Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: If You Can't Win, Join Them -1
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***
After Thomas Mayer's shot ripped into the net, the game clearly tilted in Union Berlin's favor.
[Union Berlin intercepts the ball once again!]
[We saw it in the match against O-Sung Red Wings too, but this team is incredibly organized! Thomas Tuchel has succeeded in building a truly great team!]
For the remainder of the first half, Union Berlin relentlessly hammered Hertha Berlin.
[Oh! Yannick Foite's shot sails wide just as the first half ends. If that had gone in, it would've all but sealed the victory! What a shame!]
Yannick Foite's shot cleared the crossbar, so it didn't result in a goal for Union Berlin.
But it was more than enough to send chills down the spines of Hertha Berlin's players.
'That would've ended the game if it had gone in. Too bad.'
The Hertha Berlin goalkeeper's face had gone pale white.
The stadium atmosphere made it clear that the momentum had decisively shifted toward Union Berlin.
“We will tear everything apart until we become German champions.”
Even though it was Hertha Berlin's home ground, Union Berlin's chants rang out louder, and their players entered the locker room with bright smiles, seemingly satisfied with their own performance.
Well. Their play really hadn't been bad at all.
“Hmm. Everyone worked hard. The first half wasn't bad at all.”
Even Thomas Tuchel, notorious for being picky, was satisfied with the first-half performance.
With Tuchel's tsundere-style praise, halftime came to an end.
Then came the second half.
[The second half is underway. Hertha Berlin has made a substitution. They've taken off the ineffective Kevin from the first half and brought on Philip.]
Surprisingly, Hertha Berlin took control of the second half.
[Hertha Berlin with a threatening shot!]
[Union Berlin's goalkeeper is yelling at his defenders.]
[Yes, they let that mid-range shot off too easily. In that situation, the defenders needed to apply pressure.]
Had Hertha Berlin's manager delivered some kind of stirring speech during halftime?
Hertha Berlin's players had awakened.
[Hertha Berlin is showing a completely different look from the first half.]
He must have been somewhat capable, given how he'd rallied his demoralized team.
In any case, the newly fired-up Hertha Berlin players launched a fierce counterattack.
[Hertha Berlin is aggressively pushing forward!]
Hertha Berlin desperately chased an equalizer.
Union Berlin even handed them some momentum.
“Thomas, come here.”
“…I'll get mad if you say something weird again.”
“This isn't weird. The players are too hyped up. Go calm them down.”
Thanks to my advice calming the players, we managed to hold off Hertha Berlin's onslaught without conceding.
Anyway.
The second half between Union Berlin and Hertha Berlin continued.
As time passed, Hertha Berlin's momentum began to wane.
[Union Berlin's defense is tougher than expected! They aren't budging under Hertha Berlin's attacks!]
Unable to break through despite their sustained pressure.
Hertha Berlin's players started to lose focus.
And shortly after.
Hertha Berlin ended up conceding a goal on Union Berlin's counterattack.
[In the second half, Hertha Berlin, who were aggressively chasing a goal, crumble under one counter from Union Berlin!]
Hertha Berlin's morale plummeted after getting hit on the break, and the opener against them ended without any further highlights.
***
[Union Berlin crushes Hertha Berlin 3-0 on the road.]
[Yannick Foite proves himself.]
[Park Chan-hyuk, assistant coach health scare?]
└ Where'd Park Chan-hyuk get hurt? What's with the leg cast?
└ That was from the ceremony he did during the O-Sung Red Wings game.
└ Wtf lol, is it right for an assistant coach to get injured doing a ceremony?
└ This guy's dodging the military draft, right?
└ Legal draft evasion lol
└ But seriously, why are so many Korean league players trying knee slides these days? The pitch conditions suck and it's just an injury factory.
└ Special One: But it looks cool, doesn't it?
***
After the opener against Hertha Berlin, Union Berlin played three more games.
[Union Berlin on a four-game winning streak.]
