Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Union Berlin Racing Through the Champions League -8
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***
It's a fact proven throughout thousands of years of human history that everyone wants to suck on some honey.
It's even mentioned in Goguryeo watermelons and the Bible, humanity's all-time bestseller.
'Or not.'
Whatever. How many people really want to live a tough life anyway?
Humans are creatures that naturally seek convenience.
Anyway.
After Porto was drawn as our opponent, I couldn't contain my joy.
"I'm the only one~~~ it matters if~~!!"
I couldn't sit still for even a moment, jumping around like a madman.
"You're Inter, I'm Porto, SIUUUUUUU─!"
I immediately called Thomas Tuchel to brag.
"Chan-hyuk, no matter how weak the opponent is, you can't let your guard down..."
"I'm the one with bad luck in draws, I can't hear you─! Ebebebebeb!"
"......I look forward to seeing you in the next round."
"Yeah~ Beat Inter first~"
Provoking Thomas Tuchel into a frenzy with my emphatic, repetitive taunts was just a bonus.
***
'As expected, it was the right call not to send him.'
Dirk Zingler, the club president, let out a quiet sigh of relief as he heard the unearthly screams echoing from the manager's office.
If he'd sent Park Chan-hyuk to the draw ceremony, the newspapers the next day would undoubtedly have been dominated by him and Union Berlin.
It had been over five years now since Park Chan-hyuk joined Union Berlin.
By now, even the people at Union Berlin had analyzed his behavioral patterns to some extent.
Sure, he still pulled off completely unpredictable stunts from time to time.
But compared to the past, they were generally able to prevent major incidents before they blew up.
[Park Chan-hyuk selected as Bundesliga's most popular manager...!]
└ Wow ㅅㅅㅅㅅ
└ Park Chan-hyuk <<< Basically Post-Mourinho, agree?
└ Isn't he gonna manage Real Madrid later?
└ Why Real? He'll make Union Berlin a bigger club.
└ But Real's worth a visit...
└ Even if he goes to Real, he'd clash with Perez for sure.
Of course, soccer fans loved Park Chan-hyuk's antics.
He provided them with fresh entertainment.
Fans of the opposing teams he provoked got angry, but that wasn't a big issue.
Park Chan-hyuk provoked every team equally, no matter who they were.
'Is that what star quality is?'
Just as Mourinho became a star manager with his good looks and interviews.
Park Chan-hyuk was becoming a star manager through his endless antics.
'Whatever anyone says, Chan-hyuk joining Union Berlin was our greatest stroke of luck.'
Dirk Zingler nodded as he gazed at the ever-growing Union Berlin. No one could deny that Park Chan-hyuk was their biggest fortune.
***
Time flew by after the Champions League round of 16 draw.
[Bundesliga's new overlord? Union Berlin crushes last season's runners-up Wolfsburg.]
└ Full-strength Union Berlin is just legendary ㄷㄷ
└ Union Berlin giving up on the Pokal? Pulling out the full squad here?
[Union Berlin demolishes second-division side 6-1.]
└ Lol no, Union Berlin just rotated~
└ Holy shit ㅋㅋ Is this really their 1.5 squad?
└ Wow, the Bender brothers are total homegrown heroes;;
Union Berlin managed their schedule with appropriate rotations in both the league and the Pokal.
Every day, I analyzed the opponents' tactics and checked on the Union Berlin players' conditions, living a relentlessly busy life.
"Holy night~ Silent night~"
Before I knew it, the winter break was right around the corner amid the frenzy.
Union Berlin held their Christmas event, just like in previous seasons.
Back in the day, I'd have been stuck eating tear-soaked sausages among couples.
But now it was fine.
I had a lover to spend this cursed—no, blessed—day with.
I wandered around Union Berlin withシャル, flirting shamelessly.
Park Jung-ah watched us with a sour expression.
"Is Park Jung-ah scared that her big brother's love life is going so well?"
