Chapter 109
Hoffenheim were currently charging toward second place in the league, led by Vedad Ibišević’s scoring prowess. This stood in stark contrast to Union Berlin, whose goals were spread evenly across the team.
‘Well. Union Berlin’s team structure is a little more ideal, but there’s nothing wrong with having one player go completely wild like Vedad Ibišević.’
After just eleven league matches, Vedad Ibišević had recorded fourteen league goals and four assists, putting him second in the league. It was safe to say he was at the peak of his form.
However, Hoffenheim’s incredible run would come to an end after Vedad Ibišević suffered an injury. During a friendly played over the winter break, Vedad Ibišević tore a cruciate ligament. Not only did that rule him out for the second half of the season, but his form declined afterward, affecting the following season as well.
Anyway, once Vedad Ibišević was out, Hoffenheim’s position in the standings began to plummet.
It was safe to say that this was the limitation of a team that relied on a player rather than its manager.
No matter how good a player’s condition was, it was only natural for it to decline after an injury. Maintaining top form even after suffering an injury was something only freaks like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could do.
‘……Come to think of it, Messi has never suffered a major injury like a cruciate ligament tear, has he?’
Considering how he had remained fine despite taking murderous tackles on a regular basis, Lionel Messi seemed to have a body made of steel as well.
‘Is it because his legs are short?’
Well. Anyway.
As Hoffenheim’s case showed, an injury to a starting player carried the risk of sending a team’s results plummeting. Bolton had suffered the same fate after Lee Chung-yong’s injury.
And that was also why Union Berlin had overinvested in its medical center.
Even that couldn’t completely prevent the players from getting injured, but at least some preparation was necessary.
“Boss? What’s going on today?”
“I practiced the celebration for our next match, but the back of my thigh feels tight.”
Well. I got some treatment while I was at it, too.
***
Luka Modrić was satisfied with his life at Union Berlin.
Thanks to the Asian players here, he had been accepted without facing much discrimination.
He faced less discrimination than East Asians or Black people, though.
Despite being European, he had sometimes become the target of ridicule simply because he came from Eastern Europe.
Modrić had experienced war as a child, so he wouldn’t be shaken by something like that, but it was still irritating.
‘……It’s peaceful here. I like it.’
Modrić liked life at Union Berlin more than he had expected.
And with a global conglomerate moving into the Köpenick area, the city was developing rapidly, including through an influx of new residents.
But what Modrić liked most about Union Berlin was the ability of the players he played alongside.
It was hard to believe that Union Berlin’s players had only just been promoted to the first division.
Every single one of them possessed excellent abilities.
In fact, Modrić had worried before the season began.
If the players at newly promoted Union Berlin were this good, he couldn’t help worrying about how talented the players at the other Bundesliga teams would be.
But once the league began and he saw the actual results, the opposite proved true.
Union Berlin, which everyone had considered the prey, was the predator.
In other words, Union Berlin was a species that had destroyed the Bundesliga’s ecosystem.
Modrić looked around the training ground. Most of the players were around his age, but
when he played alongside Union Berlin’s players in matches, there was still plenty he could observe and learn from them.
Thomas Meier always knew how to devote himself to the team, while the players from Asia always maintained their humility.
From Cafu, he learned defensive positioning as well as the mindset needed to approach a match.
From Yannick Voigt, he learned how to communicate with the fans and show them respect.
“Yannick!”
“Luka…?”
And among them, the person Modrić was closest to was Yannick Voigt.
Despite his appearance, Modrić was the sort of person who said everything he had to say.
After Modrić had harshly criticized Yannick Voigt for being lax about contributing defensively, the two had grown close.
But even Modrić couldn’t understand one person.
“Why is the boss walking around on crutches?”
“He tore his hamstring while practicing his celebration.”
That person was none other than Union Berlin’s boss, Park Chan-hyuk.
‘He definitely has the ability, but he seems like someone who’s only half sane.’
And that Park Chan-hyuk began a speech in a ‘slight accent.’
“Everyone, do you know the Way?”
***
A manager’s instructions needed to be clear and unambiguous.
Sportspeople generally weren’t the most highly educated people.
If a manager used difficult words, there was a chance they wouldn’t understand.
Well. They were generally fairly intelligent, but they probably hadn’t been particularly fond of studying during their school days.
