Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

150 – Hallyu

150

Calciopoli.

Also known as Calciopoli, this incident was a massive political corruption scandal that shook Italy in 2006.

It’s an old story, and since it happened in a faraway country, Korea, it’s only known as a ‘big match-fixing scandal.’ However, it was a grave and massive incident that involved not just match-fixing, but a comprehensive league manipulation and abuse of power by several top Italian clubs, including Juventus, AC Milan, ACF Fiorentina, and SS Lazio.

This is what’s known as the Italian football gate, Calciopoli.

If a Korean or a foreigner mentions the ‘Choi Soon-sil gate,’ it’s embarrassing, but for an Italian who lives and breathes football, it’s unforgivable.

Joo Ji-tae apologized for his mistake, but how could that be a mistake? He mentioned it multiple times, and it was a deliberate provocation.

The Italians were outraged by this intentional ridicule, but Joo Ji-tae remained calm.

What’s the big deal?

“So, what can you do about it?”

No matter how much the other side protested, it had no effect.

What did Joo Ji-tae do wrong?

Did he mock them during the official interview? Did he make a sarcastic comment? Joo Ji-tae only made a slight mistake by mentioning Calciopoli. It’s not like he said something taboo or unspeakable.

He just mentioned a famous incident that’s well-known worldwide. What’s the big deal, and how can he be punished for it?

Well, it seems like he’ll have to give up on traveling to Italy for a while… maybe even for the rest of his life. He might have to give up on playing in the Italian league as well… But he wouldn’t have gone anyway. La Liga, EPL, or anywhere else is fine. He’d rather go to PSG or Saudi Arabia for the money.

However, the Italian anger was intense, and the club also requested him to be cautious. They asked him to show a more conciliatory attitude in the interview before the second leg.

Joo Ji-tae, a magnanimous person who can overlook his opponents’ rudeness and mistakes, readily accepted the club’s request and gave an interview before the second leg.

“Juventus is a great club with a long history and tradition. They’re a team that will never easily collapse.”

He wanted to add, “And when they were demoted due to Calciopoli, the players stayed, saying ‘A gentleman doesn’t abandon a lady,'” but he managed to hold back.

“We need to take this game seriously, regardless of the first leg’s result. We can’t be complacent just because we won. I’ll do my best to win as well.”

So, they sent a lavish lip service before the second leg, overflowing with praise.

“No way. Lip service? What kind of nonsense am I talking about?”

Joo Ji-tae scolded himself for his shallow flattery.

Although they were leading by three goals, and the second leg was being held at Barcelona’s home stadium, and Juventus’ chances of advancing to the quarterfinals were slim, they still had to give it their all in the game.

Joo Ji-tae was determined to do his best in the game.

This wasn’t just lip service; it was Joo Ji-tae’s genuine intention.

Yes.

When the game started.

And on the day of the second leg.

Joo Ji-tae was sitting comfortably on the bench.

* * *

After the first leg against Juventus, Barcelona faced Villarreal in a league match.

It wasn’t an easy opponent, but not a difficult one either. Barcelona easily secured three points against Villarreal and prepared for the Champions League second leg.

Originally, Juventus’ coach, Giuseppe Pochettino, had planned to give up on the second leg.

After losing by three goals in the first leg, could they really turn it around in the second leg? It wasn’t impossible, but the current situation wasn’t favorable for Juventus.

As they were participating in three competitions, it was more efficient for Juventus to focus on the league, where they were barely maintaining first place, rather than risking everything for a slim chance.

Moreover, the squad’s average age was high, so it was better to prioritize the league and cup competitions rather than exhausting themselves for a low-probability win.

However, Italian public opinion was furious, demanding a win from Juventus.

As a result, Giuseppe Pochettino was forced to deploy his full strength in the away game against Barcelona.

“What the…?! Why is the lineup like this?! And this guy is on the bench?!”

Barcelona, who had boasted about doing their best, were instead seen deploying their second team.

Joo Ji-tae, who had been the loudest, was sitting comfortably on the bench, looking relaxed.

