Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

104 – Media Day

104

Italy.

A country that, along with Linus Michaels, completed the foundation of modern football, and was led by Arigo Saki, who was known for his tactical prowess. As a result, Italy was known for its tactically oriented league, Serie A, one of the top four European leagues.

However, what resonates more with football fans is probably the Italian national team, known as the Azzurri.

With four World Cup titles, Italy is tied for second place in the most World Cup wins, and with two European Championship titles, they are tied for third place in the most European Championship wins, making them a powerhouse that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Brazil, Germany, and Argentina.

Despite being such a glorious team, Italy had been rapidly losing its luster recently.

The disappointing performance in the World Cup, which had been their greatest achievement, had been prolonged.

It was to the point where it was no longer just a slump, but a chronic illness.

Was it the shock of being eliminated in the round of 16 by South Korea, an unknown team in Asia, in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup?

In the 2010 World Cup, Italy suffered a sensational shock by failing to win a single game and finishing last in the group stage. In the 2014 World Cup, they put up a good fight against England, but ultimately lost and were eliminated again in the group stage.

The World Cup’s cruel fate had exhausted Italy, and they even boycotted the 2018, 2022, 2026, and 2030 tournaments – not by their own will, but due to external circumstances. Italy had wanted to participate.

It’s said that even a rich man can’t survive for three years, but Italy has already failed to qualify for the World Cup four times.

The country that once shone with four World Cup titles has fallen to an unbelievable extent.

At this point, the ’10-year cycle’ of the Netherlands seems like a blessing.

The 10-year cycle implies a rise and fall, but Italy has hit rock bottom with no signs of recovery.

At least the European Championship has been kinder to them, with a runner-up finish in 2012 and a championship win in 2020.

However, their persistent failures in the World Cup have made their career seem lackluster, making one wonder if they should be considered a powerhouse…

Just then, Italy finally qualified for the World Cup after a long time, and even made it to the round of 16!

Their opponent was none other than South Korea, who had knocked Italy out of the World Cup 30 years ago.

If you ask why South Korea is considered a nemesis, Koreans might say it’s because of that one win 30 years ago. But to Italians, who are passionate about football, it’s like a matter of life and death.

Therefore, the nation is burning with desire for revenge and to make it to the quarterfinals—

“What kind of player can come from a country like South Korea? He’s a player who suits Italy more than anyone, and we need him more than anyone else!”

Experts predicted a tight match.

The evaluation that he’s a player who suits Italy is similar to Barcelona saying a player has ‘Barcelona DNA’ because of their technical skills and passing ability.

Above all, Italy’s attack has been extremely weak, so their longing for a prolific goal-scorer is understandable.

However, on the other hand, Italy’s defense has been exceptional, making it possible for them to advance to the round of 16.

“I was surprised when I watched the first two games. South Korea was better than expected. But in the last game, we finally got a chance to win.”

Therefore, Italy’s coach Antonio Monza was confident of winning against South Korea.

“If we had put in our main players earlier, we wouldn’t have been able to expose South Korea’s weaknesses. South Korea showed their weaknesses, and they’re significant ones.”

Italy’s defense was truly remarkable, capable of shutting down the opponent’s ace.

“The core of South Korea is this guy. Number 5, Joo Ji-tae. He’s the engine that drives South Korea.”

“Oh, damn it! He doesn’t even have a mustache!”

The players burst out laughing at Joo Ji-tae’s youthful face, characteristic of East Asians.

“He’s really a kid. He’s 19 years old.”

“He looks like he’s 15 years old. Boss, is his age correct? Did he lie about it?”

“You idiot. Do you think South Korea is an African country?”

“What’s the difference? Africa or Asia?”

“South Korea is not Southeast Asia, but East Asia! And that guy is the real deal! Don’t underestimate him!”

A debate broke out among the players who knew Joo Ji-tae and those who didn’t.

Antonio Monza gazed at the scene with a mixture of disappointment and amusement.

“Kids these days… It wasn’t like this in my time.”

Antonio’s words were a sharp criticism of the current generation. He clapped his hands to refocus the players.

“Don’t underestimate him. He’s a young player who received the WK award from Kicker.”

Indeed, the effect of Kicker’s ranking was significant.

“WK!? NK… no, not even IK, but WK!?”

