Chapter 193
Chapter 193
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Park Chan-hyuk's Country -3
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***
At the very moment Park Chan-hyuk was trembling in fear at the "pitch" of Seoul's Sangam World Cup Stadium.
└ Man, for a second I was wondering why everyone was booing Park Chan-hyuk.
└ Lol, first time I've seen fans boo a manager to do a celebration.
└ Honestly though, it's kinda disappointing if he doesn't do one in Korea lol.
└ They showed him doing it on the broadcast, but not in real life? Can't stand for that.
Viewers watching the match live started flooding the chat like crazy. They found it bizarre that people were booing Park Chan-hyuk for not doing a celebration.
└ Woo! Park Chan-hyuk, do the celebration!
└ Is this reverse discrimination? He did it in Germany ㅠㅠ
Anyway, starting with the fans at Seoul's Sangam World Cup Stadium watching live, public opinion began to lightly condemn Park Chan-hyuk.
└ Ahh... aaa... ㅠㅠ Manager ㅠㅠ
└ The man who sacrificed his ACL for fan service to Korean fans, King Chan-hyuk...
But as soon as Park Chan-hyuk pointed to his knee, the rising backlash went dead silent in an instant.
└ Wait, doesn't someone need to do something about Korean pitches for real?
└ Fr;; Lucky he's the manager, or he might've ended a player's career.
Soon after, the chat shifted to blasting the state of Korean pitches.
└ Oh yeah, you guys remember that?
└ Remember what? Fuck, I'm gonna get cancer from your spelling.
└ It can happen. Way to make a big deal.
└ So, what is it?
└ After Park Chan-hyuk's knee slide, every team in the Korean league banned knee-slide celebrations lol.
└ Lmao ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Now that you mention it, no one's done a knee-slide celebration since Park Chan-hyuk tore his ACL.
└ ㅠㅠ Coach Park sacrificed his body for the future of Korean soccer.
And with that, the tale of every Korean league club banning knee-slide celebrations wrapped up the chat.
***
"Kevin De Bruyne with a fantastic long-range strike! Union Berlin takes a 1-0 lead."
"Indeed, what a powerful shot. By the way, what do we even call this guy? Kevin De Bruyne, Kevin De Bruyne, Kevin De Bruyne, Kevin De Bruyne—which one's right?"
"Yes, if he wins Man of the Match after the game, someone should step up and ask him."
After Kevin De Bruyne's opener, Union Berlin dominated the Korean League All-Stars.
In preseason games, teams often held back for conditioning and tactical checks.
"The Korean League All-Stars launch a counter! But Casemiro gets there first and intercepts the ball."
"Wow, this guy's on fire today. Can't even count how many interceptions he's made."
But with Union Berlin's starters away on holiday, they fielded a mix of 1.5-team and reserves—who were running their hearts out to catch Manager Park Chan-hyuk's eye.
"Casemiro wins the ball and plays it straight to Kevin De Bruyne!"
"Kevin De Bruyne receives on the wing, shaking off the Korean All-Stars' pressure! Through ball to the onrushing Mohamed Salah!"
"Fast! Salah! Shoots! Oh! But it's straight at the keeper! Mohamed Salah clutches his head in frustration! Didn't ripple the net, but that confident strike was impressive."
"Exactly! This match just proves Park Chan-hyuk is the real deal. All the prospects he personally signed are putting on a show."
"Yes. No wonder European soccer is buzzing about his eye for talent! Hope he keeps unearthing more gems."
The result? A half-court game.
- Wait, what? Half-court game for real??
└ Who called Korea a soccer powerhouse?
└ Holy shit, is the Korean league level real? Getting absolutely destroyed.
└ It's the All-Stars, so they don't gel well.
└ Fair, but Union Berlin's basically their reserves;;
Soccer fans who'd thought Korean soccer had advanced after the World Cup semis were shocked by the gap with Union Berlin.
└ These guys forget Union Berlin won the UEFA Champions League last season?
└ Oh yeah, true.
└ Best team in Europe? Checks out.
└ Think Union Berlin can win the Champions League again this season?
└ They didn't reinforce much, so who knows.
└ Key is filling the void from Gareth Bale and Shinji Kagawa, but too early to tell.
