans without any problems.

On the contrary, the veterans’ departure made it easier for Joo Ji-tae to take control of the locker room.

But this time, it worked the other way around.

Joo Ji-tae, who had dominated the locker room with his overwhelming presence, was absent during the preseason and early season due to the Olympics, and later due to an injury, and the players who had relied on him began to waver.

The ones who replaced him were the newly recruited players in their late 20s to early 30s.

However, they lacked the skills and charisma to replace Joo Ji-tae.

As the losses piled up and the team’s performance deteriorated, the problems grew bigger.

A conflict began between the group centered around the existing Barcelona players from La Masia and the group centered around the newly recruited players.

Originally, when things are going well, no one pays attention to ‘small’ problems. But when the situation becomes difficult, even small issues can cause conflicts.

The problem of Joo Ji-tae’s absence, including the decline in defensive power and the collapse of the build-up, was more serious than the locker room conflict—

“Shut up, everyone.”

“What’s with you— Ah, Joo?”

quoi. “What’s going on? You’ve been saying you’ll come back for a while, and now you’re finally back?”

“Captain!”

‘Small’ conflicts like these can be resolved quickly when the atmosphere is right.

Fortunately, Barcelona’s locker room conflict was not severe, so it was possible. If it were a serious issue, such as racism or extreme emotional conflict, there would be no solution.

“There were a lot of problems when I wasn’t here. The fans were really upset about the game results and points… Ah, they were really noisy.”

The locker room quieted down with Joo Ji-tae’s appearance.

With a satisfying expression, Joo Ji-tae swept through the locker room, speaking in a gentle tone.

“Did you guys hear about it? When I first entered the locker room, I made a promise. I said I’d make it to the treble. So, what happened to that promise?”

“Quadruple!!”

“That’s right. So, I’ll make another promise this time. Our season isn’t over yet. Although we got eliminated from the Champions League, there are still many tournaments left. At least two. This season, we’re aiming for the double.”

There’s nothing more thrilling and exciting for the players than winning a championship.

The atmosphere among the players soared with Joo Ji-tae’s declaration of victory.

『Barcelona, led by Captain Joo Ji-tae, finally returns』

『Is he finally back? Joo Ji-tae, who had been absent due to injury, joins team training!』

『After a month-long absence, will his game sense be okay?』

Joo Ji-tae, who had been absent for a month, finally returned from his injury.

As the team’s ace and captain, his return was highly anticipated, but most experts predicted that it would take time for him to regain his form.

First, Joo Ji-tae needed to recover his physical condition and game sense, which had been affected by his injury. Moreover, Joo Ji-tae was a player who enjoyed taking risks and playing aggressively, which required a high level of physical fitness.

If he returned too quickly, it could lead to a massive failure, and many experts predicted that it would be difficult for him to recover.

Moreover, the recent performances of Barcelona and the internal conflicts that had been brewing did not inspire confidence.

In this atmosphere, even Joo Ji-tae’s return seemed uncertain— but the predictions were proven wrong from the very first game.

[Unbelievable!! Coach Jose, what kind of magic did you use!? The performance is completely different from what we saw just three days ago!!]

[Barcelona! We’re leading 2:0 against Atlético Madrid!!]

The first game after his return, against Atlético Madrid.

Joo Ji-tae’s dominant performance, which seemed to erase his long absence, was certainly eye-catching, but what surprised people more was the drastically improved performance of Barcelona.

It wasn’t just a one-game fluke.

In the following games, Barcelona continued to win, and eventually, they caught up with Real Madrid, who had been leading the league, by the end of the season.

『Barcelona wins the league title with a 6-goal margin against Hetafe!』

『Barcelona, who went on a winning streak from March, finally surpasses Real Madrid in the last game!』

『Barcelona wins the Copa del Rey for the third consecutive time, securing the league title!』

『Joo Ji-tae’s, by Joo Ji-tae, for Joo Ji-tae’s 36/37 season』

The result was a double.

Barcelona, who had been leading the league for most of the season, finally surpassed Real Madrid in the last game and won the league title, sending the team into a state of euphoria.

But the good atmosphere didn’t last long.