Chapter 88
***
[Union Berlin beat Freiburg 1-0 at home.]
[Union Berlin clinch their first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga!]
[Fans rush onto the pitch right after the final whistle, sharing the joy of promotion with the players.]
[Why did the fans bring black-and-white photos?]
└ They said they brought them to show the promotion to fans who passed away before they could see it.
└ Ah…ㅠㅠ So that’s why the attendance was listed as 45,000….
└ ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
The match ended, and Union Berlin had secured promotion.
[Park Chan-hyeok being hoisted up by fans.]
[How did Union Berlin become a powerhouse?]
[Let’s take a look at Park Chan-hyeok’s popularity in Berlin.]
The moment Union Berlin secured promotion to the Bundesliga, Park Chan-hyeok became a phenomenon.
The level of attention a manager in the lower leagues got was on a completely different scale from that of a manager in one of Europe’s top four leagues.
[After Cha Bum, another Korean makes a legend in the Bundesliga….]
[Park Chan-hyeok is the most famous coach in South Korea….]
[Bayern Munich considering Park Chan-hyeok as next manager…. Is Thomas Tuchel’s partnership with the club coming to an end?]
Not only in Korea, but Kicker, currently one of Germany’s most authoritative outlets, also ran articles on Park Chan-hyeok.
[Thomas Tuchel, “Chan-hyeok? The best coach I’ve ever seen. The Union Berlin players trust and follow him with the same devotion they’d show their mother.”]
[Jürgen Klopp on Park Chan-hyeok…. “Chan-hyeok is a good friend.”]
Past praise from German football managers about Park Chan-hyeok was dug up, and people in South Korea felt an enormous rush of national pride in the process.
Meanwhile, Park Chan-hyeok’s past actions were being dug up.
[Title: Why Union Berlin’s Park Chan-hyeok Is So Damn Good.]
Won first prize in the lottery, then got doxxed.
Dodged the press and those damn leeches, then (was forced to) immigrate to Germany. (Technically, he got permanent residency. His younger brother and family seem to have gone as far as getting citizenship recently. Looks like they have no intention of coming back from Europe.)
At Stuttgart, after Thomas Tuchel told him he had no talent, he also started working toward his coaching license.
As a result, he became the chief coach of a fourth-division team at 18. (It was thanks to connections, but still.)
Manager of a second-division team at 20.
Promotion at 21.
He was now set to become the youngest Bundesliga manager at 21, damn.
└ Shit, is this bastard Park Chan-hyeok for real?
└ The family’s decisiveness is insane, starting with the decision to emigrate.
└ Wow lol, quitting the moment he was told he had no talent is legendary.
└ But apparently he already knew his own talent was lacking even before Tuchel said it.
└ The fact that he recognized that is impressive…. People tend to keep going in the same direction they started.
└ Thomas Tuchel is basically a hero of Korean football.
└ What did Thomas Tuchel even do to be a hero of Korean football?
└ He discovered Park Chan-hyeok. Apparently Tuchel called him up when he was unemployed because of racism and a bunch of other reasons.
└ Ah. Fair enough.
└ Tu-dad’s blessings ㅠㅠ
└ What’s this? Is Park Chan-hyeok a black-haired foreigner?
└ No. Park Chan-hyeok kept his Korean citizenship. Only his family has German citizenship.
└ Why?
└ They say it’s because of the family business, but I don’t know the details.
└ The messenger app you all use is a business run by Park Chan-hyeok’s younger brother.
└ If this had been a Korean company, a big corporation would’ve gutted it ages ago.
└ ? Isn’t Park Chan-hyeok’s younger brother a middle schooler?
└ Not Park Jeong-ah: Cute-pretty looks, a smart brain, and young too. At this point, he seems like the perfect bride material.
└ Middle schoolers are way too young, for fuck’s sakeㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Title: Why We’re So Crazy About Union Berlin.]
Romance MAX.
Emotion MAX.
National pride MAX.
(Park Chan-hyeok being hoisted up .jpg)
You just can’t help but become a fan of this club.
└ Honestly, I used to watch the matches just to see the Korean players, but now I think I’m just a fan of the club.
└ For real, I suddenly found myself on Union Berlin’s Korean site looking up the club’s history.
└ But seriously, having a Korean translation on the site is legendary. It’s so fucking convenient not having to do research.
└ What are you expecting Union Berlin’s results to be next season?
└ They made it to the first division, so I’d like them to make the Champions League next season.
└ I want to see them lift a trophy.
└ What trophy? Why are you talking about the Champions League lol. They should worry about staying up firstㅋㅋ
└ Union Berlin are definitely getting relegated, gg.
└ At this rate, staying up looks totally doable.
└ Yeah, staying up seems possible. But they should strengthen the defense first.
└ Park Chan-hyeok will handle it fine, so no need to backseat manage.
***
As Union Berlin’s promotion to the Bundesliga became all but certain, Asia, including Korea and Japan, was heating up.
