Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Thomas Tuchel and the Players
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Thomas Tuchel and the Players.
***
The day before the match, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
‘But since I got suspended as a manager, doesn’t that mean I can play as a player?’
Aren’t suspensions for managers different from those for players?
‘I haven’t been here long, so I don’t know the rules well.’
But I didn’t know the German Football Association regulations in detail. And such situations were rare to begin with.
‘To pull this off, you’d have to be both manager and player.’
There were several prerequisites to fulfilling that mission.
Anyway, I immediately ran to club president Dirk Zingler and Thomas Tuchel, who would likely know the detailed rules.
“…There’s some logic to it.”
“Sigh. What do the exact regulations say?”
“Well, cases like this are so rare that we’ll have to ask the association.”
A sense of pride swelled in my chest at the thought that I might be breaking new ground with this achievement.
We immediately inquired with the DFB about the matter.
[The suspension document specifies a ‘ban from entering the stadium.’]
Shortly after, a response came from the Berlin regional football association.
Thomas Tuchel and Dirk Zingler’s gazes turned to me as they checked the document.
I quietly looked away.
‘I threw out the suspension document without reading it….’
Back in my previous life, when I was managing a pro team in Korea, I’d received so many suspensions that tossing the boilerplate documents without reading them had become a habit.
***
[Union Berlin Continues Donation Campaign.]
Even while I was suspended from coaching by the football association, Union Berlin’s donation campaign continued at every match.
[Union Berlin Fined for Flares.]
Thanks to that, Union Berlin fans gained the right to freely use flares, and the club paid the fines while freely using the remaining donations.
‘Considering people get drawn in by the touching story and donate even more, it’s pretty lucrative.’
It was a happy outcome for both fans and the club.
Anyway, after the suspension, I thought I’d have some free time since I wasn’t playing, but…
‘…When do I get to rest?’
Workaholic Thomas Tuchel wouldn’t leave me alone, and new tasks started pouring in.
While I was being ground to dust, time flew by.
Union Berlin’s home stadium hosted the final match of the first half of the season.
“Chan-hyuk, eat some fruit.”
“Yes!”
Banned from the stadium, I was finally taking a rest at home after a long time.
‘Getting suspended might not be so bad after all….’
***
At the very moment Park Chan-hyuk was resting.
Union Berlin’s home fans filled the stadium to the brim.
Perhaps because Union Berlin was still charging forward unbeaten, the fans sang their chants with flushed, excited faces.
“Union! Union! Union!”
Amid the fans’ passionate cheers, Union Berlin claimed a satisfying victory in the final match of the first half.
***
[Union Berlin Hosts Christmas Carol Event at Home Stadium.]
The final match of the first half ended, and on December 23rd, with Christmas approaching.
Even though there was no match scheduled, fans in red hats holding candles began gathering at the stadium one by one, then two by two.
It had started when fans sang carols to overcome the tough times after Union Berlin fell to the bottom of the league in 2003.
Before long, the stadium was packed with fans.
Club staff and players joined them, also wearing red hats, taking their places in the stadium.
“What do you think? Isn’t it beautiful?”
Dirk Zingler, the president, wanted to keep the Christmas event going steadily. He believed it was the club’s duty to repay the fans’ love, as the club had survived thanks to them.
“We’re the workers’ team. We’ve been a poor team since East German days, but we endured the hard times with our fans’ love. And I believe we’ll overcome this crisis with their love too.”
I nodded at President Dirk’s words, which rang out clearly amid the echoing Christmas carols. In my previous life, Union Berlin had risen to the Bundesliga and even made it to the Champions League.
***
The Christmas event ended, and the official winter break began.
Separate from the players heading off on their short but precious vacations.
The real work for the manager, coaches, and board was just getting started.
“No players leaving in the winter transfer window, right?”
“Well, we’ll have to see.”
Most of Union Berlin’s players were on amateur contracts, which was an advantage for cutting costs.
But the downside was low or nonexistent release clauses, meaning they could leave the club anytime.