└ Anyway, Kevin De Bruy-whoever? Name's a bitch. "Duckbae" for him, but that Salah kid seems lacking.
└ Duckbae lmao fuck
└ Instant nickname max affinity.
└ Salah's a prospect. They'll probably start Son Heung-min and Angel Di Maria.
└ But seriously, doesn't Union Berlin need some big names?
└ Fr, why'd they pass on Zlatan? Such a waste.
└ Striker spots are half-full already ffs.
└ Oh right, weren't they signing Ozil?
└ Union Berlin bid, but Werder Bremen doubled his price, so they backed off.
└ They made bank from last season's title, spend some damn money. Tsk.
└ Talking like it's not the club's money.
└ It's the club's, not Park Chan-hyuk's.
└ What? It is Park Chan-hyuk's money.
└ Why's it his? He own the club or what?
└ Nah, not owner, but a company owned by Park Chan-hyuk's 'family' is the majority shareholder.
As viewers bantered and laughed, Kevin De Bruyne's through ball found Roberto Lewandowski.
"Kevin De Bruyne with a brilliant through ball! To Roberto Lewandowski! Lewy!! Shoots! GOOOAAAL! Roberto Lewandowski makes it two! Union Berlin leads 2-0!"
Now with some real experience under his belt, Roberto Lewandowski trapped it cleanly, stayed composed, and slotted home to shake the Korean All-Stars' net again.
***
Meanwhile, at that time.
‘If I make my mark in today's game, I'll get more chances this season, right?’
Like the other Union Berlin players, prospect Mohamed Salah was running like a madman in this preseason match, desperate to catch the manager's eye.
[Park Chan-hyuk Lavishes Praise on Mohamed Salah in Egyptian Media Interview: "Soccer Fans Should Remember This Name."]
[Park Chan-hyuk's Chosen One, Mohamed Salah: Egypt's Messi?]
Joining Union Berlin was a golden opportunity for Salah.
Park Chan-hyuk and Union Berlin had become a dream club for prospects.
When word got out that Park was interested, all of Europe paid attention.
Sure enough, Salah became Egypt's hottest prospect the moment he signed with Union Berlin.
['Park Chan-hyuk Effect?' Mohamed Salah's Value Doubles on Transfermarkt After Union Berlin Signing.]
This showed Park Chan-hyuk's stature in European soccer.
Anyway, perhaps from the psychological pressure to shine, Salah put too much into his shot.
"Kevin De Bruyne's perfect cross finds Mohamed Salah! Salah! Shoots!"
Salah's effort sailed way over the bar.
"Oh! Salah's shot flies high!"
And right after, the ref's final whistle blew, ending Salah's Union Berlin debut.
***
‘What's up with that kid.’
After the game, I noticed Mohamed Salah looking utterly dejected.
Unlike his future world-class self, the current Salah was just a raw, young kid.
‘Come to think of it, there was that story about a Korean player teaching Mohamed Salah how to tidy up?’
I decided to give the kid a light pep talk.
The little kid inside me whispered to shout 'Assalamu alaikum' at Mohamed Salah.
But joking around right now felt like it could backfire badly. His mentality was that fragile.
Anyway, I couldn't just watch my prized prospect wilt before blooming.
"Mohamed, trust me when I say I believe in your talent. You'll be a legend in the Bundesliga and Union Berlin someday."
I sat next to Mohamed Salah and slowly tried some gas—no, trust-lighting.
"......I wanna play in the Premier League someday."
Unfortunately, trust-lighting didn't work on Salah.
‘Sigh. Doesn't land. Would've locked in a lifetime contract if it was Yanick.’
***
[Union Berlin Beats Korean League All-Stars 3-0.]
With the friendly against the Korean All-Stars done, the Korea schedule wrapped up.
Union Berlin flew back to Germany immediately.
World Cup players rejoined the squad after their breaks.
They also played a preseason against Manchester City before the season kicked off.
That one ended in a hard-fought 2-2 draw, FYI.
Tuchel and I focused more on player fitness and tactical polish than the result.
[UEFA Super Cup: Union Berlin vs. Atletico Madrid.]
Time flew, bringing the UEFA Super Cup clash with Atletico Madrid—ushering in the 2010/2011 season.