Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: 08/09 Preseason -2
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***
The variety show filming doubled as a tryout, and it kicked off in earnest.
Truth be told, though they called it a tryout.
It felt more like a fan signing event than anything competitive.
Most folks had just come to check out that famous soccer manager with their kids in tow.
‘Maybe 20,000 won was too cheap.’
But I hadn’t set the fee too high, figuring it might burden the truly desperate ones.
‘Plus, the broadcaster was wary about charging too much….’
In fact, when we announced the entry fee for the tryout, criticism poured in.
[Union Berlin Doing Business in Korea Under the Guise of a Tryout?]
└ Park Chan-hyuk’s take: We set it at 20,000 won just to weed out the jokers.
└ Fair enough.
└ Yeah, without a fee, you’d get tons of thrill-seekers.
└ 20,000 won seems too low, though. Gotta be at least 100,000 to filter properly.
└ Still, it’ll scare off plenty.
└ They say for plays or shows, kids run wild if it’s free, but charge even 10,000 won and they behave.
└ Charge too much, though, and the poor desperate ones might not even apply.
Lots of comments demanding a higher fee.
But if we’d actually jacked it up, public opinion would’ve tanked for sure.
And besides, we weren’t running this tryout to scout players for Union Berlin.
It was more for Korean soccer’s growth—and at the broadcaster’s request.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to find anyone here good enough for Union Berlin.
Unlike my old days grinding in the lower leagues, Union Berlin was in the Bundesliga now.
Anyway.
The tryout venue was packed with people.
We had no choice but to hustle through the event as fast as we could.
“Think my boy’s got what it takes to be a pro soccer player?”
Among the crowd were several moms cradling babies.
‘……Do I look like a fortune teller?’
This world was full of some seriously odd people.
‘Shouldn’t the broadcaster screen this stuff out?’
The PD was grinning ear to ear, though, so they’d probably pegged me as the villain for ratings gold.
“I haven’t seen him play yet, so I can’t say.”
Unfortunately, my Scouter skill didn’t pick up potential on kids that young.
“You don’t know that either? Ugh, what a waste of time. Give me my 20,000 won back.”
The mom with the kid in her arms clicked her tongue and demanded a refund.
“Take it up with the broadcaster.”
I shoved the complainer their way and moved on.
“Oppa Chan-hyuk! You’re so handsome!”
“You look pretty sturdy yourself.”
Not everyone was here for readings or fan meets, of course.
Some players had come seriously seeking career advice.
I gave them the best counsel I could, drawing from my experience, knowledge, and the stats my Scouter pulled up.
Soon after, the evaluation match started, letting us gauge the participants’ skills.
I cleared my mind of expectations and just watched the players in action.
[Name: George Weah.]
Korean name: Jo Ji-won.
Current Ability: ★
Potential: ★★★★★★★
“……!!”
And there it was—the ‘Black Diamond.’
‘……Calling it racial bias in the future would get me canceled, but it’s still fine now, right?’
***
Jo Ji-won was a mixed-race kid, born to a U.S. serviceman dad stationed in Korea and a Korean mom.
Truth was, 2000s Korea wasn’t the friendliest place for mixed kids to grow up. No outright racism, but plenty of subtle digs.
Jo Ji-won had been a victim of it too.
No matter how hard he trained or tried, he never saw the field.
At first, even he didn’t realize why.
“Hey, Ji-won. You’ll never play under that trash coach. Just go somewhere else.”
Not until a senior on the soccer team straight-up told him to quit since he’d never get game time.
The coach had deliberately left him off the lineup—for no reason but his skin color.
The young boy gave up his dream of pro soccer and threw himself into studying instead.
That’s when he heard about Union Berlin’s tryout and decided to give it a shot.
***
Watching Jo Ji-won’s selfless play, I nodded.
Compared to the multicultural future, this era still clung hard to ethnic homogeneity.
The discrimination he’d faced was plain as day.
A talent like that not making waves later on?
He must’ve been held back despite his gifts.
‘Probably the soccer coach screwing him over on the down-low.’
Sports folks back then were big on that national pride stuff—what we’d call “K-chauvinism.”
‘Explains why Korean national team coaches think they can hack it worldwide.’
Maybe they were jealous of Japan thriving under homegrown managers.
