Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: vs Wolfsburg -2
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***
Wolfsburg.
In the original history, they were the team that won the league this season.
And, as expected, Wolfsburg also had some pretty solid players.
Including Andrea Barzagli, who formed the BBC line with Bonucci and Chiellini at Juventus; Edin Džeko, Misiimović, and Grafite, who made up their front three.
In truth, Wolfsburg's title win had a lot of lucky breaks combined.
First off, Hoffenheim, who had been leading the title race, suffered a string of losses due to key player injuries and slipped up.
That was the reason I'd invested a fortune in the medical center, and why I put everything into managing the players' bodies and fitness.
‘If a key player gets injured, the risk is just too damn high.’
And their biggest stroke of luck back then was that Bayern Munich's manager was none other than Jürgen Klinsmann.
Jürgen Klinsmann taking over as Bayern Munich manager was a massive stroke of luck for the Bundesliga teams.
It was as good as handing those teams a shot at the league title.
‘That’s also why, the moment Jürgen Klinsmann was appointed Bayern Munich manager, I scraped together every penny I had and went all-in on a full bet.’
For reference, there were all sorts of rumors floating around right now, especially among Bayern Munich fans.
[Bayern Munich Fans Demanding Board Sack Jürgen Klinsmann!]
[Bayern Munich Eyeing Union Berlin's Park Chan-hyuk as Next Manager!]
Some of them even had me pegged as Bayern Munich manager for next season.
‘Are you insane? Why the hell would I go?’
Bayern Munich?
Honestly, it's an attractive club.
The dream club for German 'native' players and managers.
Even at the famously loyal Union Berlin, there'd be a few players who'd waver if Munich came calling.
Unfortunately for me, though, I'm not German-born.
Plus, maybe because of my rebellious streak, I never really fancied taking over a powerhouse that dominates the league.
For the record, the reason I wanted to follow Tuchel to Munich was the mission. Nothing else.
On top of that, I'd grown attached to Union Berlin over the time I'd spent building it up.
‘Oh. And with Bayern Munich, there's the issue of clashing with the club legends.’
Just how massive the influence of Bayern Munich's legends is was made crystal clear last season through Thomas Tuchel.
‘Tuchel had it that bad, so it'd be even worse for me, right?’
It means that if a Bayern legend goes to the press whining about some Asian guy destroying German soccer spirit, there's not much I can do about it.
Given what they did to Thomas Tuchel last season, they'd probably tell me to show the legends more respect.
Munich's legends treated a second-division player like Thomas Tuchel like dirt.
So what would they think of a guy who scrapped around in the fourth division before retiring?
Honestly, as a player, I respect the incredible achievements of Bayern Munich's legends.
‘But fuck, why do they have to backseat-drive tactics when they're not even managers?’
Interfering with tactics and player selection is something even Thomas Tuchel couldn't stand, and neither can I.
No, no manager in the world could put up with that.
Putting up with it would make you a fitness coach, not a manager.
‘……Jürgen Klinsmann?’
Of course, I'm not as prickly as Tuchel, so I might get along fine with Bayern's legends or the board.
The real question, though, is whether Munich is attractive enough for me to abandon the Union Berlin I've nurtured this far.
Harsh as it sounds, right now Union Berlin edges out in league position and in a bunch of other ways too.
The meddling legends are one thing, but the fans' expectations for the club are on another level.
Hadn't Bayern fans started calling for Klinsmann's head after just ten rounds?
……Well. Comparing Tuchel's results last season to this one's, yeah, you'd want him sacked.
Still, they should give Klinsmann a bit more time.
‘Hang in there! Make those Munich fans eat their words!’
I was praying Klinsmann would stick around as Munich manager for as long as possible.
‘Well…. Munich's got that much history and tradition, so the fans' expectations are sky-high.’
For reference, even if Union Berlin plunged into the relegation zone, the fans would still back me.
Even if we got relegated, most of them would say it was fine.
If I offered to resign taking responsibility for relegation, they'd try to talk me out of it.
‘They might even show up at my house late at night, kidnap me, and force me back into the manager's seat.’
But if I still insisted on stepping down, Union Berlin fans would respect my decision.
That was the trust I'd built with them over time.
‘I might've been tempted if it was Real or Barca instead.’
And Bayern Munich's golden era was still a ways off.
It wouldn't kick off until Jupp Heynckes took over.
‘Using Robbery is tempting, but….’
Betting everything on that was too thorny a path.
Anyway, around the day before the Wolfsburg match.
[Bayern Munich's Next Manager: Park Chan-hyuk?]
Bayern Munich leaked a feeler article quietly.
