Nord Palace Hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
A small luxury hotel frequently used by top clubs around the world for off-season training. A football pitch nearby provides optimal conditions for workouts.
On top of that, players are given round-the-clock access to top-tier services like hot springs, massages, body care, and mental wellness sessions.
In other words, it was a vacation-style training camp designed specifically for the off-season.
With such excellent facilities, the competition to book it was always fierce. But for the next two weeks, Real Madrid had the entire place to themselves.
Training began the morning after arrival.
"¡Vamos, Blancos. Good morning."
As the coaches and players gathered at the entrance of the wide running field, Scolari spoke up.
The players echoed in unison.
"¡Vamos, Blancos."
Scolari had instructed them to use this phrase as their greeting during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and farewells to boost team unity.
It symbolized his strong desire to win the Champions League.
And for good reason — he had been disgracefully sacked from Chelsea, one of the Premier League's most prestigious clubs, at the end of last year.
To redeem himself and live up to his name as a "World Cup-winning coach," he needed to achieve good results this time.
The first step was to establish authority and rebuild the squad.
At the time, Real Madrid was going through a turbulent period.
No one could say for certain who would be brought in or let go until the transfer window closed on August 31.
So far, the only confirmed signings were Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso.
The final list of players to be retained or released would be completed after the off-season training.
No player was safe, regardless of nationality, race, or age.
Anyone who hadn't renewed their contract was essentially on the chopping block.
Even though Chairman Calderón had a known fondness for the Dutch connection, Scolari had no intention of holding back.
Whether it was Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, or Ruud van Nistelrooy, no one was exempt.
The knife was in Scolari's hands.
And so, training began in a serious atmosphere.
The first sessions focused on fitness.
Off-season training was all about pushing physical limits to ensure players could withstand the long season ahead.
"Whew."
"Haah, haah…"
The players ran. And ran again.
For two straight days, it was the same routine.
Not a single ball was kicked. They spent their days sprinting like marathon runners.
It continued on the third day as well.
But that third day, the atmosphere on the training ground was different.
Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos were gone, and the team felt the absence.
Zidane, now retired, was on vacation with his family, and Carlos had returned to his homeland after deciding not to renew his contract.
With the team dynamic clearly different from the previous season, the players' attitudes had changed too.
While the existing squad was close, a silent wall stood between them and the newly promoted Castilla players and recent signings.
Tension was inevitable.
Especially today, as they were doing interval training — shuttle runs triggered by whistle blasts.
One by one, players began to drop out, completely drained.
In the end, only two remained.
"Those two again."
"Did Young and Chris always have such insane stamina?"
It was Ho-young and Ronaldo.
Neither of them was willing to back down.
Would the newcomer dislodge the old guard, or would the established star drive out the upstart?
"This is getting intense. Isn't it a bit much to go this hard just three days into training?"
"Yeah. At this rate, they might both collapse."
The others, already resting, were impressed by their mental fortitude.
"I hope Young wins this."
"Same here."
Most were silently rooting for Ho-young. But some stood in the middle, unsure.
Pepe was one of them.
'This is tricky. A rivalry between Ho-young and Ronaldo… I expected it, but still...'
As a Portuguese national team player and long-time friend of Ronaldo, he found himself in an awkward position.
'Neither of them is the type to give up unless the other does.'
Both were fiercely competitive and wouldn't stop until their hearts gave out.
Beep!
"Huaaah…"
Beep!
"Huuhhhh…"
There was no yielding.
With the entire squad watching, neither could afford to lose.
It wouldn't end until one of them collapsed.
But pride and determination alone couldn't overcome the limits of stamina.
Ronaldo's face had turned crimson, as if it would burst.
In contrast, Ho-young was still relatively composed.
That was thanks to the combination of Park Ji-sung's Two Hearts (U) and Pavel Nedvěd's Incredible Stamina (S+3), resulting in Unstoppable Heart (SU).
It had turned Ho-young's former weakness — stamina — into one of his greatest strengths.
But eventually…
Beeeeep—
The seemingly endless battle came to a halt.
"Stop!"
It was Scolari who intervened, having silently observed the showdown.
Pushing too far and risking injury would be a serious problem.
Especially since they were still at the beginning of training, managing conditioning was key.
