Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Union Berlin and the Broadcast Shoot
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Union Berlin and the broadcast filming.
***
With the World Cup in Germany fast approaching, the broadcast stations planning World Cup special programs got to work verifying whether their location bookings had gone off without a hitch.
It was expensive overseas filming, after all, and if the locations weren't secured properly, it would be a total disaster.
In the process, the stations caught wind of Union Berlin and pulled out all the stops to book them.
Located in Germany's capital, Berlin, Union Berlin was appealing alongside Frankfurt, where Cha Bum-kun had shone.
Even though it was a third-division league team, it had a Korean serving as assistant coach. Plus, Union Berlin's story from last season had been nothing short of fantastic.
'Man... Looking back now, that was some CP-level insight.'
As PDs from rival stations scrambled to book Union Berlin,
The main PD, who had gotten ahead of the curve and secured them first, sauntered into the meeting room with a relaxed air.
One week before the variety show filming.
It was to adjust Union Berlin's screen time.
"Why the long face on our maknae? Something wrong?"
The main PD was in such high spirits that he could even spot the subtle expression on the junior PD, who he'd normally overlook.
That's when word got to the main PD that the Union Berlin appearance booking had fallen through.
His sky-high mood plummeted into the gutter in an instant.
"Then book them right now, you bastard! If you screw this up, I won't let it slide!"
***
Once Union Berlin locked in their promotion to the third division, proposals came flooding in from Korea.
The first ones were club sponsorship offers.
With Union Berlin's league moving up from amateur to semi-pro status,
Unlike amateur games, semi-pro matches were scheduled for broadcast every time.
As if aware of that, sponsorship proposals started pouring in from Korea.
But Union Berlin turned down most of the offers from Korea.
'The sponsorship money's stingier than I thought?'
Few companies had made offers enticing enough to tempt Union Berlin.
'No way, this is a loan shark outfit. And wasn't this one caught up in that franchise owner scandal?'
Even the good offers often came from companies with their own issues.
In short, there was zero merit to swapping out the existing sponsors.
They weren't desperate for cash right now anyway—last season's influx of new members had stabilized the club's finances more than expected.
[Union Berlin decides to stick with existing sponsors despite attractive offers from Korea.]
We chose to honor our loyalty to the sponsors who stood by us in tough times, as long as the money wasn't drastically different.
It seemed better for the club's image, too.
"Chan-hyuk, you're doing the broadcast appearance, right? I even bought an outfit to wear that day."
"Chan-hyuk, how's this suit? Does it have that chairman-like gravitas?"
Anyway, the broadcast appearance was just one of the many proposals.
Truth be told, I'd been planning to turn it down. As assistant coach rather than manager, it felt like showing off too much.
"Chan-hyuk, why pass up such a great opportunity!"
"Then let's democratically vote on the broadcast appearance proposal."
"Chairman, I'm all for the broadcast appearance!"
But every club staffer except me was enthusiastically in favor of the filming.
"No, the offer came to me—why vote...?"
"Tut tut, we can't make decisions like that in Germany. Democracy, remember?"
The broadcast appearance was greenlit through democratic procedure. What was surprising was that even Thomas Tuchel was positive about it.
'...Okay, fine for the others, but why Tuchel?'
Even though the vast majority agreed to the filming, I still tried to decline the appearance.
'What if they devil-edit me or something.'
I didn't trust Korean broadcasts.
But.
"Please, sir, save me here."
The PD in charge sounded so desperately earnest in his booking plea that I caved.
***
A few days later.
The variety show filming kicked off.
Nothing special about it.
Just a simple schedule introducing the team Union Berlin.
"We won the fourth division just a few days ago and got promoted to the third division."
There was a minor incident midway, where some neo-Nazis gathered and made slanted-eye gestures at the Asian guy.
"You little shits dare slant your eyes at our Chan-hyuk?"
But furious Union Berlin fans beat the tar out of them, and it was handled.
The main PD and camera director grinned ear to ear while filming the neo-Nazis getting pummeled.
'Is that stuff really gonna air?'
It felt like something that would've been cut in the future, but who knows the standards of this era's broadcasts.
Anyway, the footage shot today was set to air in the preview this Sunday.
'Whoa, their filming schedule's brutal.'
And a few days after that.
To coincide with Germany's opening match schedule, Union Berlin held an event opening up the stadium.
Union Berlin fans hauled sofas from home and set them up in the stands.
They stared in wonder at the fact that a film crew had come all the way from a country called Korea to film the club they supported.