“That’s what I said! He’s the real deal!”

Kicker, a German sports media outlet, is famous for its strict and demanding football player ranking system, known as the ‘Kicker Ranking’.

It’s so rigorous that even the lowest rank, NK (National Class), is above the league average, and the next rank, IK (International Class), is equivalent to representing the Bundesliga. Most football fans categorize players who belong to this group as ‘world-class’.

Of course, the highest WK (World Class) is a title that needs no explanation.

It’s a title that only the best of the best players can receive. It’s so difficult to select that there are seasons where not a single player is chosen.

Especially for center-backs, it’s extremely hard to receive the WK title due to the nature of their position. In the past 10 years, not a single center-back has received the WK title.

“Do you understand now? This guy is Lucio, Hummels, and Boateng’s successor, the first center-back to receive the WK title in 15 years. That means this guy is…”

As Antonio Moncha gazed at the players, his eyes stopped at,

“I’ll take care of him.”

“Hmm, Paolo. If it’s you, I can trust you.”

There was Paolo Pellegrini, Italy’s ace.

* * *

At the same time, Korea was also deeply analyzing the Italian match.

“Italy will try to block our ace, not only to compensate for their weak offense but also for their defense.”

As an Italian tactician, Marizio was confident in his analysis.

“This is certain. That’s Italy’s style.”

“Ah, our ace. It’s him, isn’t it?”

Everyone’s gaze followed the voice.

Ju Ji-tae was nodding his head with a confident smile.

“Ju Ji-tae, right?”

“Ju Ji-tae, yeah.”

The agreement was unanimous, as if it was obvious.

“That’s right. You’re correct. Italy will definitely target you, and probably Federico will mark you.”

“Federico is no big deal.”

No one questioned Ju Ji-tae’s confidence.

Even professional defenders couldn’t stop him, so what could an attacker like Federico do?

This was the dilemma teams faced when playing against Ju Ji-tae.

They couldn’t mark him with a single defender, but if they left him free, he would run wild. And it was impossible to assign a midfielder or defender to mark him.

“It’s okay, we don’t need to be afraid of Italy. They’ve won the World Cup four times and the Euros twice, and have Catennacio and all that.”

“No, coach, no one’s afraid.”

Someone’s rebuttal made the Italian shut his mouth.

“…You can be a little afraid.”

“No, we’re not afraid.”

“…….”

The expression was one of slightly hurt pride.

* * *

At the media day before the match, there was a lot of attention.

“This is Korea’s first World Cup appearance in 20 years. If we count from the qualification round, it’s been even longer. You must have a lot of feelings about it.”

“That’s right. It’s a lot of feelings. Really, a lot. It’s been a very long time. But now it’s different. We’ve ended our long slump and will reclaim our past glory.”

Italian coach Antonio Moncha and captain Paolo Pellegrini, who attended the media day as representatives of Italy, exuded confidence throughout the interview.

“What’s more, the interesting connection between the two teams is drawing attention. We’re facing the team that eliminated Italy from the 16th round 30 years ago. What’s your impression?”

“Totti and Maldini also said they wanted to meet Korea again. They really wanted to meet again.”

It was true that Italian legends Francesco Totti and Paolo Maldini had longed for a rematch against Korea after their defeat in 2002.

“Because we want to reclaim our stolen victory from Korea with our skills. But now, we have the chance to take back the stolen victory. Oh, the world. God has heard the prayers of the Italian people.”

Paolo Pellegrini’s comedic gestures brought a light laugh.

That’s when it happened.

“What’s going on?”

The voice that suddenly cut in was.

“Italy is talking like that, it’s ridiculous.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t Italy’s first World Cup win in 1934 a tainted championship under Mussolini? It’s weird. Italy has done it multiple times, hasn’t it? Like in 2002, they were the ones who started it first.”

“What? You… say that again! What did you say?”

“Hey, stop! That’s enough! Calm down!”

With Paolo’s loud shout, the microphone fell, and a piercing feedback sound echoed.

The staff rushed over to turn off the microphone, and the event hall fell silent—

“Tsk, tsk. Italy doesn’t acknowledge its defeat and just boasts. It’s embarrassing.”

Only Joo Ji-tae’s low, yet eerily clear voice remained.