Scolari twirled his signature mustache as he stepped in front of the two.
"Who told you to push that hard? I specifically said to only use 85% of your stamina during this stage of training."
"Whew… I did."
"Hm?"
Ho-young responded confidently.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo was still gasping and couldn't speak properly.
Scolari shook his head and spoke.
"Competition is good. But you need to know the time and place."
"Understood."
"Yes…"
But their rivalry didn't stop there.
On the seventh day of training, Scolari found himself in a dilemma.
The main goal of pre-season was to improve match fitness, but also to identify and address issues.
However, instead of answers, new concerns had arisen since training began.
All because of Ho-young and Ronaldo.
Of course, Scolari hadn't expected them to click right away.
Harmony takes time.
But as of yesterday, his view had changed.
Having them coexist might be harder than expected.
They were like oil and water.
Though both were versatile and capable of playing various positions, their individual presence was so strong that they unconsciously disrupted each other.
'The ideal scenario is Ho-young receiving Alonso's build-up and orchestrating plays up front…'
But the problem was, he and Ronaldo would sometimes end up occupying the same space.
On the flip side, if Ronaldo was given a free role and Ho-young was tasked with finishing, the team suffered defensively.
There was a huge difference in their defensive work rate.
'Ho-young is too valuable to waste up top. He contributes so much on defense as well.'
To Scolari, the best position for Ho-young was attacking midfielder, where he could fulfill multiple roles.
With his stamina now vastly improved, the synergy would only grow.
'And his ball control has improved dramatically too.'
Scolari, a manager with 28 years of experience, could see it clearly.
Right now, Ho-young was the best ball controller in the world.
No one could match him when it came to handling the ball.
At least, that was how Scolari saw it.
And such a player couldn't simply be used as a striker.
To maximize the team's benefits, Ho-young had to be given a heavier, more vital role.
Which meant he'd naturally take the initiative.
That was where the friction with Ronaldo began.
And that was why Scolari had called him in today.
"Chris, think carefully. This can be resolved if both of you make small concessions and focus on playing well together. But if you insist on keeping things as they are, I'll have to make my own decision."
This was the same man who, back in 2002, had boldly excluded Romário — a football legend — from Brazil's World Cup squad.
So Ronaldo couldn't argue.
Not that he had any real complaints anyway.
He believed he could be the protagonist no matter what position or role he was given.
Understanding Scolari's concerns, Ronaldo gave a clear answer.
"Understood. I'll do my best in the role I'm assigned."
He had no interest in causing drama or wrecking the team through politics.
He was simply obsessed with football.
That passion had only grown stronger recently.
To improve even more — though he still believed he was better than Ho-young — he was enduring brutal training day after day.
"Good. I'm looking forward to it."
"Yes, sir."
Even so, his rivalry with Ho-young wasn't going anywhere.
His drive and competitive spirit were what made him excel.
And near the end of training that day…
As soon as Ho-young fulfilled the requirement of training alongside Ronaldo for 2,400 minutes, he unlocked the right to obtain one of his talents.
[Please select the talent you wish to acquire.]
Astonishing Dribbling (SS+3)
Artistic Ball Control (SS+2)
Indomitable Fighting Spirit (SS)
Peerless Individual Skills (SS-)
Phenomenal Finishing Ability (S+3)
Jaw-Dropping Pace (S+2)
He paused briefly.
Should he choose Astonishing Dribbling, the highest-grade talent?
Or Artistic Ball Control, to elevate his touch even further?
He didn't ponder for long.
He had years left to play with Ronaldo. He could always collect the others later.
So he chose the one he was most curious about.
Artistic Ball Control (SS+2)
[Your 'Ball Control at the Realm of Perfection' absolute value: 18.42]
[Due to the absolute value, your 'Ball Control at the Realm of Perfection' evolves to SSS+2.]
A leap of three entire levels from SSS-.
The growth exceeded expectations, and Ho-young couldn't help but lift his shoulders in excitement.
He could feel that he was getting closer to the pinnacle.
'At this rate, I'll be there in no time.'
And so, Ho-young's growth had entered full swing.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid's first official stage of the season — the Peace Cup — was drawing near.
The season's success or failure would likely begin to reveal itself there.
(To be continued.)