Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: vs Cologne -1
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***
“…This probably won’t fly, huh?”
I’m not completely oblivious. I could guess that using this would get me beaten up by Union Berlin fans.
Of course, it was a shame.
Union Berlin even had its own connection to the word “Stalin.”
The club’s symbolic slogan was the Iron Brigade, and Stalin’s name came from the Russian word for steel, stal (сталь).
“…Damn mustached bastards are the problem. They take all the good names and ruin them for future generations.”
For reference, Adolf also meant “noble wolf”—a perfectly fine name.
“But you can’t use it now, right?”
To be precise, it wasn’t legally banned, but it was a name people avoided. It evoked Hitler too strongly.
In Korean terms, it was like naming your kid “Wan-yong.”
“You’d get slapped with the traitor label the second you stepped into school and become an outcast.”
In fact, in German newborn name statistics, “Adolf” was virtually at 0%.
Neighboring countries like Spain still used it since it carried a positive meaning, but even there, it wasn’t viewed favorably.
Anyway.
I kept pondering names for our home stadium.
Something tied to Union Berlin’s symbol, Eisern.
A word that evoked intensity…
And in that moment, a certain figure popped into my head.
“Eisen Sousuke?”
…From now on, I’ll stand at the top?
Well, it did have that supreme image.
Though I’d probably get sued for copyright infringement first.
“…No, why not push for it while we’re in Japan for preseason?”
As I mulled it over.
Club president Dirk Zingler threw the decision to a fan vote.
It was between my new stadium name idea and the current home ground name.
And the result? The existing name, Stadion An der Alten Försterei, won by a landslide.
“Germans are no fun.”
***
The home stadium name was decided by Union Berlin fans as Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
Whatever.
If a better name came to mind later, we could change it then.
Unlike Dirk Zingler, who let out a sigh of relief, I hadn’t given up yet.
As long as I was alive, opportunities would come eventually.
Anyway, while I obsessed over the stadium name, Union Berlin steadily prepared for the next match.
August 11th. The 2. Bundesliga was set to kick off.
Union Berlin’s first league opponent was 1. FC Cologne.
Their mascot was a goat, and their rivals were the clubs along the Rhine River.
Commonly called the Rhineland Derby, it included Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Fortuna Düsseldorf.
And the team Cologne hated most was, naturally, Leverkusen.
In fact, when Union Berlin beat Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal, Cologne fans were the happiest about it.
‘Back-to-back rivals, huh.’
Following Leverkusen, Union Berlin was now facing another Rhineland Derby heavyweight in Cologne.
[Leverkusen Slayer Union Berlin—Can They Topple Leverkusen’s Rival Cologne Too?]
The unusual scheduling drew some attention.
‘…Why pick on us?’
Especially Cologne fans, who were fired up to beat us and mock Leverkusen.
I didn’t get how beating us tied into mocking Leverkusen.
‘If they lose, they’re screwed.’
Well, it was understandable they’d underestimate us.
Union Berlin vs. Cologne.
The gap in class was clear.
Both in the same second division, but if Union Berlin was a scrappy startup, Cologne was a megacorp.
Cologne had Germany’s sixth-largest fan membership and played in a 50,000-seat stadium.
‘Bourgeois pricks.’
It couldn’t be helped.
Germany’s industry had developed around the Rhine.
The country felt alien to me, someone raised in the Seoul Republic.
“Isn’t it common sense that the capital thrives most?”
Surprisingly, not in Germany.
Munich, home of Bayern Munich, was the richest region.
Berlin lagged below the national average.
‘That’s why housing was cheap.’
For reference, Berlin’s population was just 3.4 million.
Truly heirs to the Holy Roman Empire.
‘No wonder rebellion’s their hobby.’
Joseon’s greatness shone through—clutch Hanyang tight, and quelling peripheral revolts was a breeze. Our ancestors’ wisdom was unparalleled.
The resulting property boom and low birth rates? Minor issues, let’s skip.
Truth be told, Berlin’s underdevelopment as the capital stemmed from East Germany—or rather, the Soviet Union behind it.
Honestly, any country with over ten million near the border is the weird one.
In reality, Berlin’s population started gradually rising after reunification.
The German government supported startups and entrepreneurship to boost the capital.
They heavily backed our family’s messenger app for that reason.
I didn’t know the details of my sister’s business, but it seemed to be doing well.
***
Time flew by.
Union Berlin’s 2. Bundesliga opener was an away game.
Two years after direct relegation from second to fourth division.
We’d clawed our way back up in record time, grabbing the crumbling club by the throat.
Sure, Thomas Tuchel had ditched us like a traitor for Bayern Munich’s prestige.
But we still had those shared memories of hardship.
“2. Bundesliga! We’re back!”
For reference, Union Berlin fans were prepping a grand return celebration for the next home game. Flares planned.
‘Flares mean fines, but fans are crowdfunding it. Whatever…’
Regrettably.
Unlike other clubs, Union Berlin had no room for consequence-free thrills.
We still needed our fans’ voluntary support.
Anyway.
We headed to Cologne’s home, RheinEnergieStadion.
[Manager Park Chan-hyuk Ahead of Cologne Clash… “Cologne Is a Good Team.”]
└ Why’s this guy suddenly acting all polite?
└ Chan-hyuk, you lost your edge?
Cologne and Union Berlin weren’t on bad terms.
Not a team I knew well, so nothing spicy to say.
[Union Berlin Under Manager Park Chan-hyuk! Watch with SBK.]
In Korea, they bought up second-division broadcast rights just for Union Berlin games.
Networks were shocked at how cheap it was compared to Premier League rights.
We’d even signed to appear on variety shows during preseason in Korea.
‘…Gonna have to redo military service?’
For reference, our variety show stint was such a hit that foreigner military experiences trended in Korea for a while.
‘I normalized variety shows, big-time Chan-hyuk style.’
Well… This era was still dominated by tough, gritty shows.
People probably missed them for that raw human desperation.
Anyway, the DFL (German Football League) and DFB (German Football Association) tried scheduling Union Berlin games at lunchtime to grow Korean fans.
But I and Dirk Zingler rushed in and stopped it.
Berlin’s climate wasn’t scorching, but noon kicks drained stamina.
“Sorry, but Korean soccer fans aren’t Bundesliga or Union Berlin fans—they’re my fans.”
Dirk Zingler and the DFB bigwigs looked sour, but.
‘It’s the truth, what can you do.’
Schedules reverted to normal, so even the higher-ups got it.
Anyway.
Pre-match, players started warming up.
“Lewy! Over here!”
Roberto Lewandowski lined up as an attacking midfielder again.
He looked full of complaints since it wasn’t striker.
But he didn’t show it outright.
“Lewy! Focus on link-up play. Watch Yannick’s movement and learn.”
“…Got it.”
And shortly after.
Kickoff.
We pressed Cologne hard from the start.
Union Berlin hammered their goal relentlessly but couldn’t break through.
Then, in the 15th minute.
The first goal came.
Cologne’s midfielder slotted it home.
Bad luck for Union Berlin all around.
Manuel Schmidt’s punched clearance went straight to the Cologne midfielder.
‘…Hmm.’
Well, we couldn’t always score first.
“It’s fine, plenty of time! Take it slow!”
I clapped from the touchline, shouting encouragement.
“Jaaaaaaa─!”
But Cologne’s celebration that followed.
Splash─!
Got under my skin a bit.
“Ah. That’s not how you do a knee slide.”
Guess it was time to show the originals some class.
***