Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Union Berlin and Korea, China, Japan
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Union Berlin and Korea, China, Japan.
***
[Union Berlin wraps up preseason schedule.]
[Union Berlin finishes preseason with 2 wins and 1 loss.]
[Union Berlin puts up a fight against Bayern Munich in preseason, raising evaluations from likely relegation to survival candidates.]
The preseason match against Bayern Munich had gone off successfully.
Even though they couldn't overcome the class difference with Munich and ended up losing.
[Yannick Foight post-match interview: "It was a good experience."]
[Franck Ribéry gives positive review of Union Berlin. "The manager has built a good team."]
Union Berlin's attackers had successfully gained confidence that their play worked even against Bundesliga toppers Bayern Munich.
'The defenders are the problem, though...'
Well... the stone-faced defenders were a bit worrying.
But once the 2. Bundesliga games started, they'd surely get a reality check.
'You just went up against that Franck Ribéry.'
Anyway, the one who drew the most attention in this preseason match against Munich was Son Hong-min.
Son Hong-min had scored against Bayern Munich.
Expectations for watching Son Hong-min from Korea were higher than ever.
And that directly translated to jersey sales.
[Son Hong-min causes surge in Union Berlin jersey sales.]
└ Bro Chan-hyuk, trust me and buy Hong-min's jersey. Don't bench him for real!
└ He scored against Bayern Munich. You think we'd bench him?
└ I bought Thomas Müller's jersey too.
└ Dude, you didn't think about customs?
└ ...Jersey's got customs too?
└ Lmao pay 23% extra lol
Was it because Thomas Müller assisted Son Hong-min in the first preseason game?
Impressively, Thomas Müller's jersey sales had risen alongside his.
Anyway.
Judging by jersey sales, the popularity ranking of Union Berlin players was as follows: 1st was Yannick Foight, naturally, and Son Hong-min had climbed to 3rd, with Na Go in 2nd.
It was weird that I, a non-player, had made the list.
But this wasn't self-importance or narcissism.
'The fans wanted it!'
More fans than expected wanted jerseys with my name on them.
[Title: But is there a player named Park at Union Berlin?]
└ Park Chan-hyuk the manager lol.
└ Why curse when you could just say it nicely?
My jerseys sold well in Korea too, and even in Japan. Less than those two countries, but a decent amount in China as well.
'...Why?'
It felt a bit surreal seeing the three Northeast Asian countries united over me.
Looking at the jersey sales, I resolved that next year's preseason had to be in Northeast Asia no matter what.
'Gotta bring over some prospects from Japan and Korea.'
Personally, I figured I'd recruit fullbacks from Japan over attackers.
While Korea's fullback resources were wrecked, weirdly enough, neighboring Japan was overflowing with them.
'The one who played for Inter was Nagamoto Yuto, right...'
Not just Inter, but Bundesliga had Japanese fullbacks too.
It contrasted sharply with how wingers were pouring out of Korea at the same time.
Well. That didn't mean Japan lacked second-line resources.
'Kagawa Shinji went to Dortmund in 2010...'
From what I knew, Kagawa Shinji liked Korean idols, so maybe I could lure him onto a variety show to meet one.
'So Korea and Japan like that, then what's left is China.'
Actually, recently, a request had come through the Korea Football Association from the Chinese FA.
Similar to Japan, they wanted us to scout promising players from their country and bring them over. They even said no transfer fee for China.
Honestly, it'd be a lie to say the Chinese market wasn't tempting.
Selling just one jersey per Chinese person would be 1.3 billion.
Of course, most Chinese couldn't buy due to income issues.
Still, a few million wouldn't be impossible?
Plus, I had some curiosity.
This was the place where you heard tales of Messi plowing fields.
'Wonder if it's true.'
China's future national team level was baffling given the population, but who knows, maybe they're plowing fields somewhere.
'But China means scouting at least tens of thousands, right? My eyes would fall out from Scouter.'
Well... recruiting Chinese players needed some thought.
Honestly, with Korean, Chinese, and Japanese players on the team, it'd be fights every day.
***
A few days after the Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin match ended.
A bit of bad news reached Union Berlin.
Toni Kroos had rejected the loan to Union Berlin.
I'd personally called to persuade him, but Toni Kroos was firm. He wanted to go on loan to 1. Bundesliga Bayer Leverkusen over 2. Bundesliga Union Berlin.
Bayern Munich preferred sending him to a 1. Bundesliga club over a 2. Bundesliga one too.
I poked at Mats Hummels as a backup plan, but...
Mats Hummels rejected Union Berlin's loan just like Toni Kroos.
Even though both flatly turned us down, I left a thank-you note for Thomas Tuchel that day.
I knew Thomas Tuchel had looked out for me and Union Berlin.
Without him, I couldn't have even gotten on the phone with those two.
'Being 2. Bundesliga really makes recruitment tough.'
The gap between 1. and 2. Bundesliga was that big.
Many players preferred Portugal or Netherlands' top leagues over Germany's 2. Bundesliga. The spotlight difference was that stark.
If Union Berlin had a history and reputation in the 1. Bundesliga, maybe, but regrettably, they'd never promoted.
Not just Toni Kroos and Mats Hummels—even other players I knew rejected us due to the club's lack of prestige.
In truth, landing Robert Lewandowski was sheer luck. Poland was a backwater league then, and he was in 3. Liga with a knee injury.
His small stature and skinny frame as a kid hadn't impressed anyone, which was Union Berlin's fortune.
'...My Toni Kroos.'
It stung a bit, but nothing to be done.
Even Manchester City in the Premier League had to spend way more than others to sign players.
To sign the players I wanted, I decided to raise the club's prestige.
'Champions League...'
Someday, getting there would solve everything.
***
After the Toni Kroos loan fell through, time flew by.
I handled manager duties and attended club management meetings as the majority shareholder.
Union Berlin's shares were roughly divided into four big chunks.
Our family, Chairman Dirk Zingler, supporters, and others.
Our family currently held about 32% of Union Berlin.
Two massive investments had put us ahead of Chairman Dirk Zingler.
Friendly shares included GL Group.
They held a small stake in Union Berlin too.
Impressed by Son Hong-min's goal against Bayern Munich, they'd agreed to build a new youth training ground.
Truth be told, our family could snatch the chairmanship from Dirk Zingler if we wanted, but we didn't.
The guy had real talent.
In the original history, he'd dragged Union Berlin to the 1. Bundesliga and even Champions League.
'Appointing me as manager proves it.'
And pouring nearly his whole fortune into the club showed genuine love.
Anyway, if Thomas Tuchel's Union Berlin was a three-headed Cerberus, now it was a twin-headed ogre.
Good ideas got approved much faster.
The moment the meeting ended that day, I went straight to Kim Sun-myung, who handled Union Berlin's IT.
I'd had a great idea for improving the homepage.
"Sun-myung, you got any Japanese friends?"
"Why Japanese friends?"
"Need to add Japanese translation to the site."
"I know someone who can translate that much."
"And while we're at it, can you make it show jersey sales rankings for players in Korea and Japan?"
"...What are you plotting now."
"If we pit Korea vs. Japan in jersey sales, revenue doubles, right? And when one hits #1, their national flag pops up on the other's site."
"...You devil?"
I quietly shut up under Kim Sun-myung's contemptuous gaze.
'...I was even thinking of bringing in Chinese players for a Korea-China-Japan rivalry, but better not say that.'