Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Pruning
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Pruning.
***
Even after the rift opened between Tuchel and the players, time kept marching on.
Daniel Teixeira, the oldest member of the squad, and I did our best to soothe both Thomas Tuchel and the players, but the situation showed no signs of improving.
“Chan-hyuk, what now?”
“Well… time will sort it out.”
The team atmosphere had hit rock bottom, but I wasn’t too worried.
I didn’t think club president Dirk Zingler would boot Thomas Tuchel.
Sure, if Tuchel had clashed with the entire squad, that’d be one thing, but the conflict only involved about half the players.
‘For Tuchel’s temperament, that’s actually pretty mild.’
And the ones rebelling against Tuchel weren’t the core members—they were more like the chaff. Players with middling potential and current ability, the kind who were iffy to bring up with us next season.
‘Might as well use this chance to thin the herd.’
Key players like Yannick Foigt, Daniel Teixeira, and Marcus Matzke had all backed Tuchel.
They were the ones who’d vented their fury after losses on the pitch.
‘Good. They’ve got fire.’
With their high growth potential, they were exactly the kind of talent Union Berlin needed to hold onto.
I kept an eye on the players resisting Tuchel’s iron-fisted rule.
‘Feels like I’m drawing up a hit list all of a sudden.’
What can you do? It’s inevitable.
Union Berlin had locked up promotion and the title early, but after that title-clinching loss, the upbeat vibes had fizzled out.
Now, it was time to gear up for next season.
One day, as I quietly compiled my hit list.
“Chan-hyuk, join me for dinner tonight. We’ve got a lot to discuss.”
Thomas Tuchel invited me over for supper.
Seemed like he’d finally sorted out some of his recent turmoil.
That evening, I headed to Tuchel’s place, and we ended up having a deeper conversation than expected.
In our talk, I sensed that Tuchel’s heart wasn’t fully in the club anymore.
‘Well, for Tuchel, sticking it out this long is impressive enough.’
Tuchel’s ideals were sky-high. His standards for the players were crystal clear.
But compared to those ideals, Union Berlin’s situation was a total dumpster fire.
He’d endured thanks to our chats, understanding the club’s poverty, but it looked like he’d hit his limit.
“Sigh, I have no idea what to do…. Hey, what are you up to?”
“Inheriting the manager’s seat.”
“Not in the mood for jokes. Sit down.”
“Man, Germans are no fun.”
Tuchel let out a dry chuckle at my quip, but only for a moment.
“Sigh, once we promote, a ton of players will get culled, huh.”
Thomas Tuchel suddenly turned serious, muttering to himself.
“So? That’s just how it goes. If they don’t fit the league level, cut ’em loose.”
“Even so, I wanted to see one last spark of hope from them before climbing out of the third division.”
I fell silent at Tuchel’s words.
Maybe it was the romance of a rookie manager.
I’d had my phase like that too.
‘Building from the lower leagues with players you met there… yeah, that’s got a certain romance.’
But reality doesn’t play nice.
Players stick in the lower leagues for a reason—whether it’s lack of talent or effort.
That’s why standout potential is so rare down there. Sloppy training, poor self-management—they squander what they’ve got.
Sure, not everyone. Some lose potential to injuries or bad training methods.
But you couldn’t deny there were way more of the former.
“Why drag along guys with no drive or effort to improve?”
What can I say… maybe I’m just a cold-hearted bastard.
***
Thomas Tuchel was startled by Park Chan-hyuk’s icy words.
“Why drag along guys with no drive or effort to improve?”
He’d figured Chan-hyuk, who was closer to the players than he was, would struggle with letting the current squad go.
“Thomas, we’re not teachers. We don’t have to hold hands and drag along the ones who can’t keep up.”
But Chan-hyuk was even more ruthless than him.
‘He’s like a seasoned pro already.’
It didn’t feel bad. Public and private were clearly separated.
Thomas Tuchel gazed at Park Chan-hyuk with newfound respect.
Chan-hyuk was way younger, but there was plenty to learn from him.
‘I still have a long way to go.’
Convinced he wasn’t ready to be a top manager yet, Thomas Tuchel turned down offers from second-division clubs and decided to stick with Union Berlin a bit longer.
