Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: 2010 South Africa World Cup -2
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***
[2010 South Africa World Cup Final Roster to be Revealed Tomorrow.]
The 2009/2010 season had wrapped up, and the day for the 2010 South Africa World Cup final rosters was fast approaching. Union Berlin's players wore tense expressions as they awaited the announcements.
Right now, Union Berlin was packed with players from all sorts of countries—Germany, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Croatia, Poland, the Netherlands, Argentina, and more.
Well, as expected from a Bundesliga side, there were a fair number of Germans, but it was still a pretty multinational squad. It wasn't intentional; it just happened that way as the team took shape.
Faction issues could have cropped up based on nationalities, but thanks to the leadership group's efforts, nothing major ever arose.
"Hey, which country's dropping their final roster first?"
"Korea."
"Oh, Korea!"
Anyway, players from World Cup-qualifying nations were praying their names made the cut. Representing your country on the biggest stage was an immense honor for any footballer.
'And if you shine there, your market value skyrockets.'
I watched the players chattering excitedly about the World Cup. Even those whose countries hadn't qualified stuck around the clubhouse instead of heading straight on vacation, ready to celebrate or console their teammates.
'Man, this club really is like one big family.'
It hit me anew just how much the World Cup truly was a global festival.
An electric atmosphere was building, and the players were getting hyped.
[Union Berlin's Lee Sung-jae and Son Hong-min Called Up to 2010 South Africa World Cup!]
Soon after, Korea's World Cup roster dropped.
"W-whoa!"
"Hey, that's us, right?!"
"Yeah, it says Union Berlin as our club!"
Lee Sung-jae and Son Hong-min lit up with joy and cheered, and the other players nearby shared their genuine excitement.
"What? You guys got called up?"
"Go rip it up at the World Cup, you kids!"
That kicked things off, and one by one, the final rosters started coming in. In no time, Union Berlin's clubhouse was buzzing.
[Angel Di Maria Named to Argentina National Team Roster.]
[Virgil van Dijk Fails to Make South Africa World Cup Squad.]
[Thiago Silva, Dante Join Brazil's 'Seleção'.]
[Thomas Mayer Joins German National Team!]
['Iron Heart' Yannick Foight Called Up to 2010 South Africa World Cup...]
└ Captainnnn ㅠㅠ
└ Holy shit, from factory worker to international ㄷㄷ;;
└ Why is this guy's life a movie?
└ Heard the Yannick and Park Chan-hyuk story's getting made into a film.
└ For real?
└ BS lol
└ What the fuck, man.
└ But it'd be awesome if it actually happened.
└ Fr, such a romantic tale.
└ Assistant coach of a sinking club and a factory grunt... and these two go on to conquer the Champions League ㄷㄷ
***
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
Halfway around the world in Korea, the World Cup fever was running red-hot.
['Korean Express' Son Hong-min Joining National Team?]
Korean soccer fans were buzzing with anticipation for the South Africa World Cup.
Not just the established stars, but promising youngsters kept emerging.
[Union Berlin Manager Park Chan-hyuk: "I Hope Our Players Return Without Injury."]
And topping the hype was Union Berlin's Son Hong-min. After all, he was a regular sub on the Champions League-winning side.
Lee Sung-jae was from the same club, but the spotlight on a forward versus a midfielder was on another level.
[Title: So Hong-min's starting up top for the national team?]
└ Hope they run that Park Chan-hyuk tactic where he used Son as the striker.
└ Ugh, will it fix our finishing woes?
└ Everyone, time to worship Park Chan-hyuk?
Around then, Korean fans were zeroing in on finishing as the perennial Achilles' heel of Korean soccer.
With Son Hong-min seen as the guy to solve it—and having notched the most goals of any Korean in Europe that season—the hype around him was off the charts.
- Is this Son Hong-min guy any good?
- Plays for the top team in Europe.