Germany crushed Costa Rica 4-2 in the opener. The ecstatic Union Berlin fans pulled out road flares from under their sofas and set them off.
"Fire! Fire!"
It caused some panic among the Korean crew.
"But those are just road flares."
No big issue.
Anyway, the broadcast folks, whom I'd expected to be arrogant, turned out surprisingly polite, and the filming vibe was decent.
'Is it because they saw Union Berlin fans thrashing neo-Nazis in the street?'
***
Both the Union Berlin event and the variety shoot wrapped up smoother than expected.
I'd even gotten buddy-buddy with the main PD by then.
And a few days before parting ways.
A great idea suddenly hit me.
'What if we do preseason in Korea?'
I'd have to discuss it with manager Thomas Tuchel, but I doubted he'd object.
Even if it was a pro league from a soccer backwater, matches against pro players would surely help.
Plus, we could do team-building winter training there while we were at it.
I pitched it to the main PD right away.
"I'll have to get approval from above, but I'll push as hard as I can to make it happen."
The main PD hedged a bit but reacted positively.
I broached the next topic carefully with him.
"Hyung, but..."
"Yeah?"
"Could we maybe get an appearance fee, even a small one?"
"..."
"If not that, at least cover the flight tickets..."
The woes of a poor club.
***
A few days after casually floating the idea.
Word came from the main PD.
Looked like he'd convinced the bigwigs.
'Hey, Chan-hyuk. Oseong, the Korean league sponsor, has agreed to invite Union Berlin. And the variety show proposal passed too.'
I headed to the club with the broadcast station's offer in hand.
Club president Dirk Zingler gave me a thumbs-up. Facing pros would be valuable experience for a third-division side.
"Might be worth scouting and signing some promising youngsters while we're at it."
Could do some prospect signings in Korea on the side—no harm in that.
FIFA's youth transfer ban was an issue, but routing it through the soccer association's overseas study program would sort it.
'So that's why FIFA banned soccer study abroad programs later on.'
Anyway, the president and GM approved the broadcast filming.
All that was left was Thomas Tuchel.
He might be the tallest mountain of all.
His head was filled with nothing but soccer, not club interests.
"So, where are we going?"
"To remake our players' rotten attitudes and mindsets."
But once I spilled the beans on the secret location, Thomas Tuchel gave the okay easier than expected.
Only the players were left, but convincing them was a breeze.
"Whoa... I'm gonna be on TV?"
"Am I gonna be famous now?"
Just saying we'd be on broadcast had them signing off without hearing details.
***
Once Union Berlin's invitation was confirmed and a match scheduled against a Korean league pro team,
Articles about the exhibition game flooded Korea.
Naturally, Korean league fans voiced their displeasure.
Union Berlin's objective strength ranked among the weaker third-division sides.
[How far has the Korean league fallen?]
Park Chan-hyuk, surveying Korean public opinion, nodded.
'As expected, the vibe's not great.'
Having foreseen this backlash, Park Chan-hyuk unleashed his secret weapon.
"...Is this Cha Bum-kun's homeland? I've wanted to visit so bad."
"Ooh! Saranghae! Yeon-gaga! Jungkke!"
"Korea's science power is numbah one in the wooooorld─!"
"Do you know Cha Bum, Chan-ho Park?"
"Kimchi, so tasty."
Incredibly, public opinion flipped just like that.
***
Upon arriving in Korea, Union Berlin headed straight to the winter training site. The players gawked curiously at the cameras set up in the bus.
After bonding with new joiners at the training site, they'd head up to Seoul for preseason.
For the record, it hadn't taken me long to think of this spot for team unity.
'Klopp took his squad to an uninhabited island for bonding, right?'
It reminded me of Jürgen Klopp's deserted island anecdote.
'Then we'll go to a military base.'
As the bus carrying Union Berlin pulled in, the players' eyes filled with bewilderment.
"Heh heh. You guys have been kidnapped."
I stoked some fear in them.
'Nothing builds unity like the army.'
Spotting the broadcast cameras in the training yard, the players finally relaxed.
"Move it, move it!"
I naturally took a black cap from the drill instructor and started herding the players.
Thomas Tuchel, nodding approvingly at the players snapping to attention, tried to slip away.
"Trainee number two, where do you think you're going!"
I barked at Thomas Tuchel.
"...?"
I bellowed again at the flustered Tuchel.
"No exemptions except for the sick!"
His glare made me flinch a bit.
But it was fine.
Karma would hit future me, not present me.
"Keh keh. Good luck, everyone."
"Trainee number one, where do you think you're going?!"
"Eh... me too?"
Of course, even the president got no exemption.