***
The day after our deep heart-to-heart with Thomas Tuchel.
He’d reignited his passion.
‘Huh? What’s this?’
I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
I’d been mentally prepping for a post-Tuchel era, so this threw me for a loop.
‘So all that time I spent agonizing over who to keep or cut was for nothing?’
While I was still clueless about Tuchel’s sudden mood swing.
Union Berlin had a league match.
The rebels against Tuchel were benched, and backups got their shot.
They saw it as a chance to impress the boss. They weren’t as polished as the starters, but damn, they gave it their all.
Still, you can’t beat raw skill gaps.
[Union Berlin Suffers Shocking Three-Game Losing Streak…]
We dropped another tough one, making it three straight losses.
The media, who’d been hyping our unbeaten title run, flipped 180 degrees the moment we hit that skid.
They turned aggressive.
[Union Berlin’s Thomas Tuchel: Struggling to Control the Squad?]
[Why the Massive Starting Lineup Shuffle?]
[Thomas Tuchel Dismisses Controversy…. “Just Giving Others a Chance.”]
The press questioned Tuchel’s grip on the team and leadership, while fans watched anxiously.
[President Dirk Zingler Stands Firm on Manager: “No One Better Than Tuchel.”]
Dirk Zingler publicly reaffirmed his unwavering support for Thomas Tuchel.
Anyway, the pruning continued into the next match. A good number of players got weeded out in the process.
Current form, potential, professionalism, competitive drive—we weighed it all.
Meanwhile, as Union Berlin’s pruning went on.
Time flew by to league round 29.
The final home game of the 05/06 season approached.
***
Union Berlin’s last home match of the season.
I started for the first time in ages.
Tuchel had graciously given me the nod as a reward for my efforts, a chance to say thanks to the fans.
Not that the game itself was anything special.
With both teams’ league positions locked, players held back to save themselves for next season.
I soaked up the home crowd’s applause and subbed off at the 70th minute of the second half.
That was it.
[League Round 29 Ends: Union Berlin Draws, Snaps Losing Streak.]
[League Round 30 Ends: Union Berlin Caps Season with Win, Promotes to Third Division.]
***
Season over, Union Berlin celebrated our return to the third division.
A bit bittersweet that our unbeaten run ended seven games early, but it’d been a stellar season to launch our new era.
Anyway, after the finale, the players jetted off on vacation.
Some headed back to day jobs, but they’d all get summer break soon enough.
Unlike the players kicking back, Tuchel, me, and president Dirk Zingler got slammed. Time to draw up the incoming and outgoing player lists.
Silver lining: Promotion eased our finances, so Union Berlin finally got a sporting director.
Still, my rep for scouting meant I’d keep doing that gig.
‘Hey, beats the alternative.’
Just offloading director duties cut my workload big time.
Anyway, every player who’d rebelled against Tuchel made the outgoing list. Mostly amateurs, so it wrapped quick.
With spots opening up, Tuchel’s wishlist filled fast.
“Chan-hyuk, what about this guy?”
Thomas Tuchel asked.
Familiar face. Young, decent current stats and potential, but a massive red flag only insiders would know.
‘Pro mindset at a 6.’
I shut it down flat.
“Work ethic’s trash.”
“…Got it. How about this one?”
Great current ability, but potential already maxed out.
“Face screams ‘can’t play soccer.’”
Harsh, but third division’s talent pool is like fourth division plus. Better than fourth, but most have flaws.
Or they’re reserves from top-flight clubs.
‘Speaking of, we’ll be facing Bundesliga reserve sides soon.’
Tuchel eyed me warily as I kept dropping negatives.
“…You can tell that just from skimming a match?”
“Hey, trust me. It’s the eye test.”
By the time we’d nearly filled the list.
The 2006 World Cup in Germany loomed.
Union Berlin fans were buzzing with anticipation for the home tournament, just like everyone else.
While top-flight clubs scrambled ahead of the World Cup.
Union Berlin was weirdly chill.
Made sense—no World Cup players were realistic targets for a third-division side like us.
As I wrapped up a meeting and headed home.
Union Berlin’s new sporting director popped into the conference room.
“Chan-hyuk, call from a Korean broadcaster.”
“…Huh?”
***