Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Vs. Hoffenheim -1
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“Great!!”
The moment Son Heung-min’s shot ripped into Wolfsburg’s net, I raised one leg, pointed at the camera with my finger, and celebrated.
Wolfsburg’s manager Felix Magath took my gesture as a provocation, his face turning red.
But… whatever. It wasn’t particularly important.
‘Klopp would’ve joined in with a “Great!!” of his own. Too bad.’
Anyway, Son Heung-min’s goal right now was worth more than just one.
Since it was a preemptive strike scored in under a minute from kickoff, it must have delivered a massive mental blow to the Wolfsburg players.
“What the hell? Is this even allowed after kickoff?”
“Ref, isn’t this a foul?”
In fact, the Wolfsburg players were visibly flustered.
They even rushed to the referee to protest.
‘If you’re gonna complain, you should’ve done it when the ball went out over the touchline. Complaining now just makes you look pathetic.’
Well. I could understand it to some extent.
They probably never imagined conceding so early.
Tactics were things you couldn’t fully anticipate until you actually faced them.
“Wow. It actually worked?”
“Yeah, I thought we were just handing them possession.”
Even some of Union Berlin’s players looked stunned.
“This is gonna be fun.”
By the way, the players weren’t the only ones caught off guard by Union Berlin’s futuristic tactic.
Wolfsburg’s manager Felix Magath let out a hollow laugh too.
‘Man, it’s been a while since I last saw that guy.’
He was someone who’d headed to Bayern Munich back when I was a Stuttgart youth player.
Naturally, we didn’t have the kind of rapport I shared with Thomas Tuchel—just a quick greeting and chat before kickoff.
‘Speaking of which, I really climbed to Bundesliga manager pretty damn fast.’
The wave of young managers in the lower leagues was starting to die down.
There were plenty called the “second Park Chan-hyuk,” but none had matched my results.
Of course, if it were that easy, there’d have been tons of managers in their twenties ages ago.
“Eisen Union!!”
With the fans’ cheers ringing out, the game resumed from Wolfsburg’s kickoff.
My decision to pull out Enrique’s tactic as a surprise today was a thorough countermeasure against Wolfsburg.
After testing it in preseason against Osgood, I’d refined the flaws exposed in that match and drilled the players relentlessly for the past few days to prepare for today.
The players had seemed puzzled during training about why we were using this tactic specifically against Wolfsburg.
Well. That was natural.
Wolfsburg was mid-table in the league right now.
Any ordinary manager wouldn’t have bothered preparing a special counter for them.
But I knew the future, so it was different for me.
Wolfsburg would blow up in the second half of the season, storming to the league title.
They’d go on an insane 11-game winning streak in the back half alone.
For Union Berlin to claim the league title, it was crucial to rack up points steadily now.
Union Berlin’s players pressed their attack aggressively against a mentally shaken Wolfsburg.
“Luka!!”
Robert Lewandowski dropped a bit deeper, dragging a Wolfsburg defender with him.
Son Heung-min sprinted into the space Lewandowski had created behind.
Luka Modrić’s incisive through ball found Son Heung-min.
But inside the penalty box, Son didn’t shoot—he passed.
Son Heung-min’s pass threaded between the keeper and a defender.
And rising to meet Son’s cross was…
Union Berlin’s captain.
“Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”
It was Yannick Foite.
“Yannick!!!! Foot God────!!”
***
Wolfsburg pushed hard for a comeback goal, but Union Berlin’s defenders stood firm.
‘…This is a promoted team?’
Wolfsburg manager Felix Magath let out another hollow laugh.
Union Berlin was putting on such a dominant display that it was hard to believe they were a promoted side.
‘Above all, their team cohesion is unreal.’
Felix Magath recalled that Union Berlin had made massive signings this season—a common mistake for promoted teams.
Feeling the need for quality players to survive, they’d splash big money on transfers.
And naturally, heavy recruitment like that wrecked a team’s cohesion.
But Union Berlin’s on-pitch organization was impeccable.
Even their center-backs were all Brazilian, so language barriers weren’t an issue.
