Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Normal Person Park Chan-hyuk -1
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***
The first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal between Real Madrid and Union Berlin had concluded.
[Union Berlin suffers 2-1 defeat at Santiago Bernabéu.]
Articles began pouring in the moment the match ended.
['Multi-goal man' Ronaldo after final whistle: "I ran even harder since I couldn't celebrate my first goal."]
And it was only natural that criticism flooded in over the celebration-stealing incident involving Ronaldo.
Well.
The press could be expected to react that way.
After all, they were the type to fabricate stories out of thin air if it made for good headlines.
[Union Berlin fans furious: "Does the manager think soccer is a joke?"]
But what shocked me was the backlash pouring from Union Berlin fans themselves.
The pent-up frustrations had exploded all at once after the loss to Real Madrid.
[Union Berlin's 2-1 away defeat at Santiago Bernabéu—really that bad?]
Well, objectively speaking, a 2-1 scoreline away at Santiago Bernabéu wasn't all that terrible.
The second leg was at home for Union Berlin, so I was confident we could pull off a win.
'……Can we actually win the next one?'
But the real problem started once the fans—who had always shielded me from the media—began voicing their discontent.
[Union Berlin fans take to streets, chanting "Park Chan-hyuk OUT."]
Reporters who had been testing the waters with initial articles saw that public opinion wasn't as negative as expected and went all-in, tearing into me.
This naturally spiraled into a vicious cycle.
As fan support for me wavered, local journalists churned out provocative pieces.
The incited fans then criticized me even more harshly.
This kept repeating, and my leadership over the entire club started to shake.
I felt a bitter pang at how quickly local sentiment had shifted.
Still, I could understand the fans' feelings to some extent.
They had such high hopes for the Champions League.
Even though I'd gotten them promoted to the Bundesliga, secured sponsors, built a new stadium, won the Bundesliga title, and even qualified for the Champions League, from their perspective, a 2-1 loss in the away leg of the Champions League quarterfinal must have been disappointing….
'Huh……? Thinking about it calmly, our fans are being total assholes.'
***
Meanwhile, at that time.
[Union Berlin's defeat: Are the fans blameless?]
└ Holy shit lol, look at this article title.
└ But local sentiment has gone way too far.
└ You'd think we got knocked out of the CL lol.
└ Park Chan-hyuk OUT! This guy's always pulling weird stunts.
└ After everything he's done for the club, Union Berlin fans telling him to leave now? Upvote if you find them disgusting lololol.
└ This is why sports clubs shouldn't treat fans too nicely.
Union Berlin's old guard and new fans clashed once more over their differing views on Park Chan-hyuk.
It wasn't much different in Germany.
If anything, it was worse there. In Korea, aside from a few trolls, everyone supported Park Chan-hyuk. That was possible only because Korean soccer fans were fans of Park Chan-hyuk, not Union Berlin.
Anyway. Contrary to what the world thought, not all Union Berlin fans were bashing Park Chan-hyuk.
In fact, most of the old fans were sympathetic toward him.
And that was only natural.
No matter what anyone said, Union Berlin's golden era had begun with Park Chan-hyuk's arrival.
He delivered results, invested in the club, brought in sponsors, rebuilt the aging stadium.
He even lifted the club's first-ever Bundesliga promotion—and championship trophy.
Park Chan-hyuk had quite literally done everything for Union Berlin.
So it was hard for old fans to harbor grudges against him. They weren't ungrateful beasts.
Park Chan-hyuk always preached that the fans' cheers and dedication had fueled the club's growth, but every old fan knew who had contributed the most: Park Chan-hyuk.
Fans who had volunteered unpaid during stadium construction had seen it up close—Park Chan-hyuk running around on foot for the club.
Even his wild, reckless antics, fueled by fan support, stemmed from the old fans' backing.
They felt he deserved some leeway after all he'd done—like a reward for his arbitrary whims.
But the new fans who joined after promotion to the Bundesliga or the league title…
Were freer from the old fans' sense of debt and gratitude toward Park Chan-hyuk.
