Seol Ki-hyeon (44), coach of Gyeongnam FC, who has been in his fourth year of coaching, shouted ‘colorful football’ with his aspirations for the 2023 season.
Head coach Seol Ki-hyun signed a one-year contract renewal with the club ahead of this season. Having been appointed to Gyeongnam in 2020, he has been leading the team for the fourth season.
Gyeongnam failed to achieve its goal of promotion last year. In the promotion playoffs, the challenge ended with a 0-0 draw with Anyang, second in the regular league. Nevertheless, the club chose to accompany coach Seol Ki-hyun once again.
Seol Ki-hyun, who received the “last chance,” attended the 2023 season K-League winter field training 7th media camp press conference held at Miryang Arina Hotel on the morning of the 15th and held the microphone. He said, “It’s already been 4 years since I led Gyeongnam. I am preparing by organizing the parts I have done well and the parts I lack,” he said. Yes, last season we had a lot of injuries, but this season we are paying attention so that there are no injuries.”
Next, Q&A with director Seol Ki-hyeon.
Q. You signed a one-year contract with the club.
I thought it would be difficult to renew the contract because I had not reached my final goal. However, I am grateful to the new owner for trusting me once more. As much as I got another chance, I have to make use of my strengths as a 4th year coach. Compared to his first season, the squad has changed a lot. There were only 3 or 4 people left. It consists mainly of players who fit the soccer I want to play. I have to produce results, and the color of the team I pursue must be revealed. I will focus on building a team of color.
Q. What color are you pursuing?
We scored a lot of goals last season, but we also conceded a lot. It seems that many of our strengths and weaknesses have been identified. Focusing too much on offense revealed a lot of organizational problems in defense. A good team builds an offense based on a stable defense. This year, we will also achieve a sense of stability by balancing offense and defense well. Also, I plan to build a team with a high level of perfection. We need to show ‘Gyeongnam is playing this kind of football’ on the playground.
Q. There are not many reinforcements for midfielders or defenses.
The team composition this year is the best in four years. Since there are not many recruits with name value, it may go unnoticed. However, Song Hong-min and Lee Kang-hee were newly recruited, and Lee Jun-jae and Lee Min-gyu also improved a lot as they gained experience last season.
The areas where we were weak last year were the midfielders and side defenders. Woo Joo-seong was also able to play at the end of the season after suffering a serious injury during winter training. There are no big signings this season, but in terms of internal stability, the reinforcement was good and the training was well done. I think it’s a well-balanced team more than ever. As a director, I have high expectations.
Q. Thiago, who was second in scoring last season, has left.
It is true that foreign players have excellent individual abilities compared to last year and are not threatening. Players like Glaison and Castro are very hard-working players and have their own characteristics. As a manager, I think it’s important how well the team plays when creating a team. It is good to have a player with excellent individual ability, but if you depend on it, the risk is high. I also saw cases where those players couldn’t perform well when facing a strong defense. It’s not that the players are incompetent right now. I think I can show a good look while harmonizing with the existing strikers. There is still one foreign player spot left, so I am thinking of recruiting a different type of player.
Q. As it is an unexpected opportunity, it seems that the resolution that this is the last time is different.
I always thought it was the last. Thank you so much for giving me another chance. We strive to produce results every year, and this year is no different. Just because you get results doesn’t mean you get results. I think I have to be more competitive in the soccer I want to play. As a professional coach, managing a team for four years is 토토사이트not an easy task.
Organizational skills and familiarity acquired over a long period of time must be used as strengths. 11 players must create a team that makes opponents difficult with solid organization. It makes up for a lot of clumsy parts. I want to play perfect soccer. It’s not about chasing results. Building a competitive team is the first step. I practice a similar pattern of defense and attack every day. I think this year will be the last.
Q. You haven’t been able to produce results for the past three years. Some point out that ‘Seol Ki-hyun’s soccer’ is lacking.
very lacking He started his career as a professional coach in Gyeongnam, and has been making up for it while discovering various deficiencies. It is difficult in itself to play football with color. It’s not easy to push through until it’s done. It’s hard to do anything perfectly from the beginning, but it takes a process of constantly trying and improving and sometimes admitting mistakes. There were many things that I lacked, but there are things that I believe I did well. I think it was a good thing that we continued to form and lead the team in one direction for four years. Over the past three years, I have learned what works and what doesn’t. We will do our best to become a team that we think of.
Q. There is a lot of external noise.
We have to do what we can. There are many things going on, but I believe that the province or club will solve the problem well. It’s something that could happen in the future, but it’s not certain. What matters is that we create a situation this season that gets more attention and instills the belief that it’s worth investing in. We will do our best to become a team that we can think of next season as well.
Q. How long will it take to complete the soccer you want?
I don’t know. I will do it until
Q. Let’s predict the K-League 2 game.
Every year before the start of the season, various evaluations are made, but once the season starts, the situation is different. Superficially, I think Kim Chun will do the best job, and the rest is competition. I don’t know who will go to the playoffs. We aim for promotion. I will challenge myself to achieve my goal in any way.
Q. If you look at the size of your annual salary, you are in the top ranks. Don’t you feel any pressure?
Consistent investment is important. Gyeongnam is a club that invests a lot in the second division. So, even for the players, we emphasize that promotion is not the only goal, but that we are a team that aims to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League even in the first division, ultimately winning the league. They say that simply getting a promotion should not be enough. The club also has that idea and invests every year. Only then can you be promoted and have a competitive edge in the first division. Thank you for continuing to invest in Donna. I think I need to work harder to achieve my goal.
Q. Which team is expected to compete most fiercely?
After doing it every year, it is always difficult to play against a team that was difficult. It was difficult to meet Bucheon or Asan. What results you get when you meet these teams this season will make the difference in the standings. I am training by analyzing the parts I struggled with. It was difficult for a team that was physically strong and played hard. We are preparing to get results against such a team.