131. Disappointing (1)
First, an interview with Director Casiraghi.
At a press conference held in the basement press conference room, a reporter raised a question.
“In today’s game, they defied everyone’s expectations and selected Montolivo as a starter. As a result, that choice was proven wrong. Do you think Montolivo was the main reason for the defeat?”
Casiraghi felt like it and wanted to nod his head.
However, since the competition was not over yet, unnecessary discord could not be caused.
However, he had to make a hole for himself to escape.
“no. It was all a tactical mistake. “It’s the coach’s fault for not understanding the player’s skills.”
“It sounds like Montolivo did not carry out the director’s orders properly.”
“Whether the players don’t meet expectations or not, it’s ultimately all my fault.”
One way or another, criticism from Italian soccer fans can never be avoided.
So Casiraghi chose this interview.
An interview that shows him taking responsibility as a leader, but also implicitly turns the arrow on Montolivo.
It was as if Montolivo was set up as a shield to deal with the harsh criticism of public opinion.
But reporters’ eyes are fierce.
They, who make it their business to interview slick directors, were not the kind of writers who would take Casiraghi’s words as they were.
“Then why did you order Montolivo to engage in a rough fight? There is no way the player did it of his own will. “It looks very different from before.”
“reciprocal. “Montolivo is not a player specializing in physical fighting, so he played against the stereotype that he would play intelligently.”
“Still, one question remains. Montolivo is not a very good aerial ball duel, so why did you let him take on the role of Ho-Young Woo’s exclusive mark? “We could have used players like Criscito and Silvestri.”
There is suspicion that they were intentionally trying to drown Woo Ho-young.
It was a reasonable suspicion that any imaginative reporter would have thought about.
But Casiraghi did not provide an answer to that question.
Instead, a sharp voice filled the conference room.
“Do you know soccer better than me?”
Casiraghi
left the press conference room with an expression on his face that seemed like he had lost his temper.
Upstairs at that time.
A reporter hurriedly ran up to Montolivo and caught him as he was returning to the locker room through the players’ aisle.
“Can I interview Montolivo for just one minute?”
“Please. “There are no media outlets with separate contracts.”
“Hmm. thank you Just recently, Coach Casiraghi said at a press conference, ‘Today’s game was my fault.’ What do you think about this?”
“yes. you’re right. “It’s his fault.”
“…?!”
As Montolivo spoke with wide eyes, the reporter asked deeper, wondering what this was all about.
“Are you acknowledging Director Casiraghi’s mistake?”
“It wasn’t a mistake, it was the worst choice. “He gave me a ridiculous order to break Woo Ho-young’s leg.”
Montolivo was unstoppable.
The beginning of a war of words.
It was a Nae Hong (內訌).
There is no law that says players must obey their coaches like elementary school students.
This happens especially frequently in highly prestigious competitions. There have been absurd incidents of people criticizing the coach and declaring a boycott during the competition, and there have also been cases of players leaving the competition without permission.
In the case of directors, there were many cases where they made a mistake in an interview and resigned after being criticized by public opinion.
To top it all off, Coach Hiddink even requested that the media be banned from writing columns during the tournament.
This is because during the tournament, there are attacks from the media from each country trying to ruin the team atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Montolivo personally provided the sauce.
It didn’t end there.
“Oh and. I would like to take this opportunity to say a word to Woo Ho-young. Thank you again. “For making me realize fair play.”
Up to this point, no one could tell who was right.
However, Hoyoung’s short interview conducted afterwards added credibility to Montolivo’s words.
The hallway outside the Korean team locker room.
A reporter from Marca Press who had permission to enter came and asked.
“Coach Casiraghi said, ‘I only told him to fight hard, but I never told him to injure Woo Ho-young.’ “What do you think about this?”
“How can I know Casiraghi’s inner thoughts? However, Montolivo seemed anxious throughout the first half, and Coach Casiraghi gave him hand signals intermittently. But Montolivo continued to ignore him. “You can find out by watching the game.”
“Then did you notice it then? “The fact that Montolivo is trying to injure Hoyoung Woo.”
