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The Champions League round of 16 match between Dortmund and Manchester United has concluded.

Dortmund defeated Manchester United with a cumulative score of 6-1, successfully advancing to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

“Who is the European champion? BVB Borussia!”

As they achieved a resounding victory against the giant named Manchester United, Signal Iduna Park began to heat up. Not in a metaphorical sense, but physically.

Is there a pocket of space from Doraemon? Flames kept shooting out endlessly from the Dortmund fans.

This was the sixth time I had counted it myself.

I couldn’t help but admire the endless flames erupting.

‘How did they bring all that in?’

I clearly remember seeing a bag check before entering. Was it just a formality?

At this point, I even thought it ridiculous: ‘Aren’t they selling flames inside Signal Iduna Park to cover fines?’

Well. Anyway.

I felt a mix of joy and a touch of overwhelm at Dortmund reaching the Champions League quarterfinals.

‘That’s the team I’m supposed to join….’

What I realized while facing Manchester United in the Champions League was that their squad is messier than I thought.

‘Suddenly, Ferguson feels like a scam….’

Despite missing the right moment to rebuild due to financial issues, Alex Ferguson showcased a munchkin-like prowess to lead Manchester United to victory.

But that was only possible in the league.

In the Champions League, where they charge full-speed for victory, it was out of the question.

‘There’s the problem of the players’ lack of Champions League experience…’

More so, the individual players’ lack of ability was the real cause.

Of course, I can’t deny that Ferdinand, Vidic, and Evra were excellent defenders.

But now, they’re all in their mid-30s. The decline in the Manchester United defense due to aging was unmistakable, and the talent of the defenders expected to follow them was simply insufficient for a club like Manchester United.

One fortunate thing is that Manchester United has managed to pay off some of its debts (specifically, the debt from the Glazers’ club acquisition), and they will begin to loosen the purse strings seriously from the 13/14 season.

In the original timeline, it seemed like Ed Woodward wasted money, but in this altered history, many things will change since Ferguson didn’t retire.

Even the youth players from Manchester United who previously failed, including Januzaj, could grow to be promising players in this altered future.

‘Um… this could be worth a shot.’

And if that doesn’t work, there’s also the option of subtly recommending players to Ferguson—being too direct would blow up in my face, of course.

Aren’t there plenty of young talents yet to show their potential?

Currently, there’s Virgil van Dijk transitioning from FC Groningen in the Dutch league to Celtic.

And there’s Antonio Rüdiger, who’s starting to establish himself at Borussia Mönchengladbach.

In the future, there was also the case of Kim Jae-min, dubbed “Kim Jaiming” by disappointed South Korean fans after transferring to Shanghai Shenhua.

– “Tony, what are you doing?”

– “Turf digging.”

Among them, Rüdiger’s occasional bursts of eccentricity are a concern. But if he gets a good talking-to from Fergie, he’ll snap back to reality.

‘The competition for the starting spot with Van Dijk, Van Dijk, and the reined-in Rüdiger makes my heart swell.’

While I chuckled at the prospect of future starting players, suddenly—

Bzzzt—!

I checked my phone as it buzzed in my pocket.

– Lee Cheong-ryong: Son Jinho, you cruel bastard.

– Lee Cheong-ryong: Did you really need to dunk Jisong-hyung like that to feel better?

– Ki Sung-ryong: You crazy bastard, saying it like that makes it sound like Jisong-hyung is in real trouble.

After the match ended, a surprise storm of criticism aimed at me erupted in the overseas chat room.

***

[Dortmund crushes Manchester United and advances to the Champions League quarterfinals.]

[Real Madrid beats Arsenal with ‘God of Football’ Ronaldo’s hat trick.]

[Barcelona easily overpowers AC Milan.]

[PSG wins convincingly against Porto.]

[Bayern Munich obliterates Ukrainian powerhouse Shakhtar.]

[‘Bat Legion’ Valencia captures Celtic to reach Champions League quarterfinals.]

[Upset? Galatasaray wins against Schalke!]

[Juventus squeaks by Málaga with a 2-1 win.]

[‘Hey, aren’t these familiar faces?’] Champions League quarterfinals confirmed, and the battle of the stars begins!

└ Whoa;; is this the actual 8 teams advancing? My heart swells!