- Since when is Union Berlin Europe's best? Lmao
- Yeah, we won the Champions League this season, so we're number one~ fuck off~
As the World Cup loomed, TV broadcasts dissected Korea's squad, introducing even casual fans—who didn't follow foreign leagues—to Son Hong-min and Lee Sung-jae.
- Hey, shouldn't we send more prospects to Union Berlin?
- Fr, other Asian countries are scrambling to ship their kids there, why are we sitting quiet?
Their success naturally sparked chatter among Korean fans.
The KFA's Elite Youth Overseas Study Program quickly drew massive attention.
Talk was heating up about sending a second wave of students to Union Berlin.
Truth be told, the KFA wanted to keep funneling prospects there.
[ KFA Faces Backlash Over Union Berlin 'Favoritism'? ]
But internal and external controversy over favoritism toward Park Chan-hyuk and Union Berlin forced them to spread players to other clubs.
- Sending prospects to a Champions League winner is favoritism? Get real.
- Ugh, Korea wasn't giving favors—we were the ones getting them, idiots.
Still, results elsewhere paled in comparison to Union Berlin.
The KFA tried resuming coordination with Union Berlin, but the club had no rush.
Post their overseas program's success, countries were lining up to send prospects their way.
Not just Asia anymore—offers poured in from everywhere.
Winning the Champions League had elevated their status entirely.
Anyway, separate from the KFA scrambling to send more kids to Union Berlin, fans' passion for last season's Champions League champs burned bright.
[Title: Damn, Union Berlin's sending a ton of internationals this time.]
└ World-class club ㄷㄷ
└ Almost the whole squad's national teamers;;
└ Champions League win really changed everything.
└ Y'all, any new signings from Union Berlin?
└ Probably after the World Cup?
└ Whoa... World Cup players coming to Union Berlin?
└ Fr, club's prestige levels up every year lol
***
The season's end plunged Union Berlin into a whirlwind of activity.
[Gareth Bale Draws Love Calls from Big Clubs.]
Transfer bids from top clubs flooded in for Union Berlin players.
And the hottest commodity right now? Gareth Bale.
Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski was drawing big interest too, but not quite Bale-level.
For context, this was all due to Union Berlin's unique situation.
With Yannick Foight and Thomas Mayer flatly rejecting big-money moves, it cemented the idea that players who'd joined from lower leagues weren't leaving easily.
Plus, Lewandowski hung out mostly with Yannick and Thomas.
[Union Berlin Sets Gareth Bale Price Tag at €150 Million.]
Union Berlin slapped a €150 million fee on Bale for Real Madrid.
A galactic sum, eclipsing even Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer record.
[Union Berlin's Ballsy Business to Keep Gareth Bale?]
Most clubs balked at the price.
But Real Madrid kept negotiating. Naming a figure instead of "Not for Sale" meant room to talk.
[Real Madrid Bids €130 Million for Gareth Bale.]
Meanwhile, Manchester United showed interest in Shinji Kagawa.
[Shinji Kagawa to Man Utd for £28 Million!]
└ How much is 28 mil pounds?
└ Like 50 billion won?
└ Shit, hyung Chan-hyuk, burger plz.
└ Union Berlin made the cash, why's Park gotta buy burgers?
└ Ain't it Chan-hyuk hyung's club?
└ Not yet;;
Not long after.
Shinji Kagawa sealed his Manchester United move first.
"Kagawa, Man Utd's doomed, mark my words!"
"Nah, Manager, how's a Premier League giant like United gonna flop?"
I'd tried convincing Kagawa to stay, but no dice.
Japan's Premier League obsession rivaled Korea's.
In the end, I had to accept Kagawa's United transfer.
[Shinji Kagawa's Man Utd Move Confirmed.]
└ Why no transfer buzz for Hong-min?
└ Word is Park cut offers the second they came in.
The day after Kagawa's deal locked in.
'Duckbae. Hyung's coming.'
I headed to Belgium to scout his replacement.