Chapter 18
***
As the match against BFC Dynamo drew near.
“Never lose to those Stasi pigs!”
“Union! Union! Union!”
The mood among the fans cheering for Union Berlin changed in an instant.
Until then, they had supported and cheered for the club no matter the result.
But against BFC Dynamo, they wanted them crushed with overwhelming play.
[We hated BFC Dynamo, the secret police, the Berlin Wall, and the East German government.]
This was also tied to Germany's political history.
After World War II, Germany was divided into West Germany and East Germany.
The East German state that Union Berlin was part of was under strong Soviet influence.
Union Berlin's fans, working-class but strongly anti-establishment, voiced their frustrations with society in a stadium where tens of thousands could gather.
By contrast, BFC Dynamo was a club backed by the Stasi, East Germany's intelligence agency.
In a sense, Union Berlin and BFC Dynamo were destined not to get along from the start.
Because BFC Dynamo was supported by the oppressor, it naturally wasn't supported by Berliners.
Even when they were on top, winning ten straight titles, Union Berlin still had the greater popularity, which shows just how much East Germans resented the Stasi back then.
After German reunification, BFC Dynamo even made the drastic move of changing the club name.
But the image of being 'Stasi pigs' wasn't something they could shake off so easily.
Anyway.
Union Berlin's fans were also unusually tolerant of defeat, and that too was deeply tied to the Stasi.
If anything, their official slogan was 'Better to lose than become a Stasi pig.'
It was both a declaration of resistance and a jab at rival Dynamo, who had become Stasi pigs.
“Crush those bastards!”
The voices of Union Berlin's fans echoed through the stadium.
I had been hoping there might be fans looking for me on match day, but
'Not a single person is calling my name.'
Unfortunately, my name wasn't called.
Well... I'm a little disappointed, but.
“Dem Morgengrauen entgegen, ziehn wir gegen den Wind. (We will march toward dawn against the wind.)”
From the start, the fans didn't seem to be in the mood to joke around.
“Wir werden alles zerlegen, bis wir Deutscher Meister sind. (We will tear everything apart until we become German champions.)”
Watching the red flares bloom from every seat, I swallowed a groan.
'...This is going to be one hell of a fine.'
***
Most of Union Berlin's seats were standing room only.
For the record, that was the fans' request.
Even if East Germany's economy lagged behind West Germany's.
Berlin land prices were no joke, since it was the capital. Owing to the club's poverty, Union Berlin had a small stadium.
Of course, the pressure from the notoriously feared Stasi back when the country was divided likely played a part too.
Anyway.
Because of the limits of such a small ground, it was quite difficult for fans to get tickets to every match.
Even after converting as many seats as possible to standing room, there were still fans who couldn't get tickets and couldn't get into the stadium.
They all headed to nearby pubs or sang the chants loudly outside the stadium.
If it were up to me, I'd love to put a giant TV outside the stadium.
Because if cheers could be heard outside the stadium as well as inside, it would be a huge help to the players on the field.
But as always, budget was the problem.
'We don't have money for a giant TV.'
I honestly wish some Korean conglomerate would sponsor us.
Well.
'Actually, even if we put up a TV, there wouldn't be any broadcast.'
Before that, we'd have to get promoted to a professional league that actually broadcasts on TV.
Anyway.
Even on normal days, Union Berlin's home ground was packed with people.
Today, the atmosphere was even sharper than usual.
“Run until you’re gasping on the pitch and drop dead! Let’s go!”
The match kicked off with the players themselves determined to get the win at all costs.
***
Meyer, a diehard Union Berlin fan, visited the stadium again today without fail.
He couldn't possibly miss a big event like this if he claimed to be an ardent Union Berlin supporter.
As he entered the stadium, familiar faces came into view.
Except for one section, Union Berlin's seating was all standing room.
If it were up to him, he'd want to turn the remaining section into standing room too, but he couldn't make that argument.
That section was for people with disabilities.
He was a little sorry to lose those seats if they were converted, but he didn't have a major complaint.
Those people might have disabilities, but they loved Union Berlin just like he did.
“FC Union, you shall shine like the brightest halo. (FC Union, you shall shine like the brightest halo.)”
“And everywhere it will ring out, FC Union, our club. (And everywhere it will ring out, FC Union, our club!)”
They were singing their chants at the top of their lungs even before kickoff.
Was it because of these fans' fervent support?
“Jaaaaaaaaa!”
