Chapter 99
Chapter 99
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Berlin Derby -1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Union Berlin Secures a 3-0 Victory in Their Bundesliga Home Debut Against Leverkusen.]
Union Berlin steadily accumulated points even after their opening match against Bayern Munich.
They had gained confidence from their emphatic win over the juggernaut that was Bayern Munich.
The tension of playing in the top flight had long since faded.
Union Berlin's players were exceeding their limits in every match, maintaining an unbeaten run.
[Union Berlin Draws 1-1 Away at Schalke.]
[Union Berlin Scores a Last-Minute Winner to Claim a 2-1 Comeback Victory at Home Against Bochum!]
We had drawn matches where a loss wouldn't have been surprising by staying focused until the end, and won games where a draw would have sufficed.
It was the atmosphere of a team on the rise, as they say.
I nodded as I looked at the current league table.
1. Union Berlin. 4 matches, 3 wins, 1 draw.
2. Schalke. 4 matches, 3 wins, 1 draw.
3. Leverkusen. 4 matches, 3 wins, 1 loss.
4. Wolfsburg. 4 matches, 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
5. Bayern Munich. 4 matches, 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
6. Dortmund. 4 matches, 2 wins, 2 losses.
.
.
.
.
It was only four matches into the league, but Union Berlin sat at the top.
Soccer experts and fans alike were visibly flustered by Union Berlin's unexpected surge.
They had dismissed it as a fluke before the Bayern Munich game.
But when Union Berlin started picking up points against traditional powerhouses like Leverkusen and Schalke,
experts and reporters finally sensed that something was different about Union Berlin's momentum.
[Union Berlin's Storm Sweeps to the Top of the Bundesliga.]
As a result, media attention on Union Berlin had exploded.
[What’s the Past of the Bundesliga Leaders? Fans Who Sold Their Blood to Save the Club.]
["'Club Built on Blood' Union Berlin Reaches the Summit of the Bundesliga."]
Naturally, Union Berlin's history of hardship and their story were thrust back into the spotlight.
The nickname "Club Built on Blood" spread across Germany.
Just two years ago, the club had nearly folded due to financial bankruptcy—a tale no German soccer fan could ignore.
Many lower-league clubs in Germany were in similar straits.
Lower-division teams began dreaming of becoming the next Union Berlin.
In any case, the growing interest from German fans via the media was a positive trend.
Union Berlin's story went beyond mere stadium construction; it showed just how devoted fans could be to their club.
It was a narrative that could captivate soccer fans worldwide.
The club gained its own brand alongside the promotion.
It was now up to Union Berlin to elevate that brand's value.
Personally, I thought "Club Built on Blood" was a solid brand in itself.
[Famous German Soccer Pundit Heaps Praise on Union Berlin. "Union Berlin's fans have achieved something unprecedented in German soccer. I salute the fans of Union Berlin for bringing romance back to our game."]
When players decide on transfers, fan passion plays a big role.
We had the world's best soccer fans, who had pulled off something without precedent in German soccer.
In fact, most Union Berlin players had no intention of leaving the club lightly.
'Well... a bunch of the existing players did leave right after promotion to the top flight, but that was because of my greed....'
When the chance for a league title arose, I had gone a bit overboard with overpaying.
If I had to justify it, there was no choice.
It was the perfect time to inflate our class through a league title.
[Kai Heiden, Now at St. Pauli: "My time at Union Berlin holds great memories for me. I harbor no ill feelings."]
Still, it was a relief that the players had transferred without any bitterness.
Anyway.
Union Berlin's romantic story successfully drew in new fans from Berlin locals.
'...Guess I should just expand the stadium to a max of 55,000 seats.'
***
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich under Jürgen Klinsmann, who had lost to Union Berlin, drew with Dortmund in their next match.
Amid the disastrous early-season form, criticism of Klinsmann boiled over.
But they followed it up with a 4-1 home win over Hertha,
and a 3-0 away victory in the fourth round against Hoffenheim.
