Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Vs. Stuttgart - 2
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***
While Union Berlin was gearing up for their DFB-Pokal match, Korea was buzzing with news of Park Chan-hyuk's military exemption.
[Union Berlin Manager Park Chan-hyuk Exempt from Military Service!]
Journalists had been framing Park Chan-hyuk as mocking the entire nation through Union Berlin's actions, but unfortunately for them, public opinion among soccer fans was firmly on his side.
[Union Berlin Calls Up All Four Korean Overseas Students to First Team Roster...]
And who could blame them? Park Chan-hyuk had now scouted a whopping four players abroad.
To Korean soccer fans, he was the greatest manager in the country—Hiddink aside.
['Patriotism on the Lips, Treason in Deeds.' The Duplicitous Path of Union Berlin Manager Park Chan-hyuk.]
└ Calling someone a traitor for getting exempted due to illness? Total bullshit.
└ But why was he exempted? What's wrong with Park Chan-hyuk?
└ Heard he tore his ACL and had surgery.
└ For real? When did he get surgery? Is that why he retired from playing?
└ Nah, that's not why he retired. Last year when he came back to Korea, he did a slide celebration and got carted off to the hospital—that's when they did it.
└ Huh? He had ACL surgery back then?
└ Yeah;; He looked like he was in insane pain, though.
└ Seriously;; Doing a knee-slide celebration on Korean grass? What a madman.
└ Park Chan-hyuk skipped pro ball in Korea and went straight to Germany, so he didn't know any better—pure guts lol.
└ But he kept doing knee slides fine after that—what gives?
└ He said even he didn't know he'd had ACL surgery.
└ How do you not know that?
└ He was in so much pain at the hospital he blacked out lololol.
Of course, not every soccer fan was on Park Chan-hyuk's side. His haters started slamming him for draft dodging.
└ This is bullshit, right? Isn't his family loaded?
└ If he could've just gotten permanent residency for exemption, why fake an ACL injury?
└ Probably just protecting his image.
└ Korean soccer fans are a tiny group anyway—what's the point?
└ He looked fine doing that celebration, surgery or not—shouldn't he still enlist?
└ What the hell, man? ACL needs careful management;;
└ And check the official site—Park Chan-hyuk posted a statement. Didn't know about the ACL tear and surgery, says he won't do knee slides anymore.
└ No more knee slides? That's a shame....
└ Says he'll make it up with other celebrations.
└ Lmao is there any he won't do?
└ Nope lololol.
└ Go vote on the Union Berlin site, guys.
└ What vote?
└ Union Berlin's site has Park Chan-hyuk's celebrations up, and they're polling for the next one lolol.
└ I recommend No. 4, the Woo celebration lol—looks dumb at first but it's hilarious the more you watch.
For a while, Park Chan-hyuk dominated Korean internet discourse.
Not only the existing Union Berlin fans, but new ones poured in.
And naturally, Korean soccer fans' attention turned to Union Berlin's DFB-Pokal match.
- So, what celebration is Park Chan-hyuk gonna do?
They were curious about the celebration he'd unveil.
Moments later, the Stuttgart vs. Union Berlin match kicked off with the referee's whistle.
[With three Korean overseas students (excluding Son Heung-min) called up to the first team, Union Berlin boasts four—no, four Korean players on their first-team roster!]
└ Damn lol is it real that there are four Koreans on the bench?
└ Holy shit, four Korean players and you're not rooting for them? Traitor!
└ Everyone, if you're Korean, cheer for Union Berlin!!
***
The match started with Stuttgart kicking off.
It turned out to be tougher against Stuttgart than expected.
Stuttgart came out swinging from the opening whistle, hammering Union Berlin relentlessly.
'As expected from last year's Bundesliga champions.'
Stuttgart had won the Bundesliga last season.
Their third title in 15 years.
These days, they were no mid-table side—they were the real deal, top of the league.
Well... this season, the defending champs were languishing in 7th place, making the title feel a bit hollow.
'They got smacked hard by Tuchel early in the season, huh.'
For reference, Thomas Tuchel's Bayern Munich currently topped the Bundesliga.
