▲ Pitch People
Seol Gi-hyeon
, coach of Gyeongnam FC
The atmosphere around Gyeongnam FC is not very good. There is a lot of noise inside and outside the club. Unlike in recent years, which has been evaluated as a K-League 2 powerhouse in terms of power, this year’s evaluation is not coming out either.
The head of Gyeongnam coach Seol Ki-hyun, who will lead Gyeongnam in the 2023 season through a one-year contract renewal, is bound to be complicated. However, facing <Best Eleven>, director Seol tried to deal with the current situation resolutely. He said that he would find a way within the given conditions, saying that the current power is not worse than expected, and regarding the controversy in question, he pledged to focus only on the given game because it was not made by the team. Although it is Gyeongnam in 2023 that fans are watching anxiously, Seol knew very well that even he himself should not be shaken.
There was a reason for the ceremony after Thiago’s goal against Bucheon last year’s PO.
Q. Nice to meet you. I’m curious about the current winter training situation in Gyeongnam.
“As usual, winter training is divided into 1st and 2nd rounds. We are training to make up for what we lack. We are training to make up for the areas where we scored a lot but also lost a lot. .”
Q. Let’s start by talking about last year. It was not a bad season as we made it to the playoffs.
“First of all, last year’s composition seems to have been very good. However, I couldn’t use that composition properly because of an injury. I only operated it for a short time in the second round. It was a season with many difficulties overall, but I did not give up until the end. We went all the way to the playoffs with the winning goal, but after that, I still have a bit of regret. Our players were a little tired at that time.”
Q. Speaking of the match against Bucheon, when Thiago scored the winning goal, the ceremony was a hot topic.
“Unintentionally, I had a bad relationship with Bucheon throughout the season, and I came to the semi-playoffs with a bad performance at Bucheon. That’s why I was sad when 90 minutes passed like that. I thought, ‘It ends like this again. It’s really not easy for Bucheon this year.’ It didn’t.”
“I thought it was the last corner kick. To be honest, I didn’t expect it even then. During the season, I hadn’t scored many goals from corner kicks. They said they ran after me, but they said they couldn’t catch it because it was too fast (laughs). It seems that the emotions accumulated over the past year have come to the fore.”
Q. After the season, you renewed your contract for one year. Why did you decide to spend another year with Gyeongnam?
“I didn’t decide to go, but they let me go together (laughs). It could have been said that it was over because I hadn’t achieved the results I wanted after working together for three years, but I still wanted to do a little more. I was doing it, so I had the thought that I could do it with a little more. It’s not easy to put on a consistent football and culture. This year, I think we should focus on improving the perfection of our football style.”
Coach Seol believes in ‘quiet power’
Q. Last year, you said you played simple soccer with an attack on the opponent’s goal, but what about this year?
“Thanks to that, I think I scored a lot of goals. However, I came to think that to achieve the goal of promotion, both offense and defense must be stable. Looking at the characteristics of promoted teams, they concede very few goals. I thought it was really important to strike a balance. Details There has to be perfection.”
Q. With Willian Hernandez gone, Thiago also left. Aren’t you worried?
“It’s a bit worrying, but I think it’s very important for a team like ours to recruit and sell good players. We secured a lot of transfer fees while transferring Thiago, so I think we can bring in the players we want. First of all, I think the players We are emphasizing, ‘Our power is not bad.’ Our team, I like it. Like last year, there are no outstanding players or outstanding players, but overall the composition is even.”
“It’s important for us to play organized. (Fans still have to judge based on the value of the name) I think this year is the best. Looking back, the previous year was the best, but the results were the worst, right? Looks good on the outside. It is composed of players who can give birth to gongs but can perform their roles well. I think there will be a ‘quiet force’.”
Q. The most needed position seems to be a striker.
“That’s right, so we are looking for a striker as our last foreign player, like Thiago last year. We brought in Glayson, but we thought it wasn’t enough, so we decided that it would be better to have another good player next to us.카지노 We are a team with a lot of crosses. We are looking for players who can finish it.”
“Controversy? Not enough time to build a good team”
Q. This is a tricky question. Fans are worried about noise inside and outside the club. Is the squad okay?
“Of course, it would be nice if the atmosphere was good. Anyway, it’s unfortunate that this situation happened, but it’s important for us as professionals to produce good results. We have to create a good atmosphere in our own way, and we have things to do within the team, so we have to work hard. I think Donna and the club will do well on their own. (Have you ever had a meeting with the players on this subject?) There is no such thing. Club affairs are club affairs. It is not because of us. There are a lot of problems within our team. There’s not enough time to build a good team.”
Q. One of the conditions for a 1-year renewal contract was promotion to K-League 1.
“I think there is a possibility every year. I think the challenge spirit to achieve is important. .Still, I think we are ready for promotion. The new owner is also strong-willed. This season is all the more important because the future direction of the club can be determined by the results this year. (I feel a sense of mission) I think it’s like that. If you think positively, I think it will be an element that unites you with the players. Because we have to overcome and overcome this crisis well, we are conducting more thorough winter training.”
Q. Gyeongnam fans are waiting for the opening with great anxiety. What do you want to say to your fans?
“First of all, I feel very responsible as a manager for not reaching the goal that fans expect. I am very grateful for giving me the opportunity to coach again. Anyway, I believe that we will do our best for the goal. I hope you will always support us. We will do our best to reach the goal we have been aiming for for a long time. We will try to make it happen.”