DFB-Pokal Final - 1
The match against Mönchengladbach ended in Borussia Dortmund's resounding 3-1 victory.
"Heja BVB, Heja BVB, Heja, Heja, Heja BVB"
Cheers filled with joy echoed through Signal Iduna Park from the home fans.
Thanks to their frequent visits to Signal Iduna Park for live matches, Han Gyeowol and my mother-in-law sang along to the chants with ease.
“Jurgen Klopp!”
Down on the pitch, the young Jurgen Klopp was passionately exchanging greetings with the players.
I suddenly recalled Jurgen Klopp's voluntary resignation announcement in 2024.
Unlike back then, when he looked worn out and exhausted by life, the current Jurgen Klopp brimmed with boundless energy.
In truth, being a manager was an incredibly draining job in every way. The pressure of wins and losses, combined with overwhelming workloads, created stress beyond imagination.
Apart from Jurgen Klopp, Ralf Rangnick—the "soccer professor" of Schalke in the 11-12 season—hadn't he stepped down citing burnout syndrome?
Fortunately, Rangnick recovered and went on to become a sports director.
Well, anyway. There were managers who stuck with the same team for decades amid stress and grueling duties, consistently delivering results.
But those were exceptional people.
'No wonder Ferguson and Wenger are hailed as legends.'
They were wired differently from ordinary folks, mentally speaking.
'Or like some managers who watch games smiling even after conceding, without a hint of stress.'
That was its own unique mindset, if you could call it that.
Anyway.
After the match ended.
Articles poured in about the event prepared by Dortmund fans.
As it was the first match after the Revierderby racism incident, media attention was intense, and articles flooded in from around the world.
I posted a thank-you message to the fans on SNS after careful thought.
As it went up, messages of support poured in from around the world.
'Lots of Japanese fans.'
Oddly enough, most of the comforting comments on my SNS were from Japanese people, not Koreans.
'Koreans must be off terrorizing Schalke's SNS.'
With SNS booming, the battlefield had expanded, keeping Koreans busy.
Terrorizing SNS, gaming, then checking on parents—that was the folk pastime of the satirical, humorous Korean nation, wasn't it?
I prayed in my heart for them to win. If winning made you a fool and losing made you a bigger fool, better to be the winning fool.
Anyway, after Schalke's racism scandal, anti-racism campaigns spread among clubs with Asian players or those targeting Asian markets.
My jersey ceremony had become a symbol of the anti-racism movement.
Time flew by. Chelsea advanced to the Champions League final by dismantling FC Barcelona with ragtag defending.
The most memorable moment in the Champions League semifinals had to be Fernando Torres's 90 billion won one-touch payback goal.
In the 80th minute of the second half, the 90-billion-won man Fernando Torres came on for Didier Drogba.
He crushed Barcelona's chase with a dagger goal right before the end, taking Ashley Cole's pass against their all-out attack.
“Torres! Torres! Torres! I believed in you!!”
My mother-in-law Hwang Miyeon, who had been anxiously watching the TV as Barcelona hammered the goal nonstop, screamed Torres's name loud enough to wake the neighborhood that day.
“Toreeeeeees─!”
“Ah! Mom! So loud!”
It felt a bit harsh to say she was howling, but no better word fit.
- This! This! Torres! You rice-wasting bastard! How do you miss that!!!
Compared to when she cursed him as "Torres trash" for whiffing a perfect fake-out on the keeper, it was a 180-degree attitude flip.
'Chelsea dunk...'
As I watched my howling mother-in-law and Han Gyeowol plugging her ears, I suddenly felt regret over Dortmund's quarterfinal against FC Barcelona.
If Dortmund had a player who could repay 90 billion on the spot like that, would the result have been different?
We might've had a shot at the treble then.
As I swallowed my inner regret.
“Anyone'd think we have zero Champs League trophies.”
Han Gyeowol's taunt flew at the now-calmed mother-in-law.
“Oh. We don't?”
“You little—!”
“Ow! That stings!!”
Han Gyeowol giggled teasing her mom for a while, then squirmed happily under her affectionate noogie.
With Chelsea in the Champions League final.
The league's final round approached.
Dortmund's last league opponents were Freiburg.
At Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund hammered Freiburg from kickoff.
In the 5th minute, Jakub Blaszczykowski slotted Ilkay Gündogan's pass (long time starter) into the net to take the lead, kicking off the rout.
Dortmund piled on five goals in the first half alone.
I notched my league 20th and 21st assists assisting Robert Lewandowski's brace in the 20th and 27th, then subbed off for the recovered Mario Götze.
The league match against Freiburg wrapped up.
A week passed.
“Berlin! Berlin! Wir fahren nach Berlin! (Berlin! Berlin! We're going to Berlin!)”
Dortmund headed to Berlin's Olympiastadion, Hertha Berlin's home ground, for the DFB-Pokal final.