‘If they’d liked studying that much in the first place, would they have become soccer players?’
Well. Occasionally, an unusual case like Kevin De Bruyne appeared, but that was rarer than people might think.
And that was why even outstanding soccer players didn’t necessarily make good managers.
Being a soccer manager required more studying than people expected.
Anyway.
A few days later.
The match between Union Berlin and Hoffenheim began.
And the team to concede the opening goal was—
“Boooooooooo─!”
Surprisingly, it was Union Berlin.
***
[Gooooooooooal! Hoffenheim have managed to score the opening goal!]
[That’s right. Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since Union Berlin conceded first.]
[Yes. He pulled the jersey during that challenge just now, didn’t he? I think it might have been a foul.]
[Union Berlin center-back Dante is approaching the referee and protesting strongly.]
[Dante, protesting is fine, but he needs to be careful not to receive a card.]
[Ah, just as I say that! Manager Park Chan-hyuk is protesting fiercely from the touchline!]
[Ah. In the end, he pulls out a card. The referee is showing a yellow card to Manager Park Chan-hyuk.]
[Huh? What’s happening? The referee suddenly pulls out a red card with a flustered expression!?]
And at the same time.
└ No fucking way, what kind of red card is that for protesting a little?
└ Is the referee a racist?
└ Down with racism!!
The comments section on Naver’s overseas soccer news articles began blazing in real time.
***
I protested fiercely from the touchline the moment we conceded.
“’Fuck!’ That’s a foul!”
One good thing about coming to the past was that even if I shouted ‘fuck,’ people didn’t know it was a swear word.
The Korean culture that would rapidly grow in the future would sadly take ‘fuck’ and samgyeopsal away from Koreans.
That’s right. A world where everyone around the globe shouted ‘fuck’ in celebration was coming.
‘Mr. Kim Gu, are you watching…? No, that isn’t important right now.’
There had been nothing strange about calling what happened during that challenge a foul.
Just as he was about to jump, Vedad Ibišević had grabbed Dante’s jersey with his hand.
If there had been VAR, Hoffenheim would unquestionably have been called for a foul.
And Dante, just like me, ran over to the referee and began protesting.
But despite Dante’s protests, the referee firmly shook his head.
‘Ah, seriously, I want VAR introduced.’
Unable to contain his sense of injustice, Dante continued protesting at the referee.
“Ah! It was a foul!!”
When I saw the referee about to show Dante a card, I made an even bigger fuss.
I drew the referee’s attention toward me.
“If you continue protesting, I’ll give you a card.”
And the referee, who had taken the bait, came straight over to me.
“Whoa! Everyone, come look!! The referee is pulling out a yellow card because my skin is yellow!!”
When I saw the referee threatening me with a card, I shouted as though I had been wronged.
Then the flustered referee tried to pull a red card from his pocket, so I said I was joking and defused the situation.
I had almost been sent off on the spot.
***
At the same time.
‘……What is that idiot doing right now?’
Park Jeong-ah instinctively realized that this incident was Park Chan-hyuk’s fault. Whenever some bizarre, incomprehensible incident occurred, pointing to Park Chan-hyuk was correct ninety percent of the time.
Lately, Park Jeong-ah had begun attending Union Berlin’s matches in person more often.
After all, there was no place more suitable than a soccer stadium for discussing business in Europe.
And Union Berlin’s recently elevated status had played a significant part as well.
In the past, when the club had played in the lower leagues, its partners had worn sour expressions. Now, they smiled brightly and enthusiastically began talking about Union Berlin.
-Oh, you mean discussing business at Union Berlin’s home stadium? Sounds good. They’re one of the hottest clubs around these days.
Seeing this, it was only natural that Park Jeong-ah invested additional money in VIP rooms and accommodations at Union Berlin’s stadium.
While Park Jeong-ah was clutching her head, a middle-aged man approached her with a flushed face.
“Ahem. Would it be possible to take a photo with Manager Park Chan-hyuk after the match?”
Park Jeong-ah sighed inwardly at the sight of the middle-aged man.
‘……Why is my older brother more popular with men?’
It seemed that she would have to find a woman interested in soccer if she wanted to get her brother married.
‘……Were there any political families that liked soccer?’
She still hadn’t given up on a marriage of convenience.
Her goal was to turn her family into one of Germany’s prestigious houses.