They hadn't witnessed Union Berlin's inglorious past.
There was a clear difference between hearing stories and living through it.
- Ugh, these old fans always droning on about the old days. Aren't you sick of it?
- Fr, people need to live looking forward, not dwelling on the past.
- Yeah, so is Union Berlin still that fourth-division team from back then? Let's have some class. No more embarrassing celebrations from the manager—act with some gravitas.
They took issue with Park Chan-hyuk's usual behavior.
A manager pulling stunts every match was a bit embarrassing.
Of course, some had become Union Berlin fans precisely because of his antics.
Unfortunately, they were a drop in the bucket compared to the massive daily influx.
[Union Berlin's Park Chan-hyuk to step down as manager?]
Around then, a conversation between Park Chan-hyuk and his girlfriend Charlotte leaked.
***
[For the distress caused by my reckless celebration-stealing antics…]
I posted a handwritten apology on SNS.
Well, being upset with the fans was one thing. Admitting fault was another.
I wasn't immature enough to ignore criticism from season ticket holders.
I could've pulled a "anyone not cheering for me isn't a real Union Berlin fan" like some player out there.
'That'd make me a total psycho.'
Or let the little voice inside whisper about Bayern Munich.
But I held back on that too.
'I'm a normal person.'
Personally, I'd love if Union Berlin fans showed me a bit more 'respect.'
But that couldn't be helped.
People only regret losing something precious after it's gone.
Like Arsenal fans chanting "Wenger OUT," only to miss him after he resigned.
'I only truly appreciated my parents after they passed.'
Anyway, the Charlotte conversation blowing up was pure coincidence.
[Union Berlin's Park Chan-hyuk to step down as manager?]
It stemmed from me saying, post-Champions League win, I'd like to travel with my parents and Charlotte.
'……Actually, thinking about it, it wasn't that exaggerated?'
Lately, I'd been seriously considering retirement if we won the Champions League.
I'd hidden it behind my quirky antics so far.
But I was utterly exhausted now.
'Burnout, huh.'
All the blame for wins and losses fell on me, the manager.
So I had to analyze opponents' tactics day and night, devising countermeasures.
Living that grind—18+ hours a day, seven days a week (including assistant coach duties)—for five years…
Anyone would hit a mental wall.
'Sure, Mom, Dad, and Park Jung-ah forced breaks now and then… but rest doesn't fix itself just by stopping.'
Waves of depression and apathy would crash over me at times.
Things improved after meeting Charlotte—loneliness eased.
But the relentless high-pressure workload still wore me down bit by bit.
Deep down, I knew.
I needed to cut back now.
Or my body wouldn't hold up.
But I couldn't scale down.
I'd already streamlined everything possible.
'And only I can mediate between Guten and Union Berlin's conflicting interests.'
Beyond managing, I had to balance the parent company Guten's stance with the club's.
Truth was, many at Guten didn't get why they were running a team like Union Berlin.
They figured snagging naming rights or kit sponsorships for glamour clubs like Barcelona or Real Madrid was enough.
For a growing powerhouse like Guten, that'd be cheaper anyway.
Handling Union Berlin admin was just a cost.
Some Guten employees even griped about the extra work from half-managing the club.
- Why's Guten running a sports team anyway? No clue.
└ If you hate it, quit.
└ Telling the workers—who own the company—to leave?
└ Workers don't own the company; shareholders do. ^^ Dumbass.
└ Most shares are held by the founder's family anyway.
└ Pls sell more shares ffs.
It got quashed by pissed-off investors, but anyway.
Union Berlin beat Mainz in the league match that followed.
And I, having penned my reflection days earlier, naturally skipped stealing any celebrations.
'Feels so much lighter deciding to retire after a CL win. Like a lieutenant colonel passing on promotion.'
But when I didn't steal his celebration, goalscorer Yannick Foigt shot me a bewildered look.
"……Not taking it?"
An inexplicable disappointment clouded Yannick Foigt's face.
'What's his deal.'
For the record, I was just as baffled by his expression.