This season, Tuchel was brutally dismantling Bundesliga teams left and right.
They'd even earned the new nickname "Nightmare Bayern Munich."
'Felt kinda like Bayern under Heynckes.'
Sure, they were stumbling a bit in the Champions League, but lately, they seemed to be adapting there too.
Anyway, even sitting 7th this season, Stuttgart's status as last year's winners was undeniable.
On paper, their squad was clearly superior to Union Berlin's.
'And they've held onto their core after the title...'
Unlike the first Kindergarten era that disbanded when the manager left for Bayern Munich, this Stuttgart had successfully retained most of their key players.
'Mario Gomez and Sami Khedira...'
I eyed the two players central to Stuttgart's lineup.
Back during my Stuttgart youth days, they were the ones I'd competed with for starting spots from the bench. Now, they'd locked down regular roles.
Unlike our distant past, we'd exchanged brief greetings before kickoff.
Maybe securing their spots had mellowed them—they looked genuinely pleased to see me.
'Or maybe it's because my position's different now.'
Back then, I was just some Asian prospect. Now, I was the manager of a team on the cusp of Bundesliga promotion.
They'd treated me like any other faceless youth who might vanish without a trace. Now, I was a recognized figure in European soccer.
'Kinda bittersweet.'
Anyway, I activated Scouter to check Stuttgart's players' stats.
As befitting a title-winning side, their ratings were dazzling.
'And he's only 22—total monster.'
Among them, I couldn't take my eyes off Mario Gomez.
[Name: Mario Gomez]
Current Ability: ★★★★★
Potential: ★★★★★★
His current ability matched Yannick Peitz's five stars, but with six-star potential, he was a cut above right now.
'I want him so bad.'
In the original timeline, he went to Bayern Munich, but with Tuchel there now, who knows where he'll end up.
Well... even if not Bayern, signing Mario Gomez was realistically impossible for us.
'Union Berlin still lacks the prestige.'
Anyway, once the match began, the first real threat came from Mario Gomez.
"Whoa... fuck, thought that was in."
His header shaved just over the crossbar, and I let out a sigh of relief.
***
For this match, Union Berlin opted against high pressing, instead dropping deep and relying on counterattacks.
Stuttgart, in ambiguous 7th place compared to our 2nd, were the more desperate ones.
A draw would mean extra time, and given their remaining schedule, it would hurt them way more than us.
'And sweating out a home win against a second-division side wouldn't sit well with fans.'
It was a risk inherent to top-flight clubs.
Union Berlin fans, on the other hand, wouldn't bat an eye at a scare against a third-division team at home.
With the club nearly folding due to financial woes just yesterday (figuratively), expectations were rock-bottom.
'Well... that'll change if we stick in the Bundesliga long enough.'
Anyway, even here in far-off Germany, I'm still Korean blood.
I knew a thing or two about Korea's classic "come at me" tactic.
I parked the bus double-layered and invited them in. As time ticked by, Armin Veh's Stuttgart grew impatient and pushed their line higher.
Stuttgart's players, frustrated at failing to score, suddenly left a gap between midfield and defense.
'Now!'
Right on cue, Ivan Petrovic wrested the ball from Mario Gomez.
"Ref!!"
"No foul!"
It was a rough challenge—could've been a free kick in a dangerous area—but thankfully, the ref played on.
Union Berlin countered. The ball went through Lewandowski to Son Heung-min.
Son calmly whipped in a cross from the flank...
And it was Stuttgart's net that rippled.
"Yannick—!!!"
Union Berlin's finisher, Yannick Peitz.
The moment Yannick's shot hit the net, I sprinted full-tilt toward the corner flag.
The club had finally uncuffed me for matches—said a shackled manager hurt the image.
"Freedom at last!!"
But I couldn't pull off the celebration I'd prepared.
'Oh right, it's my old club.'
Stuttgart was my parent team.
Only after reaching the corner flag did I remember, and I hastily raised both hands in respect to my former side.
"...What the hell's that guy doing?"
What I hadn't expected was the baffled reaction from the Stuttgart fans.
***