[All Korean players studying abroad debut successfully. Number of overseas-based footballers jumps to four in an instant.]
Especially, the performances of Korean students abroad this season were reported on extensively.
It was only natural that the Asian Football Confederation, now getting restless, reached out.
There were also quite a few agents of players from across the Asian continent hoping to move overseas.
Well. It was only natural.
When Asian players sought to move to Europe, Union Berlin had to be their first choice.
That alone, the advantage of being free from racism, put them overwhelmingly ahead.
“Fuck! Another shitty day!”
And maybe because of my influence as manager, the players were using simple Korean.
Most of it was swearing, but whatever…. That’s how you learn a foreign language.
Anyway.
After recovery training ended, two players came to the manager’s office.
Niklas Eisen (★★☆ / ★★★) and Ben Richter. (★★☆ / ★★★)
They were guys with less potential than others, so they’d be prioritized for release once the season ended.
“Boss, after this season we’re retiring and want to become coaches.”
Because of the talent a person is born with, it’s heartbreaking when their skills don’t improve.
I knew that better than anyone. No matter how hard you try, it’s just frustrating and enough to drive you mad.
I nodded at their words.
I knew how much they must have agonized over bringing this up.
I didn’t try to force words of comfort on them.
Because I had proven that there were paths other than being a football player.
“Then, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
“Yes, Boss!”
I quietly patted their shoulders and offered them youth coach positions at Union Berlin.
Now that the club had grown in size, we decided to have them start at the youth-coach level.
For the record, they were delighted to receive the youth coach offer.
For all their looks, they liked kids.
***
Promotion had been secured, but it still didn’t feel real.
Since there were still second-division matches left, not much had changed.
[‘Back-to-back-to-back’ promotion, Union Berlin in the Bundesliga next season.]
Well, unlike us who still couldn’t really feel it, everyone around us was buzzing about us.
After all, this was a fourth-division team that had gone straight up to the first division.
[Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel congratulates Union Berlin on promotion. “Union Berlin is a team I also have memories of.”]
After hearing the news that Union Berlin’s promotion had been confirmed, Thomas Tuchel offered his congratulations.
There were rumors that Tuchel would move to another league once this season ended.
Chelsea, led by Roman the sacking wizard, and Real Madrid and Manchester City were showing interest in Thomas Tuchel.
‘Hmm…. Considering Tuchel’s personality, Manchester City seems like the best fit.’
If he went to Chelsea, he’d definitely end up fighting with owner Roman, and if he went to Real Madrid, it felt like he’d go toe-to-toe with Pérez. Manchester City, with its relative patience, was the safest option.
‘Well. Tuchel’ll do whatever he wants. If he asks me, I’ll recommend City.’
Anyway.
After the match against Freiburg, two weeks later at the home game against Wehen, Union Berlin invited the people who had made headlines by giving up their tickets at the Freiburg match to the stadium.
Even if Union Berlin was mocked as a poor club, this much spending was within reach.
‘If it comes to it, I’ll use my own money.’
Fortunately, I didn’t have to dip into my own pocket. Chairman Dirk Zingler agreed.
Since it could also help promote the club’s image, we prepared a meet-and-greet with the players as well.
Of course, it wasn’t mandatory; we only arranged the fan meeting for players who volunteered.
And most of them attended, except for those preparing to transfer to other teams.
A total of ten people were invited, and they came from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
For the record, the invitees here weren’t just Koreans and Germans.
“Park-san! I’m a fan!”
Among them was a football fan from Japan.
‘Hmm. Looks like I’m the most popular after all.’
I smiled as I looked at the players.
It was only natural that the players’ expressions turned sour.
***
With Union Berlin’s league title secured, time passed quickly.
[Union Berlin clinch the 2. Bundesliga title!]
Union Berlin clinched the second-division title and held a parade.
Even Germans from the former East who usually had no interest in football flocked to the Köpenick district.
Hansa Rostock, a club from the former East, had all but been confirmed for relegation to the second division, and Energie Cottbus had only narrowly avoided relegation.
East Germans had no choice but to see Union Berlin as the hope of East German football.
‘……Should I expand the stadium seating a little more?’
Maybe the stadium we were building now would need another expansion soon.
Anyway.
I headed straight to Japan as soon as the season ended.
I had something to discuss with the Japan Football Association regarding study abroad.
Chairman Dirk Zingler told me to give Japan a good impression of Union Berlin.
‘...You’re allies, so aren’t you already on good terms?’
The words rose all the way to my throat, but I managed to swallow them back down.
I spent a long time on the plane thinking about what I should say.
‘One Piece? Naruto? Bleach?’
No.
Anime was way too otaku-ish, and I didn’t know it very well anyway.
And bringing up Japanese football players would be no different from telling other clubs who we wanted to sign, so I ruled that out.
‘Besides, I don’t really know Japanese players.’
While I was agonizing over it, we arrived in Japan, and I had no choice but to say the name of an actress that stuck in my memory.
“This is… Yui Hatano’s country? I’ve really wanted to visit.”