Chapter 100
Chapter 100
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Berlin Derby -2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
We began preparing in earnest for the away match against Hertha Berlin.
Well, it was a derby, but the game against Hertha Berlin didn't carry much weight.
It was simply because they both hailed from Berlin as their home base, with no bad blood between them.
In fact, they were filled with positive feelings toward each other.
Hertha and Union even shared a slogan like "Herta und Union – eine Nation."
But lately, ever since Union Berlin had been promoted to the Bundesliga, the atmosphere was starting to shift.
It was inevitable for clubs sharing the same home turf.
On top of that, the root cause was that Hertha Berlin simply didn't have enough fans.
Their fanbase was about the same size as that of Union Berlin, which had just come up from the 2. Bundesliga.
If Hertha Berlin's fandom had been overwhelmingly larger, they could have crushed them.
Unfortunately, Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin were evenly matched in scale.
Truth be told, Hertha Berlin's fan numbers weren't all that small.
Their average attendance was around 40,000.
It was just that the Olympic Stadium Berlin, their home ground, was excessively large, making their fanbase look smaller by comparison.
'And Union Berlin's scale is remarkably large for a club that just climbed up from the lower leagues.'
But one had to consider that Hertha Berlin was the only Bundesliga team based in Berlin, the capital and a major metropolis.
For reference, Hertha Berlin's failure to capture Berlin's fanbase was entirely the fault of their management.
'They watched Klinsmann take a dump at Bayern Munich and still tried to appoint Jürgen Klinsmann as manager.'
Beyond that, there were issues with a lack of leadership, management problems, and financial difficulties.
'...Come to think of it, complaining about financial issues in front of Union Berlin feels like a conscience problem.'
But the most fatal blunder, the absolute worst own-goal by the management, dated back to the days when West and East Germany were divided.
In the past, when the Berlin Wall split the city, there had been secret gatherings of Hertha fans in East Berlin, and the club knew about them.
The problem was that they incorporated it directly into their promotional slogan, which led to East German Hertha Berlin fans being dragged off by the Stasi.
It was one of the biggest blunders in Hertha Berlin's managerial history.
Well, after reunification, many East Berlin natives did support Hertha Berlin.
But... that was before Union Berlin's promotion to the Bundesliga.
The reason the once-friendly relationship between the two clubs was souring was simple.
Unlike before, Hertha Berlin's view of Union Berlin had turned negative.
[Hertha Berlin Management: "Union Berlin is no longer our brother. They are now our enemy."]
They saw Berlin's citizens, whom they'd viewed as potential customers, being stolen away by Union Berlin.
'It’s just the usual fight over the rice bowl.'
Still, Hertha Berlin's sensitivity was somewhat understandable.
After all, the vast majority of East Berlin fans were now cheering for Union Berlin.
And if Union Berlin managed to win the league this season?
Their absorption of East German fans would accelerate even more.
No East German club had ever won the league title before.
That would allow Union Berlin to claim the title of Berlin's top club.
[Union Berlin Manager Park Chan-hyuk: "Hertha Berlin? Sorry, but our goal is the league title. From this season onward, we'll be taking the crown as Berlin's greatest club."]
I began fanning the flames of the slowly igniting rivalry.
For reference, derbies aren't bad for clubs or fans when handled properly.
A well-managed derby was a valuable tool for creating the kind of "over-immersion" people often talk about.
In fact, famous derbies even generated their own commercial value through the matches themselves.
'Take El Clásico, for example.'
Well, Hertha Berlin might be a bit weak as Union Berlin's derby rival.
But if Union Berlin kept performing consistently, it wasn't impossible for a rivalry with Bayern Munich to emerge.
'In that case, it’d be a clash between the North and the South.'
When that time came, I might end up using the title "Star of the North."
'Or maybe the Steel of the North....'
Well, that was a distant future tale, so Hertha Berlin was more than enough for now.
***
The day before the match against Hertha Berlin.
After wrapping up training with the players, I headed to Berlin Tegel Airport.
"Hey? That's Park Chan-hyuk!"