Giuseppe Pochettino’s face was red with anger, his neck bulging.

“I was going to do my best, but the coach benched me. What can I do? I was definitely going to give it my all in the game.”

That’s what happened.

Barcelona fielded a 1.5 team, almost a second team, in the home game against Juventus.

The 20-year-old young duo, Max Moreno and Joel Cabrera, formed the center-back pair, replacing the injured Madu Murcia.

The two, who had been together since their youth days, had perfect chemistry, but they had never started a game together before.

Whenever one of them started, Joo Ji-tae or Madu Murcia would partner with them.

Although they had gained experience in La Liga through loans last season, they were still in their first season with Barcelona’s first team. Their talent was undeniable, and they had been called up to the first team early, but it was still a gamble to start them together without a veteran’s guidance.

However, the two players were not worried.

“I trained with Joo Ji-tae all last week.”

“It’s a home game, and we’re leading by three goals. Even if we concede one goal, we won’t lose.”

Anxiety comes from uncertainty.

In that sense, this game was a thoroughly prepared stage. The three-goal advantage and home-field advantage were added to their confidence.

Of course, Juventus also had their own hopes of winning.

“Do we look that easy to you? Are we going to let these Catalan villagers keep mocking us?”

“Are they going to send out their second team against us, even at home? Are we going to be insulted and sent back like a stray dog?”

Giuseppe Pochettino and captain Carlo Montero’s shouts sparked a fiery response from the players.

A three-goal deficit. It’s not an easy gap to overcome. However, it’s not an insurmountable gap either.

Football is a sport where unexpected reversals can occur, even in the Champions League, where a four-goal deficit has been overturned.

There’s only one case where Barcelona came back from a four-goal deficit. In the 16/17 season, they recorded a 6:1 score in the second leg against PSG, overturning a four-goal deficit.

On the other hand, there have been cases where Barcelona has been overwhelmed despite having a significant advantage.

In the 17/18 season Champions League quarterfinals, Barcelona, who had taken a 4:1 lead in the first leg, lost 0:3 to Roma in the away game and were eliminated due to the away goals rule. In the 18/19 season Champions League semifinals, Barcelona, who had won 3:0 in the first leg, lost 0:4 to Liverpool at Anfield and were eliminated.

All of these were cases where Barcelona took a three-goal lead in the first leg of the Champions League, only to be overturned in the second leg.

With two precedents, the opponent, Juventus, who had been complacent, fielded a lineup that included a 20-year-old center-back duo, which was almost like a reserve team.

Giuseppe Pochi and the Juventus players thought they had a good chance of winning this game.

So, when the game started, they launched a fierce attack, and when they scored an early goal in the 17th minute of the first half, it seemed like their confidence had grown.

But,

“What’s wrong with you, Max! Joel! Are you out of your minds? Did you forget everything I taught you? You’re playing like you’re in a home party! Don’t you want to win?”

Under Coach Juji’s stern gaze, the expressions of the two players changed, and from then on, the game took a different turn.

Although Juventus continued to attack fiercely, they began to counterattack slowly, and the result was a 1:2 victory for Juventus.

While it was a valuable win for Juventus away from home, considering the opponent’s lineup was almost like a reserve team, it was a disappointing result.

Moreover, with Barcelona’s 8:3 aggregate score, Juventus’s elimination from the quarterfinals was confirmed, making it the worst possible outcome.

After the game, Coach Giuseppe Pochi took responsibility for the tactical failure, but Rodrigo Silva, who couldn’t stand the Italian journalists’ criticism, shouted “Gi-re-gi!” and sparked a new Korean wave.

There were many football players who disliked journalists, and “Gi-re-gi” had a certain ring to it.

Moreover, the person who revealed Rodrigo Silva’s “Gi-re-gi” was—

“Ah, it’s not like that… I mean, oh no. I really didn’t meet a girl, did I?”

Max Moreno and Joel Cabrera had hosted a private home party (filled with naked women), and somehow, the scene was captured and uploaded to SNS, causing them great embarrassment.