A moving soccer story that can't be contained in 90 minutes!

Soccer is a 90-minute game played by 22 players on a rectangular field.
As with all sports, soccer excites the spectators more than the players who kick the ball.
When a dramatic goal is scored, they embrace each other and share the joy of victory, and when the team they support loses, they shed tears as if it were their own.
In Europe, where there are many prestigious football teams with long histories, fans of one team become fans for generations.
I went to watch soccer for the first time holding my father's hand, became a fan, and then went to watch soccer again holding my young son's hand.
What moves and makes us happy to see so many Korean players now playing in the world's best European leagues on the global football stage?

While studying in Paris, France, Kei spent his vacations traveling all over Europe to watch football.
During this time, he realized that soccer was not just a sport of kicking a ball, but that there was life, culture and history in it.
After graduating from college and working in brand strategy at a famous domestic pharmaceutical company, I went from being a soccer fan who simply went to the stadium because I loved soccer to paying attention to the stories hidden in soccer and the lives of world-class players.
And we are making that story into a video and sharing it.
Like many football fans, especially those who are into European football, I focus on my day job during the day but lose sleep at night during the European football season.
Kei, who cheered on Park Ji-sung in Europe, is now learning about life, family, history, and attitudes toward life not only from Son Heung-min, who plays for Tottenham, but also from players playing in the world's best leagues.

Soccer is just a game of ball.
But for some people, soccer is 'life'.

--- p.4

Before being a soccer player and a sick child, Son Heung-min and Riley were just the same 'people' living fiercely each day.
They met, bonded, and cheered each other on through soccer.

--- p.14

Did someone serve as your role model during your childhood, when everything felt unfamiliar and awkward? Did they offer kind words and instill confidence in you? If so, you're incredibly lucky.
If you haven't already, why not become a role model yourself and inspire someone young just starting out?
--- p.29

Son Heung-min's expression during the phone call with Yan was full of the five years they spent together.
Son Heung-min is usually an emotional person who might have shed tears upon seeing his brother after a long time, but that day, Son Heung-min smiled at his brother who is still active and taking on a new challenge, and smiled and joked, saying, "Thank you for the assist for the Puskas Award," just like his brother did to his younger siblings.

--- p.35

Many people in modern society evaluate someone's job solely in terms of money, and believe that all efforts are motivated by money.
Was it really money that motivated Lucarelli to head to the amateur league of Serie D? Lucarelli's story holds a resonance that cannot be captured in numbers.
Dedication to something, at the end of that journey, there is emotion.

--- p.48

Kante's popularity in France is beyond imagination.
Among the arrogant stars, Kante, always shy and humble like a Korean middle school student, is a hero to French mothers.
In France, everyone wants their child to grow up like Kante.

--- p.55

Klopp is a famous romantic in football.
The reason is that every time he left the club, he left people with tears and regret.

--- p.62

Football may just be a tool.
Where people's emotions converge, the river of time and memory always flows.
Their tears contain the conversations, time, and memories they shared with those who were with them.

--- p.83

The next Asian Cup opponents we face may have a ‘second Son Heung-min’ or a ‘second Kim Min-jae’.
They are all 'soccer boys' who grew up admiring our heroes with the same heart as we do.

--- p.109

Mbappe is providing comfort to those who worried, "What fun will there be in watching football when Messi and Ronaldo retire?"
Mbappe is the embodiment of competitive spirit, hates defeat more than death, and has a firm belief that he will become the best in the world.
Our role is simply to enjoy watching the next generation of kings dance.

--- pp.139~140

When asked by a reporter, “Is Son Heung-min world-class?” he replied, “The world cannot accept Son Heung-min.
There is no player like Sony.
“He needs nothing more to get to the next level.” It’s an incredible compliment, coming from someone who is pathologically wary of player arrogance.

--- p.167

One thing people who find fulfillment in a particular field have in common is high self-esteem.
I have more faith in the future than regrets about the past.
Humility is not self-deprecation.
Rather, it is a strong desire to become better than you are now.

--- p.179

How many true friends do we meet in life? Along the path Son Heung-min has walked, his people live everywhere.
Just like Son Heung-min, they will appear from somewhere and just silently hug him in his most difficult moments.
That's the kind of life Son Heung-min lives.

--- p.207

Watching the friendship built between Son Heung-min and the reserve goalkeeper, we are reminded of how we should treat others as we leave our homes tomorrow.
You are my 'top scorer' because you make people smile and comfort them unconditionally.
A world filled with second and third yous is the world I earnestly desire.

--- p.219

The altruistic desire to help others is not something that is developed through effort, but rather a habit that is developed in childhood.
Mr. Son Woong-jung's numerous interviews provide insight into how his son was raised.
He is a father who shows his son a way of life not only through words but also through actions.
The clip of Son Woong-jung running through the snow and bowing 90 degrees to a German knight in the Korean style is one of my 'life videos'.
Because the short video contains gratitude toward the person who came to pick him up, as well as apologies for possibly making the other person wait too long.

--- pp.227~228

There is no right or wrong answer, but one thing is certain: children born in Romero's hometown today will live more cultured lives than Romero did.
Training in excellent facilities rather than on the field, they learn manners and how to play football while protecting their opponents.
Romero might be back to making tough tackles that knock opponents down again this weekend.
At that very moment, new equipment and facilities will be supplied and built for the children of his hometown on the other side of the world.
Romero, born in 1998, is living that kind of life.

--- p.240

From empty 4th division stands to EPL stands, a father's heart for his son remains the same.
A single sentence Vicario left on Instagram shows the world he currently lives in.

“I am living in a dream now.”
--- p.247

Soccer wasn't the only thing young Timo learned from his father.
In an interview with German media, he clearly stated the five values ​​his parents instilled in him.

First, respect everyone.

Second, be generous and help others.

Third, I feel a sense of responsibility.

Fourth, don't hurt anyone.

Finally, develop the habit of sharing.

--- p.251

“You have to live a good life, working hard, and pursuing your dreams.” This simple sentence seems unrealistic in today’s world.
What is clear is that no one has achieved anything without dreaming, and no one is truly respected without being kind.
Whatever life you dream of now, it might be simpler than playing in the Champions League a few years later, after Hishal's near-death experience with a gun pointed at his forehead.

--- p.261

Until 2023, the biggest cause of Son Heung-min's defensive burden was the slow feet of Tottenham defenders when responding to counterattacks.
The signing of Bundesliga defender Van der Pen is the best deal of the year, more important than signing a midfielder who can provide direct assists for Son Heung-min.

--- p.268

There will never be another day as lonely and difficult as the one when I first left my parents.
Bissouma is no longer alone, he has countless teammates, and each Tottenham player has similar values ​​and goals in their lives, enough to tie them together as brothers.
This is soccer.

--- p.282

Radu is alone in London, but five Dragusins ​​are behind him.
Dragusin is the guy everyone dreams of being the best at sports.
Two of them live as parents, one is a restaurant owner, and the other is a flower shop owner.
Radu Dragusin is living out their dreams and shining on the professional stage.

--- p.288

What joy would Johnson's assist bring to David, who tried to play despite receiving injections in his surgically operated back? What emotion would Sonny's goal bring to Son Woong-jung, who trained with pressure points on his cleats? I look forward to the day when these two dads meet and toast at Tottenham's championship celebration party.

--- p.296