"Where? Whoa, it really is!"
The casual chatter in my ears was a bit grating.
But going up to them and saying "Do I look like your buddy?" wouldn't fly, since they were probably older than me.
Anyway.
'There sure are a lot of Korean tourists.'
I could definitely feel that the number of Korean fans visiting Berlin had increased lately.
It made sense why there was ongoing talk about direct flights between Berlin Tegel Airport and Korea.
'Sheesh. The airport's pretty rundown.'
For reference, Tegel Airport had opened in 1948.
Berlin also had the Berlin Brandenburg Airport under construction since 1991 to replace the aging Tegel.
In the original history, it was supposed to open in 2020.
The 29-year delay was due to... well, politics and a bunch of other issues.
Places where people live are all pretty similar, it seems.
If the airport were being built in the Köpenick area where Union Berlin was located, I would've stepped up aggressively as the local leader.
Unfortunately, it was being built in a different district.
For reference, the Treptow-Köpenick borough had the lowest population density.
But with Park Jung-ah's continuous investments lately, the population was growing rapidly.
It seemed that offering quality jobs was the universal best way to attract people.
"Hey, there he is!"
Anyway.
The reason I'd come to the airport was simple.
"Ji-won!"
"Manager!!"
Today was the day Union Berlin's "Black Diamond," Jo Ji-won, was joining the club.
***
Jo Ji-won's family had come to Berlin as a group.
Her father, who was in the military, was still in Korea but planned to join the family in Germany soon.
Since Korea was in a ceasefire state, serving with the U.S. forces stationed there was advantageous for promotions and popular, making transfers easy.
Plus, there was America's family-oriented culture.
Anyway.
The news of a new promising talent from Korea had filled Union Berlin's training ground, Iron and Blood (Eisen und Blut), with talk of Jo Ji-won.
It was because the Koreans picked by Park Chan-hyuk were thriving on loan in the 2. Bundesliga after leaving.
"She's really Korean?"
"She doesn't look like the Koreans I've seen."
"Probably a mixed-race kid like Leon."
Union Berlin's prospects approached Jo Ji-won and started chatting with her.
Jo Ji-won felt burdened by all the attention.
That's when a savior stepped in to help her.
"By any chance... you don't speak English?"
"No, I do."
It was Leon Han, now fluent in Korean.
Upon hearing that Jo Ji-won was one of Park Chan-hyuk's picks, Leon felt an instant connection.
He approached her first.
"Yeah? I'm Leon. Nice to meet you."
From that day on.
The two boys, different in appearance but similar in circumstances, quickly became friends through their shared connection to Park Chan-hyuk.
***
Union Berlin's future stars, Han Rae-on and Jo Ji-won, seemed to be getting along well.
I looked forward to Union Berlin with both of them shining.
'The key is raising them without injuries.'
That was why Union Berlin had tightened its belt and invested a fortune in medical testing.
It was a shame to lose hard-earned prospects to injuries.
'Grow big and strong, kids.'
Anyway, the German national team was showing strong interest in Leon Han.
As expected, Korea's national team didn't have the same prestige as Germany's.
'Who in their right mind would pick Korea over Germany?'
Personally, I didn't mind if Leon chose Germany.
It would mean less strain on his stamina during international breaks.
Word was that Leon was currently torn about which national team to join.
He'd been influenced by the Korean players, but he also strongly wanted to play for the country where he grew up and his mother's homeland.
'...Guess I'll have to go to Korea with him later.'
After a 12-hour flight, his thinking would probably change a lot.
***
[Hertha Berlin Shows Confidence Ahead of Derby: "We're on a different level from a club that just got promoted to the Bundesliga. We are the traditional powerhouse."]
[Union Berlin Manager Park Chan-hyuk Responds to Hertha Berlin's Provocation: "There are no powerhouses without league titles. Hertha Berlin will be stopped by the Berlin Wall."]
[Park Chan-hyuk on the Controversy: "I come from a divided nation too. I didn't mean it that way, but I apologize to any Germans who were hurt."]