“Of course there were suspicions. That kind of thing is common. So, I also took action in my own way. But the crucial thing I felt was when Montolivo came up to me and said, ‘I’m sorry.’ “Oh, this guy was planning to injure me.”
“Montolivo personally apologized? “During the game?”
“yes.”
“Oh…”
The reporter, excited by the new facts, asked again while taking a close-up of Hoyoung’s face.
“Then what do you think about Director Casiraghi?”
“well. That’s something only you know. but.”
Hoyoung took a pause and then spoke proudly.
“If that’s true, isn’t that trash? “Trash cannot be left on the ground.”
“Ah… Is that so…?”
“Let me be honest. In the name of an uncompromising professional world, how many players have lost hope due to injuries. They were also someone’s heroes. “Modern soccer is deliberately acting against sportsmanship.”
“Then what do you think we should do?”
“What is more problematic than that is the mild punishment. I once saw an article where a player was in danger of having his leg amputated, but the player who did it was only suspended for 6 games. Does this make sense? “I think the association should take appropriate action.”
When Hoyoung even gave an example, the reporter looked like he hadn’t expected it.
Then he asked an impromptu question.
“Are you completely opposed to the statement that intentional injuries are part of the game?”
“Planned injuries are part of the game… is the manager’s excuse for not trying hard.”
The reporter was left speechless by the bold words.
Still, I nodded as if I could sympathize.
“… You’re not angry, are you?”
“You don’t look angry. Imagine if someone ordered you to smash your camera. “A camera that you can’t get even if you pay money.”
“Ah…”
Hoyoung added one more word.
“If there is anyone out there who sees this and is offended, please raise your hand and reflect. “If you want to be respected, shouldn’t you respect the players first?”
And that night.
Thing-
Bahkak!
Director Casiraghi, who was watching TV in his hotel room, threw the remote control.
This is because Woo Ho-young’s interview was broadcast on a Spanish broadcasting station through the media.
“Such a bratty bastard!”
Even after swearing a lot, I didn’t feel relieved.
But there was nothing I could do here.
Because the media was already not on their side.
Moreover, it didn’t end there.
As a decisive blow, a video of Montolivo mouthing “Sorry” during the game was captured by some fans and spread online.
It was evidence that added credibility to Hoyoung’s words.
[This much is true]
[Is this just once or twice? Haha, if they reveal it, there will be more, right? You can get the answer just by looking at the tacklers in the Italian Serie League. They are the ones who bribe the referee and even manipulate the game. What can’t they do?]
[But the interview with Woo Ho-young is so powerful hahahaha Look at his face hahahahahahahaha I’m so angry that I’m going to go find Casiraghi and kill him haha]
Even soccer fans in Korea and overseas are listening to Montolivo and Woo Ho-young’s words. I leaned towards trust.
Nevertheless, Casiraghi held out his flippers until the end.
In addition, he repeatedly denied the feud with Montolivo and even hinted that he would be used in the third match.
There were already rumors of his dismissal in Italy, but the incident was put to rest for now.
This is because it was not an incident that had such a powerful impact that it shook the soccer world.
Anti-sports acts such as ‘intentional killing tackle orders’ in soccer or ‘bean ball orders’ in baseball are frequent occurrences in sports scandals.
In this regard, if Korea filed an unfair complaint, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) would have to determine whether Coach Casiraghi should be punished, but that was not an easy task because there was no physical evidence.
Therefore, the final decision on Coach Casiraghi will be made by the Italian Football Association and its citizens.
Did you go back home with the championship trophy?
Or get dismissed in disgrace.
after that.
As various Olympic issues arose, the incident gradually became forgotten.
However, in some countries, it showed no signs of cooling down.
Some Chinese and Japanese people said, ‘It’s a shame that Woo Ho-young had to be sent away at this opportunity,’ while Spanish Castile fans showed different reactions, saying, ‘I will kill both Montolivo and Casiraghi.’
Korea, of course, was closer to the latter.
In particular, after the game, coach Park Seong-ho exploded with anger, saying, “If such a coach exists, he should never be allowed on the field again!”
However, the person who was most surprised by this was Hoyoung, the person involved.
