Hwang Sun-hong's recollection, "Before Hiddink, running on 400m track was a physical training."····"The leader's decision at the 2002 World Cup."
Hwang Sun-hong's recollection, "Before Hiddink, running on 400m track was a physical training."····"The leader's decision at the 2002 World Cup."
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Coach Hwang Sun-hong of Daejeon Hana Citizen is a person who cannot live without soccer. He has been in the soccer community all his life, but he said, "I still like soccer very much."
Hwang often watches European soccer broadcasts whenever he is given time off due to tight schedule. No matter who he or she meets, the topic of conversation is soccer.
"I like soccer a lot. It's a problem because it doesn't go my way." These were the first words Hwang left with a big smile. This is what MK Sports talked with Hwang at the Daejeon clubhouse on December 27, 2024.
Q. Did you take a break after the 2024 season.
It's been a long time since I rested (laughs). I've never really rested since the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. I've been in charge of three teams for a year and a half. It was hectic. I think I took about 10 days off. After that, I discussed with my team and focused on preparing for the 2025 season.
Q. Are you working right after taking 10 days off.
I'm sure all professional soccer coaches are the same. We have to prepare for the next season. It's a time when we need to organize our players well. We need to think about how we will use existing and new players in the new season. We can't play the same soccer every time. Preparing for the 2025 season seems to have started with worries and discussions.
Q. Isn't it hard.
It's fun. It's not stress-free, but I think soccer is still very fun. As many of you know, the K-League is not the same as before. It's a league where anyone can challenge for the championship and anyone can be relegated. It got really fierce. Coach Gus Foyet also came to the K-League. Lee Jung-hyo remains with Gwangju FC. I think the K-League will be more fun in the 2025 season.
Q. Do you still enjoy soccer.
It's fun. I wonder if I have a friend like this. It's a problem that things don't go my way (laughs). I always want to do well. I will do anything if I can always show my fans fun soccer.
Q. Hwang Sun-hong is one of the few soccer players who have achieved great success as a player and leader. He is considered one of the best strikers of all time in Korea. As a leader, he has won two K-League 1 and Korea Cup titles, respectively. He led Korea to three consecutive gold medals in the Hangzhou Asian Games. When soccer continues to be fun, doesn't it mean that motivation is clear? What is Hwang's biggest motivation.
We have to try something we haven't done before. I dream of winning the AFC Champions League. Ever since I made a double with the Pohang Steelers, my dream at a club has been to become an ACL. It was the same with FC Seoul. I've won the league and the Korea Cup twice in Pohang and Seoul. I've also been a runner-up. advancing to the semifinals is the best in ACL. I think I always cherish my dream of winning the ACL.
Q. Wasn't Hwang Sun-hong's ACL in his career not in the same position as he is now.
Their names were different. When I was a player, there was a competition to determine Asian champions. It was called the "Asian Club Championship." I remember winning two titles (1997, 1998) when I was a player. When I was playing for Pohang, I won two consecutive times. I chose Pohang after finishing my career as a coach of Busan I-Park. It was my big attraction that I could challenge myself to the ACL in the K-League 1 and the Korea Cup. I also wanted to feel how I felt as a coach.
Q. Does ACL have its own charm.
I think it's similar to the national team. It's a competition between the clubs representing each league, but it's also a competition between the teams representing a country. It's different from playing in a league. In the K League 1, 12 teams compete three to four times in a season. 스포츠토토
ACL is different. ACL is a great opportunity to gauge our capabilities. The most interesting thing is that we don't really know each other. We haven't faced each other many times like in the league. ACL is a stage where you can challenge yourself with different motivations than in the league. I think it's very interesting.