vs Olympiacos - 1
Having claimed victory in the DFB-Pokal, Dortmund headed to VfB Stuttgart's home ground, the Mercedes-Benz Arena, just four days later.
Whoa... Is this for real? Away game, back after two days, and now a match against Olympiacos.
I let out a sigh as I thought about Dortmund's packed schedule.
The DFB-Pokal game on October 25th, today's league match against VfB Stuttgart on October 29th.
Then Champions League against Olympiacos on November 1st, and league round 12 against Wolfsburg on November 5th.
It was a brutally tight schedule with zero breathing room.
And right after Wolfsburg, it's international duty? Fuck. The curses just slip out.
Playing games without rest like this, flying 10,000 km to Korea, playing more games, then flying 10,000 km back?
I was starting to understand why Ki Sung-yueng had announced his international retirement at the young age of 30.
I could practically hear his knees grinding in real time.
Was quitting the national team a godsend...
Suddenly, I recalled Jurgen Klopp grinning ear-to-ear when I'd announced my own international retirement.
- Klopp, why are you so happy? You that thrilled I'm quitting the national team?
- Come on, Jinho, when did I say I was happy?
- Take your hand off your mouth first.
- Ah... I shouldn't be laughing, but I can't stop. Well, truth is, even without national team games, Gegenpressing is such a stamina-draining tactic that my energy's always on the edge anyway.
If not for that three-week break recently, my still-developing body might've already collapsed.
At least the Bundesliga has a winter break, that's a relief.
I started worrying about after transferring to Man United. The Premier League only got a winter break after the 2019-20 season—right now, there was none. Just Boxing Day.
But is Boxing Day even humanly possible?
If not for my promise with Winter, I might never have glanced at the Premier League in my life. Ferguson retires before I can transfer? Guess I'll take it slow.
My original regression plan was to join United before Ferguson retired, but that seemed impossible now. Per FIFA rules, I could only transfer in January 2013 when I turned 18—and by then, it'd be too late. Under current Champions League rules, if I played for Dortmund, I couldn't play UCL for United.
So since it's late anyway, I'd transfer after ripening fully for United fans. Honestly, I'd love to wait until 2019 for the winter break, but...
That'd be rotting, not ripening, right?
At latest, before Pogba joins United.
The referee blew the final whistle, ending the match. I clapped toward the crowd and moved slowly.
After tearing up in the Cologne interview, weird memes about me popped up, but it wasn't all bad.
Trash-talkers using it as an excuse for subtle racism started holding back.
Well, even before, my age kept overt racism low.
If any, teammates shut it down.
Sure enough, during today's Stuttgart game, when one idiot fan spewed racist crap at me:
"Shut your damn mouth before my fist forces it shut!"
Other fans nearby intervened.
"Don't turn the team I love into a racist trash club, you bastards!"
...Not that he opposed racism per se.
He just hated his beloved team getting branded racist.
Still, stepping up for me was appreciated.
"Thanks for earlier."
"...Damn it! Rookie! Go easy next time we meet!"
Right after the Stuttgart match ended, I thanked him and tossed him my jersey.
Stuttgart fans applauded, creating a heartwarming scene.
"Mats! Focus! Don't lose your man!"
After the Stuttgart game, Dortmund dove straight into focused training for the Champions League Group F Matchday 4 against Olympiacos on November 1st.
"...The vibe's fucking heavy."
I muttered softly, scanning the training ground. It felt like a military base prepping for war.
And for good reason—Dortmund sat at 1 win, 2 losses in the Champions League, teetering on elimination.
German media hammered Dortmund's limp showing.
Excuses? Plenty—me missing games for Korea drama, players' lack of European experience.
But media didn't care about Dortmund's side. Just the juicy story of last season's champs facing elimination.
Hence the suffocating training atmosphere.
"Ah. Can't take this."
I decided to lighten things up.
Splash—!
Playing attacking midfielder in scrimmage, I took Ilkay Gündoğan's pass, blew past ironclad duo Mats Hummels and Neven Subotić, and rattled Roman Weidenfeller's net.
"Hoo!"
"Hoo!"
I celebrated with a goofy face in front of Weidenfeller, Subotić, and Hummels to flip the mood.
"Hoooooo!"
All to shatter the oppressive vibe.
"...Why yell louder at me, you punk?"
Mats Hummels put me in a headlock with a dumbfounded look.
"Pfft."
Dortmund players burst out laughing, thawing the icy tension.
"Jinho really changes the training ground vibe when he's here versus not."
The coach marveled at how Son Jinho turned grim seriousness into cheer in seconds.
"He's the team mood-maker. In two years, tossing him into the leadership group wouldn't be bad."
"...Will Jinho even still be at Dortmund then?"
Jurgen Klopp had no answer.
Big clubs' interest in Son Jinho was heating up.
November 1st, 2011. A day that might seal Dortmund's Champions League fate arrived.
"Leuchte auf mein Stern Borussia (Shine, my star Borussia)!"
Dortmund fans hosting Olympiacos poured every ounce of energy into cheering pre-kickoff.
"Signal Iduna Park's got our backs. Trust each other! Fight out there! Show 'em our Champions League run ain't over!"
Captain Sebastian Kehl turned from the tunnel, rallying his teammates amid the roar.
Players entered the pitch.
The Olympiacos vs Dortmund match kicked off.