August 12th, the day before the third group match against Honduras.
Hoyoung seemed unable to concentrate throughout training.
It seemed like he was suffering more mentally than just being in poor physical condition.
On the day of the game, I overlooked it, but as time went by, it became scary.
aftereffect.
Like a car accident.
During the game, I did a good job trying to get out of the moment, but after I had time to think calmly, I suddenly felt that way.
‘It will be several times worse than this in the future.’
For soccer players, injuries are like an unavoidable fate.
In particular, it was clear that it would become more severe as the team’s ace naturally focused on tackles and checks.
No matter how hard your body is like a rock, injuries are inevitable if the opponent decides to do so.
Hoyoung suddenly felt afraid of that.
To put it bluntly, I might have to go to the hospital tomorrow morning.
‘I can’t help it. ‘I have no choice but to be careful.’
It wasn’t something that could be solved with caution, but it was better than nothing.
After all, you have to take care of your own body.
The next day, the 13th.
The third game against Honduras in Shanghai went off in a boring fashion.
Korea, which was guaranteed to advance to the quarterfinals with just a draw, played the game slowly and leisurely.
But I couldn’t just relax.
If they did not advance to first place in their group, there was a 99% chance that they would face Brazil in the quarterfinals.
But fortunately, Honduras, whose elimination was confirmed, had no motivation.
Since he had nothing to lose, he might have acted recklessly, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Taking advantage of that gap, Ki Dong-jin scored the first goal and used an extreme defensive strategy, using only half the court to conserve stamina.
Hoyoung had already been excluded from the starting list for physical strength reasons, so he was able to rest comfortably on the bench.
If we got an equalizer, all we had to do was let Hoyoung play.
But there was no need for that.
The weakest team in the tournament was unable to successfully counterattack Honduras and had to give up a 1-0 win to South Korea.
Although the game wasn’t very good, Korea won anyway, so it was something for Korea to celebrate.
Meanwhile, the match between Cameroon and Italy that took place at the same time ended in a 2-2 draw.
With this, Group D, in which Korea belongs, ended with surprise after surprise.
[Group D]
1st place Korea 2 wins, 1 draw,
2nd place Italy 1 win, 2 draws
3rd place Cameroon 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss
4th place Honduras 0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses
Korea, which was expected to take second place in the group at best, proudly took first place in the group. It was an upset that earned them a ticket to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals were scheduled to be held in Beijing three days later, on the 16th.
And the opponent…
[The next opponent for the 2008 Beijing Olympics is Europe’s powerhouse ‘Belgium’]
When this news reached Korea, the reaction of netizens was nothing short of crazy.
While some said they were glad that they had avoided Brazil, the overwhelming favorite to win, there were many who predicted Korea would lose, saying they could not be reassured yet.
Reporter Hwang Tae-seok, a correspondent for the Beijing Olympics, wrote this article locally and sent the manuscript to the company.
The manuscript was briefly published in the morning newspaper the next day.
[No more wandering around the door. It’s time to come to your senses for both offense and defense…. The
soccer website ‘Goal.com’ cited ‘a tactical composition that wastes a lot of stamina’, ‘unstable central defense’, and ‘lack of goal-making power’ as the shortcomings of the Korean national team.
In particular, Lee Cheong-ryong and Park Joo-hyung’s lack of goal-scoring ability was clearly revealed in the match against Honduras.
However, if we send Woo Ho-young to the front line, he will not be able to gain much benefit from his defense. It is time for Coach Park Seong-ho to make a decision.]
It was an article that accurately pointed out the current situation.
Korea’s power was already exposed, and since they were a particularly weak team, they had to make a bid to win.
The next game is against Belgium.
They almost suffered humiliation in the match against China in Group C, but ultimately succeeded in advancing to the quarterfinals by finishing second in the group.
Although the team’s strength was one level lower than that of Cameroon, they were by no means an opponent to be taken lightly.
In particular, they had to be careful about striker Mousa Dembele, who is rising in value by scoring more than 10 goals this season in the Dutch first division.
Therefore, Korea began intense training, and the night of the decisive battle quickly approached.