“Thomas Tuchel, guarantee my playing time! If you won’t, I demand a contract termination!”
“Chan-hyuk, think about your position.”
Some Union Berlin players were dissatisfied with their playing time and were seriously considering leaving.
But higher priority than them was renewing the contract with Yannick Feith, who had now become Union Berlin’s ace.
Before the season started, Yannick Feith was expected to be mainly a rotation player.
But he developed at a rapid pace and had become a core member of the team.
And recently, as several clubs showed interest in Yannick Feith, Union Berlin’s worries began.
***
Yannick Feith.
Until just before the 05/06 season started, he’d been an ordinary worker, but lately, he was enjoying the peak of his life.
[Yannick Feith Scores in 8 Consecutive Matches…]
He was starting to make a name for himself in the lower leagues, drawing attention from local media.
‘This team is just upper mid-table in the third division.’
It was only natural that offers came pouring in for him.
‘Whoa! This one’s a second-division team?’
Among them were clubs at a level that could tempt Yannick Feith.
But still, he couldn’t bring himself to transfer.
‘Can I even do well if I leave here?’
It was fear of the challenge and a lack of confidence in himself.
So, he approached his teammates, who could objectively evaluate his abilities, for advice.
Markus, who had once played in the second division, and team veteran Daniel Teixeira were selected as counselors.
“The advantage of transferring is competing in a higher-level league.”
“And obviously, the facilities are way better. Your wages will go up too, so you can focus solely on football.”
“The downside? Having to compete with the existing players from the start? But competition is natural for footballers. I don’t see that as a big con.”
The two laid out the pros and cons of transferring without holding back.
“Then what are the pros of renewing?”
“Well? The fans…? German fans are passionate, but it’s hard to find ones as dedicated and fervent as these.”
“Oh, and the structured training. Separate from the poor facilities, the training here is pretty systematic.”
“What are the cons?”
“Everything else.”
After the consultation, Yannick Feith began pondering seriously.
‘Where else could I get training like this right now?’
And it wasn’t just the training.
He liked Union Berlin’s dedicated and passionate fans.
‘Yannick! You’ll play in the Bundesliga someday!’
Plus, there was his loyalty to Park Chan-hyuk, who had scouted him.
His words were sometimes burdensome, but they had been excellent motivation for reaching his current level—no denying that.
‘Still, the manager’s scary. Way too psycho.’
Yannick Feith made up his mind about his future deep in his heart.
Yannick Feith entered the room for contract renewal negotiations with his agent.
He took a deep breath and opened the door.
There sat assistant coach Park Chan-hyuk.
“Chan-hyuk!”
A natural smile spread across Yannick Feith’s lips.
***
There was no special reason for me to step in for Thomas Tuchel and Dirk Zingler in Yannick Feith’s contract renewal negotiations.
“Who scouted Yannick first?”
“Me, right?”
“Who trained with Yannick late into the night every day to improve his skills?”
“Me.”
“Who spent the most time with Yannick?”
“That’s me too, huh?”
“Then who should handle the renewal negotiations?”
“…Me.”
“Then go sign the renewal contract right now.”
Simply put, I was the closest to Yannick.
‘You think he’ll sign just because we’re friends? Contracts aren’t a joke.’
But contrary to my expectations, Yannick Feith signed the renewal surprisingly easily.
“I trust Chan-hyuk.”
“Calm down, Yannick! Still, you need to read the contract properly.”
His agent and I even had to stop Yannick from signing too hastily.
***
[Yannick Feith Renews with Union Berlin.]
Good news spread to Union Berlin fans just as the break ended.
In the second half of the league season that followed.
Union Berlin kept the unbeaten run going.
Of course, there were several crises with defeats looming midway.
The players got too conscious of the record, making their legs heavy with pressure.
[Park Chan-hyuk Scores Dramatic Equalizer! Union Berlin Maintains Unbeaten Streak!]
Still, the team somehow held on to the unbeaten record.
And before long, round 23 of the league arrived.
The match that would secure Union Berlin’s league title early was approaching.