The backlash against Jürgen Klinsmann evaporated in an instant.
["Slow Starters" Bayern Munich Charge to Back-to-Back League Wins.]
I had no idea when Bayern Munich had ever been "slow starters,"
but if the media said so, I had to let it slide.
Klinsmann staying on as Bayern Munich's manager was good for me, with my own league title ambitions.
Well... the German media weren't all clueless; they pointed out issues with the style of play, but for pro soccer clubs, results were what mattered.
[Bayern Munich Board: "Klinsmann's imprint hasn't fully taken shape yet...."]
The Bayern board, who had sacked Thomas Tuchel to bring in Klinsmann, desperately covered for him.
Two big wins were enough to quiet the furious public, at least temporarily.
On top of that, Wolfsburg—the team that would have won the title in the original history—was stumbling a bit in the first half of the season.
"...We might actually win the league."
I quietly began to salivate.
The path to the Bundesliga title had sharpened into view.
'No need to stir things up—just keep the good vibes going.'
I'd already mapped out Plan A for the season.
Sure, in the second half, teams might come at Union Berlin with targeted counters, but I could improvise when the time came.
Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a perfect tactic in this world.
Tactics evolved constantly, each one countering the next.
You only had to look at how long-ball soccer countered early Gegenpressing.
In any case.
What mattered most for Union Berlin now was keeping the players' morale high.
'I need to make sure the players don't start overthinking the league title.'
I grew worried that fixating on the title might make the players tense up unnecessarily. Excessive pressure hurt performance.
"When I was at AC Milan, no one thought we'd lift the Champions League trophy. Know what they called AC Milan back then? The old folks' home. But we hoisted the Big Ears that season. In the end, it's all about mindset. We fought Liverpool and beat them with nothing but the belief that we could win! And by the end of this season, we'll be lifting the Meisterschale! Do you know what Chan-hyuk said when he first talked me into coming back? He said, 'Let's become German champions.' Trust our young boss. We can do this!"
But Cafu, who had unretired and rejoined us, effortlessly resolved my concerns.
'...It's touching and all.'
And for a split second,
'...He talks a lot....'
I thought of the too-much-talker living in LA.
***
"Cafu! Fußball Gott!!"
Cafu quickly adapted to life at Union Berlin.
The players respected his career, and Cafu in turn never overstepped into the manager's or captain's domain.
'Impressive.'
Cafu looked at Park Chan-hyuk with a curious expression.
'21 years old, was it?'
Far too young to be a manager.
Under a normal path, he'd be establishing himself as a player right now.
Yet Union Berlin's staff and players followed this kid-manager's orders willingly.
'Is he a players' coach?'
At first, Cafu mistook him for one.
But Park Chan-hyuk's tactical prowess had been proven against Bayern Munich.
'Hmm... fully formed.'
In any case.
Union Berlin was riding a good wave.
But once a certain point was crossed, the players' bodies started to stiffen.
The nonstop media spotlight had made them start thinking about the league title.
Seeing this, Cafu immediately launched into his own story.
And he capped it with an anecdote about Park Chan-hyuk.
Smiles instantly spread across the players' faces.
At Union Berlin, "Park Chan-hyuk" was a magic phrase.
The players truly believed that just his word could make a league title happen.
***
Park Chan-hyuk boldly abandoned the Pokal Cup to focus on the league.
He declared to the players that prospects and rotation players would feature in the Pokal.
With guaranteed playing time assured, it was natural for Union Berlin's youth morale to soar.
[Union Berlin Wins 1-0 Against Kickers Offenbach in DFB-Pokal Third Round.]
The youth-heavy Union Berlin squad beat third-division Kickers Offenbach 1-0 in the third round.
Man of the Match was Union Berlin goalkeeper Manuel Schmidt.
Manuel Schmidt had stonewalled Offenbach's attacks to secure the win.
Time flew by after that.
Before long, Union Berlin had played six league matches.
They still held the top spot.
Union Berlin's next opponents were their local rivals, Hertha Berlin, away.