Chapter 204 – Side Story 38: Colchester United and the Playoffs.
***
It was a time when I was relaxing at home and on vacation.
“Hey, General Manager Jorginho and Coach Pedro asked if you could come into the locker room for a moment and boost the players’ morale before the playoff final game starts the day after tomorrow?”
Du-sik came to my house early in the morning and spoke to me.
“It’s a game where promotion to the Premier League is at stake, so of course we have to go. But why are you contacting me about that? “Can you contact me?”
“I know your schedule better than you, so you probably contacted me.”
“Is that so?”
As I responded to Doosik’s words, I thought about the performance of Colchester United, a club I own and a member of the EFL Championship, this season.
[Championship sensation Colchester United achieved 4 consecutive wins since opening the season, defeating even ‘strong promotion candidate’ Sunderland AFC! Who rated this team as mid-tier!]
This season, Colchester United created a sensation by focusing on Juyun and Junazaret, who joined as free agents in the transfer market last winter.
[‘Korean
[Korean Gattuso? NO Korean Pirlo. Junazaret transformed into a deep-lying playmaker!]
Jooyun, who has adapted to the Championship League, and Joonazaret, equipped with new weapons, showed further improvement compared to last season, and led Colchester United, who were evaluated as mid-tier at the beginning of the season, to compete for direct promotion until the end of the season.
Due to the strong momentum of Colchester United, there was a lot of excitement in my home country of Korea, wondering if this would be the first Korean Premier League owner and two Premier League players at the same time.
Unfortunately, Colchester United drew with Coventry City in the final league match and finished in 3rd place with a 2-point gap, failing to secure direct promotion.
However, Colchester United’s challenge for promotion to the Premier League is not over.
Colchester United, who had managed to improve the locker room atmosphere that had been depressed due to the disappointment of failing to achieve direct promotion, won a perfect victory over Sunderland AFC, ranked 6th in the league, with a combined score of 3:1 in the first and second games in the subsequent promotion play-offs, advancing to the finals. Entered the market.
Colchester United’s advancement to the play-off final became a hot topic not only in Colchester United’s hometown of Essex and Korea, but also around the world.
[Colchester United owned by Jesus. Just one game until promotion to the Premier League.]
Ugh. This is me~.
As expected, it was worth my name. Thanks to major media outlets around the world promoting Colchester United for free, Colchester United was able to achieve a huge advertising effect without spending a lot of money.
“You’re not going to take Jesu and the kids, right?”
As I recalled memories of the past and shrugged my shoulders against the swelling, Doosik, who was looking at me, made an expression that said, “This guy’s sick again.”
“Well, it’s only been four months since the accident, so it’s a little difficult to take my pregnant wife and children with me.”
Was it last February?
A tragic incident occurred during the FA Cup match between West Ham and Millwall, in which a boy who visited the stadium lost his life after being caught in a clash between hooligans.
As the incident was reported in the media, England was overcome with sadness and temporarily suspended the British professional league to commemorate the boy.
As a result, all English professional league schedules were postponed, and the Championship promotion play-off final match, which should have been played three days before the Champions League final, was postponed after the Champions League final.
“Tsk, anyway, hooligans are the problem.”
“Well, that’s right. “The type of people who cause harm to others everywhere are people with loud voices.”
I nodded my head in agreement with Doosik’s words.
***
The night before the promotion play-off final between Colchester United and Middlesbrough.
Since the promotion play-off finals are traditionally played at Wembley Stadium, Dusik and I stayed in a hotel near the London airport.
“Hey, aren’t you nervous? “If I win tomorrow, will I become the owner of a Premier League club?”
“Brother, bro, think about it for a moment.”
We talked a lot as we unpacked our bags at the hotel.
“What are you thinking?”
“How much did I buy Colchester United for?”
“About 5 billion won.”
“As long as we are promoted to the Premier League, we will receive 300 billion won in broadcasting rights fees.”
“Yeah, right, but that’s what I told you.”
“The uniform sponsorship contract has ended, so we will get new ones, and we can also sell the stadium naming rights.”
“That’s what I told you too.”
“But damn it. If I succeed in staying here, 300 billion will be copied again?”
“Hey, Jesus. “Can you not hear me?”
I continued talking, ignoring Doosik who was waving his hand in front of me.
“Whoa… Bro, what are you going to say to the players at Wembley Stadium tomorrow? Should I tell him to beat his heart until it explodes? Or should I threaten to check the water temperature of the Thames River if I lose the game?”
“… “
The conversation ended with Doosik, who was upset, turning around, and I spent the night with my eyes open, unable to calm my pounding heart.
***
The next day, 1:30 p.M.
We headed to Wembley Stadium in time for the game.
