Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 195

195: El Lanclasico

Just as many northern cities did when England entered the industrial era, Blackburn and Burnley both became producers of cotton textiles, processing raw cotton.

Burnley also had adjacent coal mines as an important source of jobs. This is why the rivalry between Burnley and Blackburn is also called the Cotton Mill Derby.

Of course, it is also somewhat playfully called El Lanclasico, alluding to El Clasico, the fierce rivalry between the two giants of the Spanish Primera Liga, Real Madrid and Barcelona, but with the meaning of a derby taking place in Lancashire [a county in North West England].

Anyway, despite everyone’s worries, the Burnley Football Club fans’ street march safely passed through Blackburn city center to Ewood Park.

By safely, I mean that although Blackburn fans did throw some garbage, the riot shields held by the armed police guarding both sides of the march didn’t have to block stones, Molotov cocktails, or broken glass bottles.

The fans, who confidently marched through Blackburn city center waving their claret [a dark purplish-red color] flags while banging on a large drum that was becoming a symbol of Burnley’s support, orderly entered Ewood Park, which has a total of 31,367 seats.

Thanks to the odd number of seats, the two teams’ directors almost got into a fistfight over who would get the last remaining seat after equally dividing 15,183 seats, but it was decided by a coin toss thanks to the suggestion of the director of the English Football Association and the Chief Constable of Lancashire, who hosted the meeting.

Thanks to this, the Blackburn directors, who secured 15,184 seats, were triumphant, but in any case, they could not prevent half of Ewood Park from being covered in the claret color they usually hated.

And from the start of the march until now, occupying half of the stadium, there was only one chant that Burnley fans sang.

“For ever and ever”

“We’ll follow a team”

“It’s Burnley FC”

“We are supreme!”

“We’ll never be mastered”

“By the Blackburn b
***ards”

“And keep the claret flag flying high!”

“It’s really exciting to sing this at Ewood?!!”

Mitch Tyler, who was sitting next to him, nodded vigorously in agreement with Henry Smythe’s words as he cheered loudly.

“I’m already excited at the thought of crushing those Blackburn b
***ards here!”

“That’s right!!”

“Indeed!!”

“Woo-hoo!!”

Amidst the unanimous agreement to his remarks from those around him, Henry Tyler, who had been leading the fans from the front of the march while banging on the large drum, raised his voice while banging on the drum with force.

“We are supreme!”

As Burnley’s slogan echoed through Ewood Park, Hyeongmin was looking at his players with a serious expression in the away team’s locker room deep inside.

“Absolutely. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely no injuries. Don’t get provoked either. Just quietly, as quietly as a mouse, get through it.”

“…But they said if we lose today’s game, don’t even think about walking around Burnley with our heads held high?”

As Keane Lewis-Potter raised his hand and asked a question while listening attentively to the manager’s instructions, all of Burnley’s managers and coaches gathered there sighed deeply.

“I’ll take responsibility for that somehow, so in any case, no one can get hurt in today’s game. No one!”

“Hmm···.”

Not as much as Dwight McNeil, who is from Burnley, but everyone has admired soccer since they were young and were soccer fans, so they know better than anyone else about the importance of a derby match.

Even in England, it doesn’t usually escalate into bloodshed between fans anymore, but in the 70s and 80s, playing a derby match in England meant literally risking a part of your career.

The expressions of the players from Eastern Europe, where there are still many intense hardcore fans, were especially bad.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just crush them cleanly?”

Adam Hložek, a young striker from the Sparta Prague youth academy who had played in the Prague Derby, which has been held more than 303 times since 1896, retorted to the manager’s words.

“Yes. I think it’s better to overwhelm them from the beginning so they can’t even try to attack.”

“That’s right, that’s right. That way they won’t attack throughout the game.”

Some players joined in on Captain Nicolas Seiwald’s remarks.

“Haa···.”

Hyeongmin, who had chosen the starting lineup with a focus on durability above all else, covered his face with one hand.

“Manager, we don’t want to get hurt either, but at the same time, we don’t want to get stoned while walking down the street in Burnley.”

Even Dwight McNeil, who usually kept silent in these situations, joined in.

“No, who would dare throw stones at you?!”

Hyeongmin got angry, but the players all shook their heads.

“Even Aunt Angela said that if we lose today’s game, our lives will be difficult for a while.”

As Anselmo Garcia McNulty muttered gloomily, the players all turned their heads, and the young defender was startled and waved both hands.

“It’s not that Auntie is going to make things difficult for us! She said the atmosphere in Burnley would be uneasy!”

If even the cook who works in the cafeteria is saying this, then it must be an unusual situation.

Hyeongmin, who had been sighing and looking at the ceiling, finally lowered his eyes to the players again.