Union Berlin managed to score the opening goal just three minutes after the match began.
***
Starting with Daniel Teixeira's goal three minutes into the first half, Union Berlin pressed BFC Dynamo hard.
“You Stasi pig bastard!”
“Hand over the ball and get out of here!”
Unable to stomach a humiliating derby loss like this, BFC Dynamo tried to counterattack.
Instead, Union Berlin's strong high press stole the ball and created danger.
Just before Union Berlin entered the penalty box,
BFC Dynamo's center back stopped the counterattack with a foul.
Tweet!
Seeing the center back tugging on Yannick Voigt's jersey, the referee blew the whistle
and Union Berlin won a free kick in a dangerous spot.
As soon as the free kick was awarded, all of Union Berlin's fans stood up and began to shout.
“Smash the wall to pieces!”
That phrase hadn't been used since the Berlin Wall came down,
but Union Berlin's fans were bringing it out again for the first time in ages.
After all, BFC Dynamo had been a club sponsored by the Stasi.
Union Berlin midfielder Markus Matchke prepared for the free kick.
And a moment later.
Like the Berlin Wall collapsing during German reunification, Markus Matchke's free kick smashed straight through the wall and tore into Dynamo's net.
Union Berlin had scored two goals before the first half even reached the 10-minute mark,
and a cold silence settled over the away section of BFC Dynamo's fans.
For BFC Dynamo's supporters, it was utterly despairing.
There was still a long way to go in the match.
“It's only a two-goal lead! Don't get complacent!”
“Shit! Keep pressing!”
Thomas Tuchel and Park Chan-hyeok weren't the type to be satisfied with just a two-goal lead.
And so that day,
Union Berlin demolished their rival and successfully extended their winning streak.
***
[Union Berlin thrash BFC Dynamo 9-0 at home.]
[BFC Dynamo fans demand the club dismiss the manager immediately after the match.]
[Thomas Tuchel criticizes the players even after the blowout. “We could have put in two more.”]
[Thomas Tuchel harshly scolds the player who made the mistake. “The pass error at the end was utterly awful. Like our team's head coach's German pronunciation.”]
***
As Union Berlin celebrated their huge victory over their rival,
in Korea, TV stations began planning special programs ahead of the 2006 Germany World Cup.
Unlike the 2010 South Africa World Cup, when one broadcaster stabbed the others in the back and won an exclusive bid,
the 2006 Germany World Cup saw them engage in the Korean conglomerates' favorite pastime, collusion, and manage to beat FIFA down on broadcast fees,
and, in an effort to capture even a little viewer interest during the World Cup, each broadcaster rolled out a variety of programs, including World Cup specials.
“Want to go see Park Chan-hyeok at Union Berlin?”
At the main writer's words, the producer frowned.
It was because it was a name he'd heard somewhere before.
“Hmm... I feel like I've heard that somewhere.”
“He's the youngest head coach.”
“…?”
Even with that hint, the main producer still wore a confused expression,
“The son of the lottery first-prize winner.”
The main writer let out a small sigh, then explained so the main producer could remember.
“Ah. That guy? He's the head coach?”
Only then did the main producer remember Park Chan-hyeok.
He remembered the days when hearing the amount of the first-prize lottery winnings had made his stomach ache.
Anyway.
Apart from the main producer's sour mood.
SBK's variety department decided to make contact with Union Berlin.
Union Berlin, located in Berlin, Germany's capital, was a place worth dropping by while they were at it.
'I don't think there'll be much broadcast material. We'll have to bring as many famous celebrities as possible.'
But he didn't have high expectations for the airtime.
'It's probably just a title. I heard that club, Union Berlin or whatever, is poor. They probably took money from Park Chan-hyeok's family and handed him a position.'
In the main producer's view, the title of youngest head coach that Park Chan-hyeok held was something that had simply been bought with money.
A 20-year-old who had only just become an adult serving as head coach?
'What, does he think he's some kind of genius?'
He could swear on his job that something like that would never happen.
***
Meanwhile, at that same time
Berlin, Germany.
Contrary to the main producer's assumption that they had only used his name as a front,
“Chan-hyeok.”
“…Why are you calling me again today.”
“What do you think of the player the chairman mentioned last time?”
“Well, I didn't actually see him play, so I might judge him wrong.”
“Right? Go over there and see him in person.”
“…Fuck.”
Park Chan-hyeok was getting ground down again today, as always.