Union Berlin won all three.
[Lower-league teams search for the next Thomas Tuchel.]
With Thomas Tuchel's Union Berlin dominating the third division and topping the table, a new wind began blowing through the lower leagues.
[Young managers' creativity revolutionizing German soccer.]
[From Jürgen Klopp to Thomas Tuchel: A look at rising managerial stars.]
Clubs started actively giving chances to young, talented managers.
[Thomas Kell, dubbed the next Thomas Tuchel, sacked.]
Most managers who got those chances from their clubs failed due to common rookie mistakes like losing control of the squad.
But a few clubs achieved better-than-expected results thanks to the fresh ideas unique to young managers.
'The next Tuchel? No, I'll be the first.'
Even coaches gaining experience under famous managers were inspired by Tuchel's success and began taking up challenges in the lower leagues amid the enthusiastic calls.
[Tuchel's staff: Park Chan-hyuk receives managerial offer from third-division club.]
In this wave, it was only natural that a good offer came to Park Chan-hyuk too.
***
After Union Berlin's promotion to the third division, some leisure entered my life.
It was thanks to the new hires stabilizing the club.
“Son, I see you at home a lot these days?”
“Oppa, did you get fired or something?”
“I didn't get fired.”
Well. With more free time in life, I naturally spent more time with family.
And that let me catch up on their recent news.
“Oppa, what do you think? My design sense.”
“I've seen this somewhere before!”
My sister and father's messenger app business was steadily gaining users. Thanks to future knowledge, it was getting rave reviews for its user interface.
They're planning to port it to mobile next year when smartphones launch, and it looks promising based on the current trajectory.
'Well... even if it fails, no big deal.'
We still had Bitcoin, that planet-destroying investment.
Even without Bitcoin, there were no issues.
Apple stock had already tripled even before their smartphone launch.
'How much higher will it go once smartphones drop?'
Anyway.
Just like my real-time ballooning wealth, Union Berlin's situation was good too.
After all, they'd gone on a four-game winning streak since the opener.
Thanks to that—and Tuchel's recent exploits—it was becoming a trend in the lower leagues to hire young managers.
Naturally, managerial offers poured in for me too.
Union Berlin's great results were due not just to Thomas Tuchel's talent, but because a monster like me, Park Chan-hyuk, was by his side.
Without me bridging the gap between the club and Tuchel, he probably would've stormed out before showcasing his abilities.
Tuchel knew this well, so he mentioned me to the press.
Even as assistant coach, I ended up more famous among the public than expected.
'Well... my background helps.'
In an era when Asian players were rare even in the Bundesliga.
I was the only Asian assistant coach.
Even soccer fans indifferent to Union Berlin couldn't ignore the clickbait.
'My mere existence is superstardom.'
Anyway.
When the offers came, I did hesitate.
Unlike past feelers, these were serious attempts to hire me as manager.
But my heart remained with Union Berlin.
They'd called me in during their toughest times.
It was natural to develop special feelings.
And above all, I had my own fears.
As seen from my forced unemployment before joining Union Berlin.
This continent rife with vicious racism wasn't ready to accept a 'me.'
'There's still plenty of time. I'll think it over slowly.'
Well. My top priority now was getting Union Berlin back to the second division.
***
Union Berlin had climbed to second in the league with four straight wins since the opener.
Topping the table was St. Pauli, based in Hamburg.
Not well-known to Korean fans, but the team where Korean player Lee Kwang played during their second-division days.
Union Berlin was gearing up for a home game against league leaders St. Pauli.
'St. Pauli... they're stronger than I thought.'
Against St. Pauli's unexpectedly strong squad, I deployed my ultimate weapon.
[Park Chan-hyuk advises St. Pauli manager: “St. Pauli's manager isn't using his players properly...”]
[Park Chan-hyuk to St. Pauli players: "If you want to win titles, join Union Berlin even now."]
A historically proven divide-and-conquer tactic.