"It's not scary, it's disgusting."
"Chan-hyuk, don't tease Jung-ah too much."
"You're more disgusting."
Teasing my lifelong-single little sister withシャル like that, the event flew by in an instant.
[Big clubs swarm for Gareth Bale as winter transfer window opens.]
With Union Berlin's Christmas event wrapped up, January arrived.
The winter transfer window opened, and offers for Union Berlin players poured in like crazy.
I disclosed every single offer to the players without hesitation.
No need to hide them and sour relationships.
And I trusted the players I'd personally scouted and developed up to now.
"What do men have? Loyalty!"
I applied a bit of pressure in front of the players, but it probably didn't mean much.
Gareth Bale did waver at Real Madrid's offer.
"Don't waver."
But in the end, Gareth Bale chose to stay.
His contract had plenty of time left, and after less than a year, moving to another team felt off to him.
Anyway, aside from Bale shaking at the name Real Madrid, the other players weren't an issue.
The offers for players other than Bale mostly came from Bundesliga teams.
For the record, Union Berlin players had no desire to move to other Bundesliga sides.
Union Berlin was leading the Bundesliga, for one.
And with the growing rivalry against Bayern Munich lately, they'd catch flak from fans.
If they weren't jumping to a higher-grade club like Bayern Munich, they'd have to consider other leagues—but winter transfers to new leagues carried big risks.
Even switching within the same league meant mountains of adaptation.
A different league doubled that.
'Language to learn, teammates and tactics to adjust to, league style... Yeah, a ton of stuff.'
Union Berlin safely held onto their squad through the winter window too.
January 15, 2010.
The second half of the league kicked off with the match against Schalke.
***
The Schalke game was at Union Berlin's home ground, Iron and Blood Stadium... no, GL-Gluten Stadium.
The Sports Broadcasting Platform (Gluten) commentary team called GL-Gluten Stadium "Iron and Blood Stadium" and got a complaint letter from the GL Group chairman, or so they say. Who knows if it's true.
Anyway, Union Berlin's opponent this time was Schalke, sitting third in the league behind Union Berlin and Bayern Munich.
A team that would drop to the second division in the future, but currently one of the Bundesliga's traditional powerhouses.
A traditional powerhouse, but one without a league title yet.
They were said to be bitter about Union Berlin winning the Bundesliga last season.
'Whatever... They probably wouldn't have won even without us.'
No need to feel particularly sorry about that.
Anyway, the game was a one-sided affair for Union Berlin.
It was at their home stadium, Iron... no, GL-Gluten Stadium.
Anyone would wilt under the fiery support from the blood-and-sweat seats that Union Berlin prides itself on.
Anyway.
The match was so comfortable that even I, the manager, started daydreaming mid-game.
'That said, I should bring in Deok-bae too... But can't do it quietly without other teams noticing.'
I began pondering ways to snag Deok-bae, currently at Hannover.
He wasn't immediate impact as a prospect yet, but thinking long-term, he was as reliable as homegrown talent.
But negotiations with Hannover hit snags from the start.
News of Union Berlin's interest leaked, and they hyped his price with articles first.
Hyping via media wasn't the issue, but other teams swooping in for a hijack was.
That could derail a player's future and stunt their growth from what I remembered.
'Really dirty and sneaky.'
I had no choice but to postpone for later.
Splash─.
Anyway, my mid-game daydream didn't last long.
Lewandowski, back from injury, rifled one into Schalke's net.
I'd been lost in thought on the bench, so my start was a bit late.
No problem.
Lewandowski was slower than the other players anyway.
I sprinted to the corner flag, arriving at almost the same time as him.
And in that case.
"HOUUUUUUUU─!!!!!!!!!"
The one with the bigger voice wins.
I unleashed a Hou from deep in my dantian.
And successfully monopolized the celebration.
'You're still a hundred years too early to steal celebrations from me, kid.'
Questions like "Why is this your celebration?" weren't important.