Starting with Park Joo-ho (37), Lee Young-pyo (47), Park Ji-sung (43), Lee Dong-guk (45), Cho Won-hee (41), and Kim Young-kwang (41), Koo Ja-cheol (35, Jeju) criticized the Korea Football Association.
“I think the administration of the association should be changed unconditionally. If we go like this, frankly, there will be no future,” Koo said on his personal social media on the 18th, criticizing the administrative status of the Korea Football Association (KFA).
“We have appointed Hong Myung-bo as the next coach of the Korean national soccer team,” the KFA said on Sunday. “We have officially appointed Hong Myung-bo as the coach of the Korean national soccer team through the approval of the board of directors. Coach Hong will begin to form a coaching staff,” the KFA said on Sunday.
The KFA set up a committee to strengthen its capacity and contacted numerous foreign coaches, and some showed keen interest in the post. However, the KFA chose Hong Myung-bo as its coach.
The decision was highly controversial. Park Joo-ho, a former member of the Korean national soccer team who joined the committee for strengthening his capacity, made enthusiastic remarks on his YouTube channel for about an hour, raising procedural issues.
Claiming that the allegation was distorted, the KFA said it would consider legal action. Not only Park Joo-ho but also several soccer figures, including Lee Young-pyo, pointed out problems that occurred in the process of appointing the KFA’s coach.
At the time, Park said, “I feel so sorry for the past five months. It’s so futile. Shouldn’t we stop now?” and expressed his intention to resign from the power reinforcement committee.
Park Joo-ho said, “I told you earlier that we don’t need a full-fledged committee if it’s in the direction of flow. I’m sure there’s no need for a committee. Coach Hong Myung-bo said he wouldn’t do it either, but he did. Nothing has been done within the process.”
This is Park Joo-ho’s YouTube video that delivered shocking news one after another. “Coach Hwang Sun-hong, coach Park Hang-seo and coach Kim Do-hoon were mentioned as candidates for interim coach,” Park said. “I realized this over and over again that I wrote down the first, second and third rankings. This is not about voting. How can we vote for a coach? How can we decide a coach by majority?”
Commentator Kim Hwan asked, “Did you vote?” and Park replied, “I did.” “I didn’t get it. I wrote the reason why (the coach in question) should do it. I wrote the reason.” 고소득알바
Commentator Lee Young-pyo added self-reflection to criticism of the decision. “I was so surprised. I had high expectations that the association would invite a really good foreign coach this time. I also aspired. On the criticism that he excluded K-League coach, I think KFA cannot be free. I am doubtful whether a decision that K-League fans cannot understand can lead to support for the national team,” he said, expressing great surprise at the appointment of Hong Myung-bo.
“I saw the limitations of our soccer players including myself. We should not administer the administration. I thought that footballers should not administer the administration and literally disappear. Looking at the various situations, we are not qualified to do that yet,” he said with a bitter smile.
In addition to this, several soccer players, including Lee Dong-guk, Cho Won-hee, and Kim Young-kwang, are speaking out.
Several domestic media reported that Koo Ja-cheol expressed his position after the quarterfinals of the Korea Cup against Gimpo FC on the 17th, saying, “It is true that the national team is in a difficult time, but it is not desirable to criticize unconditionally.”
Koo Ja-cheol informed that the report was delivered differently than intended. “The article came out really misleading,” he said. “I didn’t tell the reporters that. I also think the administration of the association should change unconditionally!” he stressed.
“There is no future, to be honest. I just want the administration of the association to get back to its place as soon as possible,” he said.
He said, “I unconditionally support the opinions of (Park) Ji-sung and (Park) Joo-ho.”
“The first thing I feel is sadness,” Park said on Wednesday. “I started playing soccer in Korea and I am still in the field of soccer. However, the first thing I thought was, ‘Isn’t this all we have?'” he said, expressing his disappointment toward the KFA.
He said, “I’m so sorry that I had to do this second time. As a soccer player, I’m facing a very sad situation, and my heart is quite broken.”
“The saddest thing is that there is no definite answer,” Park said. “Korean soccer has changed considerably through the 2002 World Cup, and I had expectations that it would change considerably in the future. But I got the answer as to what has changed since then.”
He then expressed great disappointment, saying, “I feel so miserable that I can’t say anything.”
Koo Ja-cheol added, “We talked often before that and kept in touch today. I hope there is no misunderstanding.”
Meanwhile, Hong plans to meet with Son in London. “Hong and Son will meet before the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers scheduled for Tuesday,” a KFA source said.