Episode 125: Counterattack Strategy
Three days later, Park Sang-myeon, the president of the Korea Football Association, warmly greeted Lee Chang-jin as he rushed out to meet him at the door.
“Oh my, such a precious visit… I should have come to see you. Thank you.”
After leading Lee Chang-jin to the sofa and inviting him to sit, Park personally brought him a cup of coffee.
“When we first met at the company’s founding anniversary meeting, I must have been quite rude. And now, for you to suddenly offer a donation for the development of football, I am incredibly grateful.”
“No, it’s nothing. As someone who has always been passionate about football, I have long wished to contribute to the development of sports. I’m just sorry it’s taken this long.”
Although it was a polite formality, Park Sang-myeon seemed genuinely moved and bowed his head.
“Thank you. Many people say they will donate tens of millions of won, but very few businesspeople actually follow through like you. Moreover, you have generously donated 50 million won and promised to supply the necessary equipment for the national team for free. For football enthusiasts, this is a blessing.”
As he subtly pushed his teacup forward, Park’s expression was very respectful. For the financially struggling association, this was a godsend.
“Mr. Lee, if I may be so bold, could I ask one more favor?”
“If it’s something I can do, by all means.”
“The truth is, our football association lacks administrative strength. We would greatly appreciate it if someone as capable as you could participate in the association’s operations.”
Park’s aim was to secure a financial source by bringing Lee Chang-jin into the association.
Lee Chang-jin was not unaware that this suggestion had been prompted by Kim Jung-o from the beginning. In fact, it was Lee Chang-jin who had initially influenced Kim Jung-o to suggest it.
However, Lee Chang-jin pretended to be unaware and asked with concern.
“I do like football, but I’m not an expert. Would an amateur like me be of any help to the association?”
“How could you say such a thing? Having you as an executive in the association would be like gaining a thousand troops. Given your expertise in promotion and marketing, I believe you could significantly help improve the association’s administration and profitability.”
Park Sang-myeon eagerly tried to persuade Lee Chang-jin.
After listening to Park’s story for a while, Lee Chang-jin quietly asked,
“Thank you for saying so. However, there is one condition for me to accept your proposal.”
Park Sang-myeon’s face lit up.
“Yes, yes, please go ahead.”
“Could you introduce Cha Geun-beom to us?”
“Cha Geun-beom?”
“Yes. Actually, we would like to act as Cha’s agent.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Cha Geun-beom is a player skilled enough to play as a starter in overseas leagues, isn’t he? As a football enthusiast and fan, I wish to see him join a prestigious European club. We have a close relationship with an international agent who can help connect him with overseas clubs.”
Park Sang-myeon looked displeased at the unexpected counter-proposal.
“Cha Geun-beom is a bit… Although I am the president, I do not have the authority to decide a player’s future…”
Lee Chang-jin smiled and responded,
“Why are you being like this? I know that the decision-making authority regarding Cha lies with CEO Park Sang-tae of Yangdong Steel. Aren’t you related to CEO Park?”
CEO Park Sang-tae was practically a benefactor to Cha Geun-beom. He had supported Cha financially after he enlisted in the military and had negotiated with Anyang Ironworks to ensure he received a monthly salary of about 5 million won during his military service.
Park Sang-myeon’s expression hardened as if he had been hit in a sore spot.
“That’s a bit difficult. The issue with Cha Geun-beom is not just about the player himself. He is the face of our country’s football. Isn’t it better for him to stay in the country and attract fans rather than going to West Germany? If he leaves, the football fever that has just heated up might die down. Moreover, how can we guarantee his success abroad?”
Lee Chang-jin logically rebutted,
“I’ve heard that Cha himself is very eager to go abroad. Didn’t he join the Air Force because he was promised an exemption from training and an early discharge under the medical discharge clause? He could be discharged 5-6 months early if that clause is applied. Isn’t it strange to think that Cha, who is considered better than Japan’s Ogudera, who is active in Cologne, wouldn’t succeed? Moreover, for the national team issue, we can include a clause in the contract requiring him to return for national duty.”
