Etihad Campus.
Not long ago, Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates purchased the naming rights to the City of Manchester Stadium, and at the same time, the training ground was renamed as well.
Like the Etihad Stadium, this massive campus was owned by the city of Manchester and was separate from Manchester City Football Club.
Meaning, it was not Mansour's personal property.
Even the expansion project planned until 2027 was part of the city's development plan, not directly funded by Mansour.
But it would not be entirely accurate to say that.
Considering how much Mansour contributed to the local economy, it could also be seen as indirectly benefiting Manchester City.
Given that Barclays Bank, where Mansour was the largest shareholder, ranked fourth in the world in terms of capital, it was only natural.
The same could be said for the expansion of the Etihad Stadium.
Whether big or small, Mansour's influence reached everywhere.
As soon as Ho-young stepped into the training ground, he could feel it clearly.
'So this is why Manchester City has grown so much.'
The scale was exactly as he had heard.
And it was not even fully completed yet.
Valdebebas was massive, but this place was no less impressive.
Not just in size, but the facilities were state of the art.
He had heard that they even had a system capable of analyzing players' movements in real time during training.
It was true that they were building one of the most advanced training systems in the world.
'No wonder other managers envy this place.'
It felt like stepping into an alien facility.
Following first-team coach Brian Kidd through a restricted corridor, he soon arrived at the main training pitch.
A vast stretch of green grass spread out before him.
Morning of January 2.
"Welcome to the team."
"I look forward to working with you."
Ho-young's first day began.
This was not school.
There was no formal self-introduction like a transfer student.
He simply greeted players as they arrived, shaking hands casually.
"Hello. Just call me Young."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Dedryck Boyata. I've always been a fan."
"Hello, Greg Cunningham. I've been a fan for a long time."
"Please take care of me. Chris Chantler. I'm a huge fan too."
"I'm Reece Wabara. Just call me Wabara. Or anything. Even if you call me trash, I'd be happy. You're my idol."
Manchester City had incredible squad depth.
They could field a double squad at minimum, and even a triple squad with their under-21 players to handle injuries.
There were many young players not included in the official 25-man EPL roster.
They usually played in reserve matches but occasionally stepped in for the first team.
Like Marcos Alonso or Tébar at Real Madrid.
Naturally, they looked up to Ho-young even more.
Their enthusiastic welcome was only natural.
And in fact, Ho-young's own situation was similar.
He was not included in the current 25-man roster submitted last September.
Goalkeepers: Shay Given (34), Stuart Taylor (29), Joe Hart (23)
Defenders: Kolo Touré (29), Joleon Lescott (27), Micah Richards (22), Vincent Kompany (24), Nedum Onuoha (23), Aleksandar Kolarov (24), Wayne Bridge (29), Pablo Zabaleta (25)
Midfielders: Gareth Barry (29), Nigel de Jong (25), Patrick Vieira (34), Michael Johnson (22), Yaya Touré (27), James Milner (24), Craig Bellamy (30), Shaun Wright-Phillips (28), Adam Johnson (22)
Forwards: Robinho (26), Carlos Tevez (Captain, 26), Emmanuel Adebayor (26), Roque Santa Cruz (23), Jo (23)
There was no place for Ho-young.
But there was no need.
Under EPL rules, players under 21 at the end of the season could play without registration limits.
Meaning no one had to be removed for him.
In every way, he was a huge advantage for the team.
However, the reactions from the first-team players were not as warm.
"I can't believe I'm seeing Young here."
"This is unreal…"
The transfer had been so sudden and secretive that they could hardly believe it.
They exchanged greetings, but there was an invisible wall between them.
Of course, his arrival brought many benefits.
They could easily win the FA Cup, and maybe even the Europa League.
It was an opportunity to add major trophies to their careers.
But after that?
That was the concern for some players.
'I don't want to be a supporting character.'
'Six months? So he's just here to play hero and leave?'
'This club spends money recklessly, but this is basically hiring a mercenary.'
'Damn it. The media attention was already dropping, now it will all go to him.'
'We'll end up being treated as expendable and gradually pushed out.'