“So, you absolutely must not get hurt! You can’t get a red card or respond to provocations! But if you can overwhelm them while doing that, then you can do that.”

“Hmm···.”

It’s a somewhat difficult order, but it’s much more doable than unconditionally not getting hurt and not responding to provocations.

“Okay. Well, I guess we can do that much.”

Captain Nicolas Seiwald nodded solemnly and then looked around at the surrounding players with a determined expression.

“For ever and ever! Who are we?”

“We are Burnley!!”

***

Beep!

“Boo!!!”

While the home fans were booing and the away fans were applauding, Hyeongmin understood something.

So, this is what overwhelming means?!

As Hyeongmin, who was watching from the technical area, couldn’t hide his shock, Captain Nicolas Seiwald, who was actually on the field, spread his arms wide and gave the referee, who had rushed to the scene of the accident, a look of pure innocence.

“It was just an accident!”

“If there are two accidents, someone will die!!”

The opposing player, who was filled with anger at his teammate’s injury, shouted, but unfortunately, Hyeongmin had no choice but to agree with the shout of that Blackburn player wearing a blue and white striped uniform.

How on earth can a player in a soccer game be lifted into the air and then slammed to the ground half-folded?

Something that would only come out in professional wrestling, not even UFC, happened, but it’s even more amazing that even the referee can’t easily take out a yellow card.

While the Blackburn medical staff who ran out were giving first aid to the player, the referee, who had consulted with VAR [Video Assistant Referee], gestured and called Nicolas Seiwald, but after a long and serious conversation, Nicolas Seiwald, who spread his arms wide and insisted on his innocence, disappeared without receiving a single card, with only a verbal warning.

“Boo!!!”

The home fans booed the referee even more fiercely, but Hyeongmin finally realized the truth.

Ah, I was completely mistaken.

I only thought that Blackburn of the Championship [the second-highest league in English football], who are rivals in the Premier League, would desperately attack, but on the contrary, I couldn’t even imagine that Burnley’s young players would be gleeful at the thought of beating up their rivals in the Championship on a rainy day.

Also, to relieve the anger of being beaten by Liverpool in the previous game.

And to push the rivalry record, which Burnley is leading by just one game, a little more in Burnley’s favor.

On top of that, the fact that I chose the starting lineup with a focus on durability means that I filled the starting lineup with players who can be rough on the opposing team.

The midfield is made up of Nicolas Seiwald, Patrick de Paula, and Tomaso Pobega, all three of whom can play as defensive midfielders, which they usually never do.

In front of the goal, the giant Bailey Peacock-Farrell is encouraging them by clapping his hands.

The defense consists of Oscar Mingueza, who is grinning, Anselmo Garcia McNulty, who has a determined expression, Nathan Collins, who is shaking one leg like a gangster, and Amar Dedić, whose usually cheerful expression is strangely ominous.

The attacking line consists of Lorenzo Lucca, who is already treating the Blackburn defenders roughly like a tyrant, Andre Anderson, who is flashing his eyes, and Jamal Lewis, who is nervously rubbing his hands.

No wonder the Blackburn players’ expressions weren’t good when they came out of the tunnel to start the game; it seems they weren’t determined, but rather bracing themselves.

Looking back, the remaining players sitting on the bench and even the coaching staff who formed the starting lineup with him are grinning!

I looked at the technical area across the street to express my apologies, but Jon Dahl Tomasson, the Blackburn manager who was a famous striker from Feyenoord and AC Milan, didn’t even look this way and was just puffing out cold air.

“Haa···.”

Hyeongmin sighed deeply.

The Burnley players, who were emboldened by the captain’s violent foul, were looking at the Blackburn players with their eyes shining, like lions preying on their prey.

Regardless of tactics or individual player skills, the momentum itself has shifted to Burnley.

If I were a wise manager, wouldn’t it be right to take advantage of this opportunity to quickly solidify the victory and then pass the game comfortably?

Anyway, I’m not comfortable because I have to face Liverpool again in the next game.

Okay, let’s just crush the opposing team cleanly in today’s game, go home early, take a warm shower quickly, and get a good night’s sleep.

Tomorrow is another day.

Ah, I don’t know anymore.

It seemed like an out-of-place thought had slipped into the stream of thoughts, but Hyeongmin tried to ignore it and looked at the players moving on the field.

“Nicky!!”

As he shouted with both hands gathered in front of his mouth, the young man from Austria, who was wearing the mask of a righteous man, looked at him.

“Finish it quickly!!”

The Burnley captain, who had a puzzled expression, smiled at the same time as the light of understanding lit up in his eyes after the manager gave the order again.

With both molars clearly visible, the wolf with its teeth bared looked around at his teammates and gave the order.

“Let’s go!! Let’s crush them!!”