“You’ve done a lot of research. But please consider our situation. At this point, looking towards the Moscow Olympics, it’s unsettling to have the national team play without Cha. Can we entrust an important position in a crucial match to a player who has just returned from abroad? Some time is needed to harmonize with the team.”
Unlike the future where nurturing talent and encouraging challenges on a big stage is promoted, at this time, the perception was that a player’s overseas move was a loss of national wealth. When a player went abroad, it was believed that their relationship with the domestic team was completely severed. The Air Force, to which Cha was currently affiliated, also had a negative view on this.
However, those were just excuses. The real reason was different.
Lee Chang-jin, well aware of the association’s internal affairs, subtly smiled.
“President Park, let’s be honest. Is this your intention or Taeyang Group’s?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that it seems like you’re being swayed by Taeyang Group due to the issue of founding a corporate team. Aren’t you hesitant because Taeyang threatened to reconsider founding the team if you don’t give them Cha Geun-beom?”
President Park’s expression wavered as if he had been struck in a vulnerable spot.
“If you’re worried about the founding issue, I think your priorities are misplaced. That’s something to consider later. Right now, maintaining your position is more important, isn’t it? I know the association’s financial state is poor and that you are under significant financial pressure. The association has debts amounting to about 80 million won to 32 businesses, including hotels, hospitals, and sports companies. I also heard that you’re using your own money to run things. How long can you keep pouring money into it?”
Park Sang-myeon felt as if he was completely exposed in front of Lee Chang-jin, who had a thorough grasp of the association’s financial situation. He had underestimated the young businessman, thinking he was easy to handle.
Park Sang-myeon muttered in a dazed voice,
“How much do you know?”
“Isn’t it something you can roughly figure out by looking at the reports submitted to the Ministry of Culture? I understand your concerns, but it’s not a good idea for the association to be swayed by a corporation. Moreover, you know better than anyone what kind of people are in Taeyang Group.”
“But we have no alternative as we are the ones in need.”
“Isn’t there Mirae Group? Chairman Joo of Mirae Group is very interested in sports. He always says that physical strength is national strength.”
“But we don’t know if they have any intention of founding a team.”
“Then I will take responsibility and persuade Mirae. Chairman Joo might be willing to make concessions for the greater good of football development.”
“Can you really promise that?”
“Haha, would I come all the way here just to make empty promises? If you connect us with Cha Geun-beom, I will ensure you are adequately rewarded. Through official channels, of course. But you must decide quickly. To have a football player join an overseas team, they need to be registered by the end of the year to play in the next season. You need to give me a definite answer by early December.”
Having said what he needed, Lee Chang-jin politely bowed and left. Park Sang-myeon stood there blankly for a while, as if his soul had left him.
“Should I side with Taeyang or follow Lee Chang-jin’s suggestion?”
He paced around the room, deep in thought.
After organizing his thoughts, Park Sang-myeon made up his mind and dialed a number.
“Hello, yes, it’s me. Nephew, can you talk now?”
Meanwhile, unaware of these behind-the-scenes maneuvers, Nam Tae-hee was busy preparing for the team founding.
On the day of Taeyang Group’s founding ceremony,
In the lobby of the Goryeo Hotel, players wearing uniforms with the name ‘Team Phoenix’ engraved on them stood in front of the cameras for a commemorative photo. The introduction of the club emblem and the announcement of the team followed. On stage, Nam Tae-hee, in his role as general manager, read a pre-prepared speech.
“We are delighted to announce the founding of our corporate team. Taeyang Group will do its best to globalize football and contribute to the development of Korean football.”
Reporters gathered in the banquet hall scribbled down notes.
After jotting down notes for a while, the reporters suddenly started to buzz as if they had received some news.
“Did you hear? Mirae is also founding a corporate team today?”
“What? So, the two major domestic groups are founding corporate teams simultaneously?”
As the chatter grew louder, Nam Tae-hee, mid-speech, raised an eyebrow.
Just as the alert security guard approached the reporters, one of them shouted out,
“What? Cha Geun-beom is going to Europe?”
