Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Park Chan-hyuk Being Ground Down
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Park Chan-hyuk Being Ground Down.
***
Germany is home to a staggering number of clubs.
There are over 30,000 soccer clubs officially registered with the DFB, and around 170,000 registered teams.
If you just look at the sheer number of registered teams, it's far more than in England.
Of course... that's only natural. When there are so many registered clubs, England's are superior in quality.
In fact, Germany has a saying: "A club in every village." Soccer there has always been deeply rooted in local communities.
Anyway, out of all the teams in the NOFV-Oberliga Nord—the fourth division with 18 participating teams—the one that came looking for me was Union Berlin, based in Berlin.
Any soccer fan would probably recognize the club name.
Even if the name doesn't ring a bell, the moment you hear their nickname, you'd go, "Ah! That club!"
"The Club Built on Blood...."
Unlike the brutal-sounding nickname, its meaning is pure romance.
2004.
Just last year.
Union Berlin was on the verge of losing their league license if they couldn't clear over two million euros in debt.
To keep the license, Union Berlin fans donated blood for the small payments they received and sent the money to the club, contributing to its finances.
The nickname "The Club Built on Blood" was given in respect for those fans.
[Blood for Union!]
Back then, while studying soccer abroad in Stuttgart, I felt the passion of Union Berlin fans through newspaper articles.
In a way, you could call Union Berlin the club that embodies the spirit of the German Bundesliga.
Oh, and another fun fact: in the future, a Korean player would play here on loan.
Anyway.
'This is a bottom-fishing opportunity!'
The moment I heard "Union Berlin," my body reacted instantly.
I agreed to start at the club the next day.
Looking back now, I should have been more cautious about the contract.
My long stretch of unemployment must have made me desperate.
So, I realized a bit too late.
That romance's other name is hardship.
The day after visiting Union Berlin to sign the contract.
I fell into despair.
"...Is this for real?"
The facilities were so rundown, it was hard to believe it was a soccer club.
For a split second, I recalled unloading parcels and then running off after 30 minutes.
'Should I just bolt?'
As I seriously considered fleeing.
"Chan-hyuk!"
A familiar face greeted me.
"Thomas!"
I'd never been so glad to see the face of the mad scientist, Thomas Tuchel.
"Meeting you here makes it even better."
"What happened?"
"I've taken over as manager here. So, I recommended you for the coaching staff."
"Then you could've told me sooner."
"I was preparing to contact you directly if you turned down the coaching spot. But they said you accepted without hesitation."
I nodded meekly at Tuchel's words.
'Hmm. This cheeky bastard. Definitely Tuchel.'
***
Before Thomas Tuchel was appointed manager of Union Berlin.
'This might be tough for next season too.'
Dirk Zingler, who had become president in January 2004, was deep in thought.
In 2001, Union Berlin had won the third division and reached the DFB-Pokal final, even qualifying for the UEFA Cup—a monumental achievement.
Excited by the UEFA Cup qualification, the board got carried away. A little more investment, and promotion to the top flight—the club's first ever—seemed within reach.
But that was the beginning of the tragedy.
Racing toward professionalization for top-flight promotion, costs skyrocketed.
Early exit from the UEFA Cup, Germany's economic crisis, and low attendance revenue destabilized Union Berlin's finances.
[Union Berlin Sinks into a Slump of Losses.]
[Financially Crippled Union Berlin: Fans Hit the Streets to Save the Club.]
[Blood for Union!]
That's the situation Dirk Zingler inherited as president.
He did everything to keep the club afloat, but with finances in ruins, it wasn't enough.
Amid worsening finances, Union Berlin struggled just to survive, let alone promote—and they were relegated back to the third division at the end of the 03/04 season.
And around the time Park Chan-hyuk was turning dark in the 04/05 season.
Union Berlin suffered consecutive relegations, dropping to the amateur fourth division.
Player contracts were automatically terminated again, and many left the club.
Now it was a matter of survival. Bankruptcy loomed.
Clubs do sometimes reform after bankruptcy, but that's a last resort.
Reformation after bankruptcy would sever ties with Union Berlin's history.
Founded in 1906, it was a historic club that had already endured reformation in 1966 due to the war.
Unlike teams backed by the East German government and Stasi, Union Berlin was the people's club, supported by ordinary citizens.
That spirit of resistance still lived on through the fans.
"We'll survive by the skin of our teeth. The most Union way possible."
Watching a fan's interview on local news only deepened President Dirk Zingler's worries.
'Appointing a manager is the first hurdle.'
Union Berlin was a hot topic due to its financial woes.
No one wanted to captain a sinking ship.
The fan-led campaign had luckily caught media attention, securing extra funds.
But the club's finances were still dire.
And the campaign's massive success had a downside.
Opportunists flooded in with manager applications, just to get their names in the press.
As President Dirk Zingler grew exhausted without finding a suitable candidate.
'Maybe look for a young, promising manager instead.'
Word reached him of the madman who had successfully led Stuttgart and Augsburg youth teams.
'Thomas Tuchel....'
His tendency to clash with boards was a concern, but irrelevant to Union Berlin now.
There was no board left to fight with.
"Please be our manager."
President Dirk Zingler personally approached the rising star Thomas Tuchel with the offer.
***
When Union Berlin made the offer, Thomas Tuchel was about to reject it without a second thought.
He wasn't dumb enough to captain a sinking ship.
But at that moment, as he was about to turn down President Dirk Zingler.
He remembered the connection he made in Stuttgart.
The boy who, at just 16, came to Germany alone with nothing but passion and determination to learn soccer.
- ...just messing around.
And a few days ago, a message that the boy was jobless and burning through cash.
"Chan-hyuk, I'll make a spot for you, so just trust me and follow."
He also recalled his own words.
'Hmm.'
Thomas Tuchel, who had been furious hearing Park Chan-hyuk's tale of being fired after one day as coach, wanted to prove a point to Germans who discriminate by skin color.
That soccer is played with the brain, not skin.
"Can I assemble my own coaching staff?"
Tuchel presented one condition.
"Yes. Of course."
With President Dirk Zingler accepting, he took the job.
***
My role at Union Berlin was assistant coach.
In name only, really. Under Thomas Tuchel, I ended up handling every odd job.
'Why is there so much work?'
Anyway, to sum up the pros and cons of my first few days here.
The pro: the club was so empty, it was just the two of us doing everything.
The con: there were way too few people.
From opponent analysis and player condition management to bridging Tuchel and the squad, plus all the miscellaneous tasks—it all fell on me.
Truth be told, there had been more people here originally.
Those with lingering affection for the team, willing to work for free, or those without skills to go elsewhere.
But our ruthless boss, Thomas Tuchel, got rid of the unskilled ones.
Once they were gone, Union Berlin's staff dwindled to almost nothing.
To the point where I handled the grunt work.
In my past life, I'd complained about poor support at my fan-owned club, but compared to here, that was paradise.
'Ah.... Not that I miss those days.'
Still, time flew as I adapted to my new job at Union Berlin.
Before I knew it, the league opener was approaching.
"...Chan-hyuk."
Thomas Tuchel called me into the manager's office.
I had a feeling another task was coming my way.
"What."
My tone toward Tuchel was chilling—even I was surprised.
As I startled myself and was about to apologize, Tuchel continued.
"I'm really sorry, but could you also play as a player?"
I neatly folded away my apology.