There were some communication hiccups with the goalkeeper, but with a German teacher assigned, basic exchanges worked fine.
‘To think a manager like that was once a youth player under me.’
Felix Magath felt deep regret for not scouting Park Chan-hyuk.
He figured keeping him as a coach would’ve led to even better achievements than now.
‘Well… from that kid’s perspective, his current path might actually be better.’
Felix Magath shouted instructions from the touchline to keep his players fighting.
Instead, it was Union Berlin who shook the net again.
Right before the final whistle, Son Heung-min’s dagger goal sealed it.
And with that, the Wolfsburg vs. Union Berlin match came to an end.
***
[Union Berlin crushes Wolfsburg 3-0.]
[‘The Legend Begins!’ Son Heung-min bags 2 goals and 1 assist for first MOM award!]
[How did ‘financially bankrupt’ Union Berlin become a powerhouse? The romantic story of Union Berlin.]
[The promoted teams’ cheeky rebellion? Hoffenheim and Union Berlin in the upper reaches of the table.]
[Bayern Munich indirectly blasts Union Berlin and Hoffenheim. “You can’t buy titles with money.”]
[Park Chan-hyuk fires back at Bayern Munich… “If I do it, it’s romance; if you do it, it’s adultery?”]
[Park Chan-hyuk’s pointed remarks at Bayern Munich? “Bayern Munich’s real problem isn’t Jürgen Klinsmann—it’s you.”]
[Park Chan-hyuk explains his anger… “Saying we bought the title is an insult to the fans donating blood to save the club and sweating to build the stadium.”]
***
I nodded in satisfaction as I glanced at the now-quiet articles from Bayern Munich’s side.
The moment I brought up the fans, my war of words with Bayern Munich was basically a win.
In the Bundesliga, ‘soccer fans’ were sacred.
Sure, fans were respected in other leagues too—like how without them, it’s just unproductive play.
But with the 50+1 rule and such, the Bundesliga fostered an even stronger bond with supporters.
‘And if you’re gonna trash someone, just go after Hoffenheim. We’re just spending what we didn’t last season this year.’
Anyway.
My family gathered for a meal together after a long time.
Last season, transitioning from assistant coach to manager, I’d been insanely busy—couldn’t even catch my breath.
I’d poured everything into filling the void left by Thomas Tuchel’s departure, and this season, prepping for a Bundesliga title run, I’d practically lived in the manager’s office—eating, sleeping, everything there.
“Chan-hyuk, health comes first.”
“Mom thought she’d forget her son’s face at this rate.”
My parents fussed over their son they hadn’t seen in ages.
“Yeah. I’ll take better care of my health from now on. And with systems in place, I’m planning to start sleeping at home.”
I answered Dad politely.
“Good. You’ve got a home—why sleep in the office?”
Mom’s follow-up left me with an awkward smile.
Well. I was still crazy busy, no time to blink.
But compared to last season, I did have a bit more breathing room.
‘Yeah, I should probably start managing my health.’
I recalled my previous life.
Overwork and stress had wrecked my heart.
‘I’ve made a ton of money now. It’d be a waste to die without enjoying it, so I need to cut back on work a bit.’
By the way, the medical center had a personal physician for me as manager.
After hearing I’d regressed due to heart issues, my sister had added a cardiologist too.
Soccer was rougher than people thought, with cardiac arrests happening now and then, so it wasn’t bad for the club.
And though unintended, the players felt the club cared about their health, boosting their loyalty.
***
After crushing Wolfsburg, Union Berlin kept their unbeaten run alive against the Bundesliga’s prestigious sides.
[Union Berlin draws away at Werder Bremen.]
[Park Chan-hyuk lavishes praise on Mesut Özil. “Özil is a good player.”]
[One comment from Park Chan-hyuk spikes interest in Mesut Özil.]
[Union Berlin unleashes fury from last draw on Energie Cottbus. 5-0 thrashing!]
And Union Berlin’s next opponent was…
[‘League runners-up’ Hoffenheim vows to win and snatch top spot.]
Hoffenheim, the team blowing up the Bundesliga alongside Union Berlin.