Because of these concerns, some players were not happy with his arrival.
Winning was good.
But players did not only think about the present.
If Manchester City qualified for the Champions League, the club's reputation would rise, attracting even bigger stars.
Which meant less space for current players.
Even now, people were saying that Ho-young's arrival had already elevated the club's status.
He had not played a single match yet, but fans were already treating him like a legend.
And other fans envied City.
It was only natural that jealousy arose.
Even beyond that, some players already had negative feelings toward him.
Robinho, who had to give up the number 10 shirt.
Yaya Touré, who had faced him in El Clásico.
Jerome Boateng, who had been overwhelmed by him in the Montaigu Tournament.
Vincent Kompany, who had been humiliated in the Olympics.
Patrick Vieira, who had been dominated in the Champions League.
Several players had been completely outplayed by him before.
Some still held grudges.
That was why the atmosphere was tense.
Of course, Ho-young had expected this.
But.
'It's not just because of me.'
To make matters worse, he realized something during training.
There were already invisible divisions within the team.
Cliques.
English-speaking players and non-English-speaking players were split into groups.
There was tension between players and the manager as well.
A complete mess.
That was his conclusion after one day of training.
He had not expected it to be this bad.
The first day was light due to the previous match.
But the next days were even worse.
The match was approaching, but the atmosphere remained unsettled.
What the team needed was a true leader.
But there was none.
Captain Carlos Tevez was struggling with homesickness and affecting morale.
Ho-young felt the severity of the situation.
They could beat mid-table or weaker teams.
But to win the Europa League or the EPL, this was not enough.
They needed something to lift the team's spirit.
'I have to show something.'
As his concerns grew, match day arrived.
[The Sun: Ho-young earned the respect of his teammates in training on the 4th. Some players were reportedly moved to tears by his skill.]
[Daily Star: Ho-young ate chicken breast salad for breakfast. Interpreted as a sign that he will sacrifice Tottenham's symbol, the chicken, in his debut.]
The British tabloids were filled with sensational headlines.
Even respected newspapers like The Independent, The Telegraph, The Guardian, and The Times featured him prominently.
[Telegraph: Tottenham manager Redknapp said Ho-young's debut will not be easy and that even if the god of football comes, they will not fear. He added that Manchester City belongs in mid-table.]
[Guardian: Mancini responded that Tottenham has no right to talk, saying their attitude makes him sick. Breaking opponents' confidence is his specialty.]
[Times Exclusive: Ho-young said, "I feel restless. I will do what I always do."]
[Independent: Gareth Bale said Tottenham will show their strength as a top EPL team.]
These articles built anticipation among fans.
Meanwhile, Manchester City's team bus arrived at White Hart Lane in North London.
January 5, Wednesday, 10 a.m.
The players stepped onto the pitch to warm up.
They looked exhausted from the brutal schedule.
In contrast, Tottenham players looked fresh.
They had managed their energy well after comfortably defeating Birmingham City in their previous match.
Of course, they still feared Ho-young.
But they had undergone mental training to overcome it.
Before kickoff, Harry Redknapp gathered his players.
"It doesn't matter if the opponent is the god of football or basketball. You are facing Manchester City. The same team we beat 4-1 away. The ones who should be afraid are them, not you."
Redknapp instilled confidence as always.
That was the driving force behind Tottenham's rise.
Of course, it could also lead to complacency.
But not today.
Their opponent was Ho-young, a 17-year-old Ballon d'Or winner.
No one underestimated him.
In fact, that was the problem.
They feared him too much.
Despite days of mental training, the fear remained.
'If we go out like this, we won't even show half our ability.'
So Redknapp made a decision.
"Don't think of him as Ho-young."
"What do you mean?"
Bale asked.
Redknapp tapped his head.
"Erase his name from your mind. Change your perspective. You are not facing Ho-young. Just a footballer with two legs."
"…Understood."
It seemed to work.
Before kickoff, the players gathered and shouted their chant.
"Come on you Spurs!"
"COYS!"
"COYS!!"
The decisive clash between 4th and 5th place was about to begin.
(To be continued.)