“Everyone, I'm not leaving Berlin!”
The moment the offer surfaced, I turned it down flat.
If I hadn't, the swarming Union Berlin fans might've torn me apart as Park/Chan/hyuk.
***
Union Berlin players felt a strange mix of emotions hearing their boss had turned down a love call from Bayern Munich.
That's the weight the Bayern Munich name carries.
‘Turning down the Munich job to stay at Union Berlin?’
‘He's crazy! Insane! He turned down Munich?’
It hit especially hard for the German players.
“Hmm. Is Munich really that great?”
It was Brazil's legend Cafu who instantly cleared the unsettled air ahead of the league round 11 clash with Wolfsburg.
If anyone else had said it, they'd have been laughed off.
“When I lifted the Champions League trophy with AC Milan….”
Cafu's career made it possible.
“Anyway, the important thing is we're top of the league right now, and Munich's third!”
The moment Cafu finished, I threw open the door and walked in.
“Everyone, take a seat! Time for the tactics talk!”
I gave Cafu a quiet nod of thanks.
Thanks to him, I could dive straight into tactics without sorting the mood first.
‘Having a veteran sure makes player management easier.’
***
A short while later.
Union Berlin's home fans started trickling into the stadium early, even before kickoff.
“Dem Morgengrauen entgegen, ziehn wir gegen den Wind. (We march toward dawn, against the wind.)”
The fans singing the supporters' song from the stands wore endlessly bright expressions.
Union Berlin's pitch-black dark ages were over, and the golden era had finally begun.
And like the dark ages, no one knew where this golden era would end—which excited the fans even more.
“Wir werden alles zerlegen, bis wir Europameister sind. (We'll smash everything until we're European champions.)”
Union Berlin fans had recently changed the lyrics of their chant from German champions to European champions.
“FC Union Du sollst leuchten, wie der hellste Heiligenschein. (FC Union, you shall shine like the brightest halo.)”
“Und überall wird es schallen, FC Union unser Verein. (And everywhere it will echo, FC Union our club.)”
It meant that in the fans' hearts, ‘German champions’ was no longer an impossible dream.
***
[10 PM! Union Berlin vs Wolfsburg Showdown!]
[Union Berlin Undefeated at Home This Season!]
[Son Heung-min, Light on His Feet…. Goals Expected!]
[Union Berlin Starting XI.]
LS: Roberto Lewandowski - RS: Yannick Foight.
CAM: Shinji Kagawa.
LM: Son Heung-min LCM: Thomas Mayer RCM: Luka Modrić RM: Cafu.
LCB: Dante CB: Thiago Silva RCB: Virgil van Dijk.
└ Oh? What's this? Cafu in as wing-back?
└ Seems Nakamoto Yuto's got a bruise.
└ Union Berlin has sneaky a lot of minor injuries. All that running?
└ Just bruises, they could play through it, but Park Chan-hyuk's managing them.
└ Cafu at RM, why call it wing-back?
└ In Park Chan-hyuk's tactics, wingers basically are wing-backs.
└ 5-back in defense, 3-back only on attack.
└ Heung-min! Score in this one!
└ Anyone got Park Chan-hyuk's tactics? Wanna use it in FM.
└ Fr, watching Union Berlin makes me wanna play 3-back lol.
***
“Hello, viewers across the nation. I'm caster Hong Doo-hee, calling the Union Berlin vs Wolfsburg match, joined by commentator Ko Chan-soo.”
“Nice to see you. Ko Chan-soo here.”
After chatting about the latest soccer buzz, the caster and commentator kicked into full gear as the ref's whistle blew.
“The ref's whistle, and Union Berlin kicks off. Wait? Where's Yannick Foight kicking the ball?”
└ ?????? What? Where'd the ball go?
└ Isn't this the tactic he used on the Five Stars Red Wings?
└ They're actually using that in the Bundesliga? Lmao
└ Wtf lol just handing the ball to the opponents, no way it works.
“Union Berlin wins it back with pressure! Cafu charging up with the ball! Shoots!”
└ What??????
└ H-how does this even work?
└ No fucking way this actually works?
“No! Not a shot—a cross! Cafu's cross! And there he is—!!!”
“GOOOAAAL!! Son Heung-min! Son Heung-min!!! South Korea's pride Son Heung-min slots home the opener!!!”
└ Holy shit holy shit holy shit
└ Son Heung-min holy shit
└ Wtf this actually worked lmao
└ Thought he only used it on Five Stars and ditched it, making Korean league look trash, but nah!
└ Park Chan-hyuk <<< Just scores whenever lol