Chapter 80
***
On the day of the DFB-Pokal quarterfinal against Bayern Munich.
“Dem Morgengrauen entgegen, ziehn wir gegen den Wind.
(We will march toward dawn against the wind.)
“Wir werden alles zerlegen, bis wir Deutscher Meister sind. (We will tear everything apart until we become German champions.)”
Union Berlin's temporary stadium was packed with Union Berlin fans.
The stadium they were using now was larger than the one Union Berlin had used before.
But thanks to Union Berlin's strong run in the second division and the DFB-Pokal, they were able to fill it without trouble.
And among them were families who had come to watch a Bundesliga team called Bayern Munich.
“Thomas—!!”
Union Berlin fans welcomed Thomas Tuchel, who had returned to his former club(?) after a long time.
Though he had left for Bayern Munich when the team was in trouble right after promotion to the second division.
Thomas Tuchel had been a savior who appeared like a comet when the team was in crisis and led Union Berlin to the second division.
And even now, he had left behind Park Chan-hyeok, the current Union Berlin manager, so from a Union Berlin fan’s perspective, it was only natural to feel grateful to Thomas Tuchel.
If Union Berlin had gone through a rough patch, the fans would have booed Tuchel.
But even after Tuchel left, Union Berlin was still sitting in first place in the second division.
In other words, there was no reason at all for Union Berlin fans to boo Thomas Tuchel.
Clap-clap—.
Thomas Tuchel thanked them by applauding back at the Union Berlin fans’ standing ovation.
“Thomas!”
While the players warmed up on the pitch, Park Chan-hyeok walked up to Thomas Tuchel and exchanged greetings.
“Look over there! Chan-hyeok and Thomas are talking to each other!”
“They’re definitely having a serious tactical discussion.”
The fans of Union Berlin and Bayern Munich were showing interest in the two men as they spoke with serious expressions.
“Cut me some slack just once.”
“You’re talking about match-fixing right now—”
“Ah, if the fans gave you a standing ovation too, then cut me some slack.”
“That’s not possible. I’ll repay it with a better match.”
No one could have imagined that Thomas Tuchel and Park Chan-hyeok were having such a childish conversation.
***
I watched the players before the match started.
The players looked far too scared.
The overly stiff expressions on the players’ faces caught my eye.
The Stalin... no, the campaign to demote Thomas Tuchel had already been carried out once.
I desperately tried to think of a way to deal with the players’ fear.
‘……Maybe I should provoke the players instead.’
Thinking it was a good idea, I immediately sprang into action.
“Everyone, let go of the pressure of winning and losing.”
My words seemed to fluster the players.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Boss said we had to win no matter what.”
“Come to think of it, there’s no way we can win no matter what. We’re up against ‘that’ Bayern Munich.”
Yannick Voigt’s gaze turned cold.
“…So what do you want to say?”
It was a look that suspected I might be up to something strange again.
‘…This is why I hate quick-witted guys.’
I continued speaking as if I knew nothing.
“No, no matter how hard we struggle, it seems like we still can’t beat them, so just enjoy yourselves.”
“…….”
The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.
But I didn’t stop and kept provoking the players.
Because stopping here would make it all pointless.
“Honestly, if I weren’t a manager, I’d bet my entire fortune on Bayern Munich winning.”
“Damn, that’s basically a safe bet.”
As I kept provoking them.
Unable to contain his anger, Yannick Voigt pointed at me.
“……That bastard—no, grab the boss.”
Well... I did get grabbed by the enraged players and given a proper thrashing.
“Fuck! What the hell are Bayern Munich bastards supposed to be? Don’t be scared—just play like you always do! We play our football! Yabooooooool—!”
“Yabooooooool—!”
I gave it my all and successfully motivated the players, who had been scared stiff before the match even started.
It was something I could do because I knew the Union Berlin players’ personalities.
***
As kickoff time drew near, the players entered the pitch with the referee.
“Let’s have a good match.”
“Right. Don’t provoke each other, and let’s play fair.”