Exciting- Exciting-
Strangely, as I got closer to Wembley Stadium, the mecca of soccer, my heart started pounding.
My heart, which had not trembled at all during the Champions League final here, was now beating as if it would explode at any moment.
“Hehe… If promoted, at least 300 billion.”
After all, people only become interested in sports when money is at stake. I’d like to bet on Real Madrid’s victory just to get motivated…
“Hey, just in case, don’t place illegal bets.”
“… Suddenly?”
“I just said because your expression was that of a gambling addict often seen in Jeongseon Land.”
What. Is it a ghost?
While I was listening to Doosik’s warning deeply in my heart.
The car driven by Doosik entered Wembley.
“I’m going to park and go straight to the stands. Stop by the locker room and then come back. “You can come by yourself, right?”
“Am I a kid? Of course, you can find that much. Okay, see you at the stadium.”
“Are you coming?”
Du-sik Lee Hyeong waves his arm and leaves to park.
Just before the game started, at Pedro’s request, I headed to the locker room to boost the players’ morale.
Phew.
I stood in front of the locker room and took a deep breath. Once my heart, which had been shaking like crazy, calmed down to some extent, I went straight into the locker room.
Kwaang-.
“Beat those stupid Middlesbrough bastards and take the bonus out of my pocket!!”
“…”
I entered the locker room confidently, but couldn’t help but be embarrassed when I saw the inside of the locker room.
There, players wearing Middlesbrough’s red uniforms, not Colchester United’s blue uniforms, were looking at me with bloody eyes.
Oh. Oh my god fuck. I opened the wrong door.
I quickly turned and ran out of the Middlesbrough locker room.
***
“Uuuuu! Bonus! Bonus! Bonus!”
“The best soccer player of all time! God of soccer! Jesus, will there be light in his path!!”
“Hala Madrid! Hala Jesus! Hala Colchester!”
I left the locker room, leaving behind the cheers of the Colchester United players.
There was no separate conversation with Juyun and Junazareth in the locker room.
Still, it’s a bit strange to see a club owner in name only, showing too much favoritism towards a specific player…
Still, while chatting with the players, I took a quick look at the children’s expressions, and neither Juyun nor Junazareth seemed nervous at all.
Phew, kids. My brother only trusts you.
In return for feeding me and putting me to sleep, give me the title of Premier League owner.
By the way, did you say that there is no one in the world who hates money? Bonuses were the best way to boost morale.
Even Juyun and Junazareth, who are not very greedy for money, screamed like crazy when they heard that they would get free money.
It’s worth it to think about morale-boosting phrases all night long. Girae.
Even though there was an unfortunate incident in which he went to the wrong locker room, if the results are this good, the Lord Jesus Christ’s morale-boosting operation will be a huge success, right?
With a satisfied smile on my face that I had successfully boosted the morale of Colchester United’s players, I headed to the stands where Doosik was waiting.
“Oh, are you here? “Is it later than you thought?”
“Well, a lot of things happened.”
Our seats were located at the front corner flag.
Is this your first time watching a game from the stands since you gave Sergio Pepe the middle finger? Maybe that’s why I felt something unfamiliar.
“… Jejus? Oh my God.”
A spectator who glanced in amazement at the sight of two unfamiliar Asians watching the game came to me with tears streaming down his face when he realized my identity.
What, why are you crying?
“Hala Madrid! God of football, I am your believer. “If it’s not rude, could you please sign it?”
“Si, I’ll take a picture for you too.”
Ah. It was a madridista.
I took a photo with Madridista and slowly looked around the stadium.
There were many people who looked like tourists at the stadium.
“Thank you, God. Please see Madrid again next year.”
“Yes, enjoy watching the game.”
The spectators who received the autographs and photos returned to their seats, saying thank you, and I told Doosik about what I felt about the stadium.
“Brother, a lot of Spaniards came.”
“There are so many players from Real Madrid’s youth team that Colchester United is called Real Madrid’s second squad, so I guess that’s why they came to cheer.”
“A lot of Koreans came too.”
“This is the first game in the Premier League where a Korean team owner and two Korean league players can be born at the same time.”
“It’s a shame that if you go to the first division, you can’t sell season tickets online.”
“Instead, you get paid a lot of broadcasting fees.”
“That’s right.”
“And anyway, most Koreans watched the Colchester game illegally.”
I couldn’t help but swear at Doosik’s next words.
“Fuck. “Cow chinese bastards.”
No, there are even those who bought season tickets online and still watch them on illegal sites.
Why on earth are you doing that?
Are you perverts who get excited by the word illegal?
Beep-!
While I was cursing the small Chinese.
The playoff final match, with promotion to the Premier League at stake, has begun.