With that, the expressions of the reporters who caught the scoop changed. The sports journalists suddenly rushed out, leaving Nam Tae-hee momentarily flustered. His expression hardened as he received a report from his secretary.
“What? What do you mean by that?”
「Mirae Group Announces the Founding of a Corporate Football Team. Team Dolphins Launch!」
At the same time, an unexpected founding ceremony was taking place at the football association’s office.
Reporters, informed at the last minute, flocked to the ceremony. Joo Young-mi from the Kyungwoon Daily asked a question.
“Today’s founding is quite an unexpected move. I understand that Taeyang Group is also founding a football team today. What prompted you to announce the sudden founding of a corporate team?”
Joo Moon-gwang came forward with a friendly smile and replied,
“It’s not sudden. In fact, Mirae Group has been contemplating the founding of a corporate team for a long time. This founding has nothing to do with Taeyang’s plans.”
“However, announcing the founding of a corporate team on the same day as Taeyang Group seems very much like an attempt to counteract them.”
“Haha, that’s a misunderstanding. We are pressed for time to prepare for the industrial league, so we had to match the schedule. If we want to participate in next year’s league, we need to announce our intention now. Although the preparation period is short, there were reasons for that. I decided to found the team thanks to the persuasion of someone very passionate about football.”
The reporters’ eyes gleamed with excitement at the prospect of a story.
“Who is this person who persuaded you, Mr. Joo? They must be quite impressive.”
“He is right here. I would like to introduce the new vice president of the football association and the person who will be handling the association’s administration, CEO Lee Chang-jin of Daese Industries.”
As camera flashes went off, Lee Chang-jin bowed his head.
“I am Lee Chang-jin, the new vice president of the football association. I am honored to contribute to the development of domestic football. Our football association will spare no support to revitalize the domestic industrial league and will do its utmost for the development of Korean football.”
Journalists swarmed around the new face with their microphones.
“Mr. Lee, you have taken up a position in the football association without any prior announcement. Can you tell us why you made such a sudden decision?”
“Ah, I have always been interested in football, so this was not a decision made overnight. I plan to assist the new president in strengthening the promotion and marketing of football administration and actively support the overseas advancement of domestic players.”
“Overseas advancement? It sounds like you have a specific player in mind. Are you referring to Cha Geun-beom?”
“You guessed correctly.”
“So, did you join the association to help Cha advance overseas?”
“Not just Cha, but to support the overseas advancement of other promising players and to improve the protection of players’ rights. We will start with Cha and support capable players’ overseas advancement, and reform the backwardness of the football association.”
“So, is the contract with Cha currently in progress?”
“Yes. Our company is acting as Cha’s agent, and we have been directly authorized by him to contact top overseas teams. Currently, about four teams, including Hamburg and Bayern Munich, are showing interest.”
The crowd murmured. Then, a reporter from the Hansung Daily raised his hand and asked,
“But isn’t it a loss of national wealth for a talent like Cha to go abroad?”
“Why not think of it the other way around? If a player representing Korea performs well overseas, it will be an opportunity to promote Korea to the world. It will be a source of national pride.”
“But what about the military service issue? Cha is still a soldier, isn’t he? Isn’t it a violation of service regulations for a soldier to leave the country for tryouts?”
It was a question Lee Chang-jin had anticipated. He smiled and replied,
“That’s incorrect. Cha is currently faithfully serving in the Air Force. He has never gone abroad for tryouts.”
“What do you mean? Then how did he pass the tryouts?”
“We invited German medical staff to conduct a separate medical test. We also invited football officials from the clubs.”
“Then how did you handle the expenses?”
“As the vice president of the football association, I covered all expenses out of my own pocket.”
Lee Chang-jin’s bombshell declaration left the reporters speechless.
The next day, the news was widely covered in the media, stirring public opinion. The news that Cha Geun-beom’s move to Europe was imminent was a huge issue as it was the first challenge by a domestic footballer. But for Taeyang Group, which had just held its founding ceremony, it was a bolt from the blue.
- To be continued in Episode 126 -
