Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: 2010 South Africa World Cup -1
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***
[Union Berlin Signs Contract Renewal with Manager Park Chan-hyuk.]
The news of Park Chan-hyuk's contract renewal spread to Union Berlin fans in an instant. Berlin, which had been on the verge of erupting, finally entered a state of calm.
Politicians in Berlin, led by Chairman Dirk Zingler, began to breathe sighs of relief.
"......Did I perhaps treat you unfairly in any way during this time?"
After somewhat resolving the Berlin situation, Chairman Dirk Zingler met with Park Chan-hyuk alone to talk.
It was incomprehensible that a manager who had won the Champions League last season—even effectively the club's owner—would voluntarily resign.
- What are you talking about? Why would he suddenly resign?
- Isn't it because Chan-hyuk isn't getting fair treatment from the club?
- Or maybe he got pushed out in some power struggle within the club.
- What? Wasn't Union Berlin supposed to be like a family?
- Union Berlin has grown a lot lately. Things might have changed.
In fact, that was the part Union Berlin fans couldn't accept.
The fans judged that Park Chan-hyuk had clashed with 'someone' in the club and was being forced out.
Although Guten and Park Chan-hyuk held immense authority at Union Berlin, it didn't mean there was no possibility of being ousted from the club.
That was why even Union Berlin fans placed more weight on the latter rather than burnout-induced voluntary resignation.
"......? No?"
Park Chan-hyuk responded to Chairman Dirk Zingler's question with a puzzled look.
"Then why on earth did you say you were resigning now? Or at least give some prior notice!"
"Leaving to thunderous applause is the beautiful way."
Chairman Dirk Zingler clutched his head while looking at Park Chan-hyuk, who wore an expression saying, 'That question isn't cool.'
***
That evening, when I became Union Berlin's lifelong Führer—no, manager.
I was able to have a long conversation with Chairman Dirk Zingler.
"Chan-hyuk, if you leave, this team will fall apart."
Well. The conversation went on at length, but to sum it up simply: this team can't survive without you.
In any case. Although I signed the renewal due to the fans' backlash, there was no displeasure.
The reason I so readily signed the renewal document was that a spark of passion still remained in my heart. If I had truly wanted to resign voluntarily, I wouldn't have signed even under pressure.
Perhaps I had been hoping for this very situation, the one the fans were so obsessed with.
'And the burnout issue has been somewhat resolved too.'
The burnout that had been gnawing at me seriously had faded away in the face of the dopamine rush from winning the Champions League. Sure, it might return someday, but right now, my condition was quite good.
'Hmm. Now that I think about it, it might be because I resolved the burden of the missions.'
Well. The only worry was leaving the engagement preparations entirely to Charl.
- Yeah? It's fine.
Charl didn't seem too concerned about this issue.
- Won't preparing the engagement and wedding alone be tough?
To me, wedding preparations meant the engaged couple handling it themselves and breaking up over disagreements.
- ...? Why would we do it ourselves?
But her following words made me realize that the past and present situations were different.
'Oh. Right. I'm a chaebol now.'
Perhaps influenced by my previous life, I often forgot that I was a chaebol now.
- And there's Jung-ah too, so it's okay.
Oh. I have a sister too.
Anyway.
While I was talking with Chairman Dirk Zingler.
[Union Berlin Signs Contract Renewal with Park Chan-hyuk.]
[Park Chan-hyuk Uploads Personal Thoughts on Renewal. "I will accept the will of Berlin's citizens."]
└ ? Is this guy a politician now? Sucking up to Berlin citizens lol
└ You don't know, but Berlin was seriously about to burn.
└ BS lol exaggeration.
└ Calling it exaggeration my ass.
└ Fr, I thought a revolution was breaking out in Berlin ffs;
└ No way;; Was it that bad?
└ To Germans, soccer is more than religion.
└ Right now in Berlin, Park Chan-hyuk is untouchable;;
News of the renewal with Union Berlin and me spread across the world.
Various reactions poured in, centered around Union Berlin fans.
Among them was even the president of Real Madrid.
[Perez Expresses Regret Over Park Chan-hyuk's Renewal. "That kid is too big for a small club like Union Berlin."]
By the way, why is this old man so obsessed?
Well. It wasn't particularly important to me right now.
***
Meanwhile, at that time.
Real Madrid's President Perez was genuinely disappointed by the news of Park Chan-hyuk's renewal.
He thought communication would be smooth since Park understood his plans.
But soon after, when Union Berlin's documentary was released, he quickly revised his thinking.