└ Dortmund, Real, Barca, Juventus, PSG, Bayern, Valencia, Galatasaray;;

└ If Schalke made it, it’d be legendary. All the big leagues gathered, whoa;;

└ Dortmund, let’s just avoid Lewa-mun, pleaseㅠㅠ

└ Is my bro likely to appear in the Champions League final?

└ With Dortmund’s current form, totally possible.

└ For real, lol. Watching United get trounced was something else.

***

The day confirmed for the Champions League quarterfinal teams.

“…My world crumbled today.”

Winter Hanyeo felt gloomy about Manchester United, a stronghold of the EPL, being eliminated from the Champions League.

‘Since I’m on Dortmund, which still has my ‘(still) boyfriend,’ it’s all the sadder not being able to blame the referee’s decisions.’

‘Wait, is it really that serious?’

Just as I was about to feel a bit glum watching Winter’s excessive gloom,

She walked back into the room, changed into a Dortmund jersey, and approached me.

“Hey, Son Jinho.”

Winter smiled. The corners of her mouth were quivering, indicating it was an effort to smile.

“If you’re going to beat Manchester United, you might as well win it all!”

I gently stroked Winter’s head, which was fighting back tears.

“Eek…. So sad.”

Soon Winter whimpered out loud and started making a fuss while hugging herself.

In the background, my mother-in-law’s voice echoed angrily, “What a mess you’re causing,” but it seemed Winter didn’t hear it.

‘Or maybe she did, considering her flushed face. Maybe she heard after all.’

While I felt the soft touch from my chest, Winter called out to me, her complexion returning.

“Son Jinho.”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t really have to go to Manchester United like you said before.”

“What? Why so suddenly?”

“Just… I like being here in Dortmund. The fruit shop owner and everyone welcomes us here.”

With the day to head to England approaching, it seemed she had a lot on her mind.

I playfully flicked Winter’s nose with my finger. She grabbed her nose, letting out a “Ouch.”

“Winter, if it gets tough there, you can just come back again. Don’t worry too much. And I’ll be right by your side, okay? Just let me know anytime if it’s hard.”

Was she touched by my words?

Her eyes became moist.

“…Son Jinho.”

“Yeah?”

“Can you pass me a tissue? I think I’m bleeding.”

Oh… did I hit it harder than I thought?

***

“Schalke is the disgrace of the Bundesliga!”

“Scheiße! Schalke! Scheiße! Schalke!”

After the Champions League ended and the match against Schalke approached, Dortmund fans began to sing, mocking Schalke, the only Bundesliga team eliminated from the Champions League.

I felt a twinge in my calf while training ahead of the upcoming match against Schalke.

“Jürgen, my calf is feeling a bit tight.”

After I spoke to Jürgen Klopp, a detailed examination at the designated Dortmund hospital concluded I had a mild muscle inflammation.

“Jinho.”

“Jürgen.”

“Don’t worry, just take a good rest. There’s no way we’d lose because of you.”

I was excluded from the lineup for the match against Schalke.

***

[Shocking defeat! Dortmund loses 2-1 to Schalke!]

[Schalke04 emerges as the winner of the Revier Derby!]

[Schalke04 celebrates their victory, mocking Dortmund fans: “The German champions are Bayern Munich!”]

[After the match, a brawl erupted but was swiftly suppressed by armed police.]

[An expressionless Jürgen Klopp refuses to interview and leaves.]

[Before long, Bayern Munich is 9 points clear in the league. The title is within their grasp.]

***

After the Revier Derby defeat, six days passed; it was March 15.

The draw for the Champions League quarterfinals was approaching.

As Dortmund players carried out light training ahead of the home game against SC Freiburg tomorrow, they began to gather one by one in front of the TV.

From the quarterfinal draw onward, there would be no seeding, and matchups could occur between teams from the same group or association.

The moment we revealed the ball drawn from the pot containing Dortmund’s potential opponents on camera—

“Uh… this looks doable?”

“Well, other teams weren’t exactly easy either.”

Dortmund players’ reactions were ambiguous, neither cheers nor despair.

[Juventus]

“Rise up…. Oh fate.”

Dortmund’s opponent in the quarterfinals was Juventus… no, a godsend.

 

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