They were the generation that couldn’t lose at rock-paper-scissors to Japan.
Beating Japan was life-or-death; losing made you public enemy number one.
Their pride couldn’t stomach falling behind.
‘But what about the fans suffering for their egos?’
Thinking of Korean soccer’s future made me sigh.
‘Man, his build’s impressive. Mixed heritage gives him killer muscle flexibility too.’
I forgot all about the cameras and zeroed in on this George Weah kid.
Basics were a bit rough, but his physicals were straight-up cheat codes.
‘And pro mindset on point too…?’
After checking his stats, I asked the rookie PD nearby for details.
They’d blocked participant info for “fairness.”
No clue how that equaled fair.
But they said it’d spark complaints from players or viewers otherwise, so I played along.
“How old’s that guy?”
“Who? Oh, Ji-won? He’s just turned 14.”
“……Come again? How old?”
“14.”
Note: Korean age was still a thing back then.
Meaning…
‘……That’s a middle schooler?’
He looked like he’d wreck me in a straight fight.
***
[Union Berlin Tryout Wraps Up.]
[SBK’s New Variety Show ‘Tryout’ Set for September Airing…]
The tryout—full of talk and drama—finally ended.
[Park Chan-hyuk’s Chosen Boy, Jo Ji-won! Who Is He?]
One player had earned a ticket to Union Berlin.
‘Wild. American dad, but loves soccer.’
A real gem emerging from what I’d seen as a gimmick event? Buzz was inevitable.
[Jo Ji-won: “I’d given up on soccer, but this feels like a dream.”]
└ Foreigners can join?
└ He’s mixed-race, turns out.
└ We raise ’em up just for him to pick the U.S. team?
I also recommended solid-but-not-quite-Union-ready talents to Korean league clubs.
Personally, I figured my rep in Korea carried enough weight.
Even without direct pro contracts, they’d at least get trials.
[Suwon Giants Reject Park Chan-hyuk’s Player Recommendation.]
But most clubs shot down my offers cold.
‘Weirdos.’
With coaches pushing back, I pivoted to J-League and second-division citizen clubs with recommendation letters.
[Kang Dae-han Passes J-League Trial. “Grateful to Manager Park Chan-hyuk for the Rec.”]
Among them was Tigers, a club I’d crossed paths with in my past life.
[Joo Min-guk Signs with Second-Division Tigers!]
Cheap owner (mayor) who wanted results without cash—kinda shitty.
But looking back, life there wasn’t half bad.
Kicked the clueless bastard away from lifting the second-division trophy, sure.
But later, he thanked me for keeping soccer fans from ditching his voter base.
‘Good chance to build ties.’
Could turn it into a proving ground for Korean prospects before Germany.
Anyway.
Just games left now. Figured I’d wrap Korea smoothly, like Japan.
[Korean Pro Soccer Coaches’ Chats Leaked… “Park Chan-hyuk’s a flash in the pan. Give me the Bundesliga gig and I’d outdo him.”]
Until the Korean league managers started running their mouths at me.
***
[Park Chan-hyuk to Korean League Coaches Claiming They’d Thrive in Germany Too: “Quit Talking and Prove It—Come to Germany.”]
[Park Chan-hyuk Blasts Coaches Eyeing Bundesliga Jobs: “Expecting a Top Job with Nothing to Show? That’s Thief Mentality.”]
[Park Chan-hyuk in Rude Remark Flap! “Korean League Experience Doesn’t Even Count on European CVs.”]
[Park Chan-hyuk Compares J-League and Korean League: “J-League’s Arsène Wenger Landed Arsenal. Got Anyone Like That from Korea?”]
***
I’d planned to just play nice until the Korean pro coaches poked the bear.
[Korean Soccer Elders Slam Park Chan-hyuk: “Respect Your Seniors, Show Humility.”]
└ Promoted from second to first division and acting like a Bundesliga boss lol.
└ Betting Union Berlin tanks once season starts and Park gets fired.
Looked like I’d have to show Korea’s coaches and fans the gap.
Right before our match against Oseong Redwings—the previous season’s league leaders—I pulled out my ace.
“Goals, assists, win bonuses, clean sheet bonuses—all doubled.”
The so-called ‘Burning Event.’