- We are now heading to the Santiago Bernabéu. We will not surrender or be defeated. We will fight to the end. As long as we hear the cheers of our fans, we will never give up. No matter what hardships, adversity, or trials come our way, we will overcome them. We have already fought and won against Madrid and Barcelona. Now, only one step remains for us.
He felt an inexplicable sense of crisis from the sight of Park Chan-hyuk captivating the players with his speech.
"......Hmm. Better not to bring him after all."
He thought there was a risk of Park Chan-hyuk stealing the influence he could exert over the club.
And unlike other managers without backing, the Guten company backing Park Chan-hyuk was no pushover.
Real Madrid began approaching Mourinho as per their original plan.
However, the problem was.
[Mourinho Declares Stay at Inter. "I haven't yet given Inter what they want."]
Mourinho had been offended that Real Madrid wanted Park Chan-hyuk more than him first, leading him to reject Real Madrid and renew with Inter.
***
[Union Berlin Releases Documentary! Chronicles the Champions League Victory Journey!]
Around the time Mourinho renewed with Inter, Union Berlin's documentary was released via Guten and quickly spread worldwide.
Since it was still the 3G era, the quality wasn't great, but people didn't mind much. They hadn't even seen 4K footage anyway.
['Champs Winners' Union Berlin Documentary Set for Record-Breaking Box Office?]
Anyway, thanks to the title of 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League winners, Union Berlin's documentary quickly became a hit.
[Title: It's skyrocketing!]
└ Aaaargh! Shouldn't have sold! Shouldn't have sold!
└ No, seriously, why is this pumping so hard...?
└ The doc's a hit.
└ A doc hitting big enough to make a company like Guten surge this much?
└ Fuuuck, this is practically a national event.
└ Park Jung-ah-nim: Wherever Koreans are, that's the national index.
└ Talking BS, it's not a national thing. How many Koreans are investing overseas anyway.
And as a result, Guten's stock hit the upper limit again.
***
[How Union Berlin's Doc 'Iron and Blood' Became a Blockbuster.]
The hype around Union Berlin's documentary didn't die down easily.
The current boom was due to the unseen efforts of the production crew. The staff, who had unwittingly become fans while filming Union Berlin's documentary, had poured their souls into it.
Union Berlin's documentary included everything that drives soccer fans crazy: a romantic history, player chemistry, and tales of human triumph.
On top of that, Park Chan-hyuk's speeches to the players began generating massive buzz.
[Title: Seen the Union Berlin doc?]
The vibes are hitting hard af, wtf is this.
Almost gave a Roman salute to Park Chan-hyuk without thinking.
└ Hail Chan-hyuk!
└ Hail Chan-hyuk!
└ You crazies;;
└ Mommy, I wanna be Park Chan-hyuk when I grow up!
└ Fr tho, watching the doc, I get why the German kids got riled up like that.
└ Exaggeration ffs lol
└ Rebuild the economy, expand territory, make France last 6 weeks <<< If this doesn't hype you, you're not German.
└ Damn, seeing it like this, I kinda get the Germans back then;;
Someone even compiled a collection of Park Chan-hyuk's speeches from the doc.
[Title: Park Chan-hyuk Speech Compilation from the Doc.]
***
Time flew by after signing the renewal with Union Berlin.
Around the time the aftermath of the Guten-released Union Berlin documentary quieted down.
The World Cup, called the festival of the world, was finally upon us.
And Union Berlin was busier than usual right now.
Since some players would leave the team after the World Cup ended.
"Gareth."
"...Yes?"
"Don't waver."
"...."
For reference, I tried persuading them to stay, but it wasn't easy.
Compared to Real Madrid's budget, Union Berlin's was a mere handful. You couldn't put a team with decades of prestige on the same level as one just starting to make a name.
Sure, we had lifted the big ears by winning the Champions League last season. But if you asked players whether they'd rather go to Real Madrid or Union Berlin, 100 out of 100 would pick Real Madrid.
'And in the future, Real will sign FA players just on their history and image.'
In truth, creating a club that players dream of joining wasn't easy. It required a glorious history and achievements.
The history and achievements Union Berlin needed, I would write from now on. There were still many feats left, like 'Champions League three-peat, treble, and Bundesliga first invincible champions.'
'Let's make a team where local boys betray the club that raised them and leave on FA.'
That was the new goal I set for Union Berlin.
Hoping to transcend from a mere selling club to a prestigious powerhouse.
And a few days later.
[Union Berlin's Lee Sung-jae, Son Heung-min Called Up for 2010 South Africa World Cup!]
News spread that Union Berlin's Korean players had been called up for the World Cup.