“...You’re the one saying that?”
I gave Thomas Tuchel a light handshake and returned to the Union Berlin bench.
‘Man, he really has no heart—he isn’t even giving us a break and is fielding a full-strength lineup.’
Well. Before kickoff.
We’d already talked enough, so there was no need to say anything else.
Besides, we also talked on the phone from time to time.
‘Still, judging by the irritation in his eyes, that article must be true.’
I recalled Thomas Tuchel’s expression and the title of the article I’d read a few days earlier.
An article had recently been published in the media saying that Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich’s leadership had fallen out.
[Bayern Munich, “Thomas Tuchel is the greatest coach in Munich history.”]
[Thomas Tuchel, “It’s all a rumor. If the question isn’t related to the next match, I won’t answer.”]
Bayern Munich and Thomas Tuchel both denied the article,
but seeing Tuchel’s mood today, it seemed to be true after all.
[Bayern Munich legends’ complaints... “Tuchel is destroying Munich’s tradition.”]
Well, when I first heard the news, it felt like something that was bound to blow up had finally done so.
Bayern Munich was famous for being a team where the legends’ influence was especially strong.
Given Thomas Tuchel’s personality and his need to control everything, conflict was inevitable.
Still, living with me had smoothed off some of his rough edges compared to the original timeline.
Even so, he still had a fiery temper.
[Bayern Munich staffer: Heard Tuchel shouting from the general manager’s office...]
Well, interfering with a manager’s authority to pick the lineup was going too far, even if you were a club legend.
‘This is something I couldn’t tolerate either.’
By the way, this was also why I didn’t show any ambition for the national team manager job.
If I became the national team manager, the association would definitely pressure me over player selection.
‘There was no need to step into a position where I’d just get criticized.’
The football association is pretty willing to listen to public opinion when it has nothing to do with their own interests.
That’s why national team managers get sacked so often.
I was not part of the mainstream in Korean football, so the moment I became manager of the Republic of Korea national team, the odds of me being dragged around, unable to do anything, and then getting fired were way too high.
Unless I was given full authority like Hiddink in the 2002 World Cup.
I had decided not to even look at the South Korean national team job.
‘Besides, football’s mainstream is Europe...’
That didn’t change much even in the future when the whole world was crazy about K-culture.
Anyway.
Back to the main point: at Union Berlin, which had never even reached the Bundesliga, there were no legends who could influence the locker room.
Of course, Union Berlin did have players who were called legends, but their influence was clearly far weaker than at other clubs.
Unlike Bayern Munich, where enormous perks were on offer, Union Berlin was a poor club, to the point that if legends got jobs there, they’d practically have to work for free.
‘...Come to think of it, if Union had had legends like Bayern’s, I probably wouldn’t even have been appointed as assistant coach in the first place.’
The team legends would have been the first to oppose appointing an Asian assistant coach.
Well, unless Union Berlin’s financial trouble and Thomas Tuchel’s arrival had coincided with other special circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to become assistant coach there either.
In other words, getting the chance to come to Union Berlin was really pure luck.
‘I’ve been lucky in a lot of ways so far.’
Maybe that’s one of the advantages of a club that spent years bouncing between the lower divisions.
Well, it was a little disappointing not having many club legends, but it wasn’t a problem.
‘The legend would be written by me... no, by us.’
The players on the field right now could someday be called legends.
And even Daniel Teixeira beside me was someone who could be counted among Union Berlin’s legends.
Anyway.
The conflict between Bayern Munich’s leadership and Thomas Tuchel was a good thing for Union Berlin.
Bayern Munich’s squad was surely being rattled by the rift between the manager and the board as well.
“Kids, let’s write some history!”
I shouted toward the Union Berlin players from the touchline.
I was dreaming a very sweet dream: defeating the Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich and advancing to the semifinals.
But a moment later.
Lurch—.
When I came to my senses, we had already conceded a goal.
“...Bug?”
As expected, Bayern Munich was the Bundesliga’s disaster.