Reporter Lee Eui-jin = “It’s ironic. They say that this year will be demoted because it’s an exam again. I think Korea is stingy with praise.”
Coach Lee Jung-hyo of K-League 1 Gwangju FC, a professional soccer “promoted team,” strongly expressed his discomfort this season, saying, “The view that looks down on the team remains the same.”
Unlike the previous promoted team, which was in a hurry to remain, it also revealed its strong determination to continue the ‘attack soccer’ stance until the last minute.
At the ‘2023 K-League Winter Battery Training Media Camp’ held at Barev Hotel in Seogwipo, Jeju on the 8th, coach Lee said, “I came up to the first division with the blood, tears and sweat of the players.” I’m looking forward to it too,” he said.
On this day, coach Lee looked back at the K-League 2 2022 season opening media day held a year ago.
He said, “Even then, the players trained really hard in the winter, but it felt like the entire team was ignored because I was a rookie coach.”
At the time, none of the coaches of the 11 teams that attended the Media Day selected Gwangju as a candidate for the championship.
The desperate manager Lee and Gwangju set the record for the most points (86) in the K-League 2 in the 2022 season, achieving a “previous season” and rising to the first division.
When asked if the gaze around him has changed over the past year, Lee regretted it, saying, “Now it is a test bed again, and they say that they will be demoted. Our country is stingy with praise.”
He said, “If you do well, you can do well. However, I think there are still many people who are jealous of me and want me to be bad, so I’m trying to do better.”
Coach Lee, who longed for ‘recognition and respect’, showed regretful feelings not only to other teams and the football world, but also to Gwangju fans and clubs. 메이저사이트
He said, “Gwangju citizens, Gwangju City seem to think that we easily went to the first division.
“I think the Gwangju (club) environment itself is a problem. There aren’t that many playgrounds where our players can train with confidence,” he said.
He said, “Fortunately, the owner, Mayor Kang Ki-jeong, makes the playground bigger. If that part is improved, it will be the basis for Gwangju to settle in the first part.”
Director Lee, who has made several ‘determined remarks’ about the gaze and environment surrounding him, said he knows the weight of his words.
Standing on the podium in a matching suit, unlike coaches of other teams who wear training uniforms, he said, “If I want to speak like this, the results must be good. But if you do that, you will never be the best at anything.”
The first promise made by coach Lee, who is challenging for the first division, is ‘attack soccer’.
Coach Lee said, “I will play football where if I score 1 goal, I will work hard for the 2nd goal, and if I score 2 goals, I will try to score 3 goals.
Unlike the second part, in the first part, it is impossible to avoid famous teams in Asia, such as Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai.
Coach Lee says he will take an attacking soccer stance against these teams.
He said, “I play soccer to protect myself in games with Ulsan, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Suwon, and Seoul, and it is more unfair if the result is bad.
Most promoted teams, whose top priority is to survive in the first division, tend to crouch down with defensive football to win even one victory point towards the end of the season.
However, coach Lee said, “I don’t want to compromise with reality (even at the end).
Coach Lee, who emphasized, “I have a big dream,” did not reveal the season goal rankings.
Coach Lee, who said, “(The target ranking) will be revealed at the meeting with the team before the opening,” instead revealed another goal, ‘player growth’.
He said, “I want to send as many potential players as possible to the national team, the Asian Games, the Olympic team, and the national team by age group. To do that, attacking football is the right thing.” It’s fun,” he said.