2024-07-21 17:05:16
As criticism continues over the Korea Football Association (KFA)’s appointment of the national soccer team coach, former national team player Ahn Jung-hwan has also spoken out.
Ahn Jung-hwan recently uploaded a 30-minute video titled, “Don’t be upset, Yeonggwang. The truth will come out someday and everyone will know.” on his YouTube channel.
The video featured Kim Nam-il, Cho Won-hee, and Kim Young-kwang, who played alongside Ahn Jung-hwan, and exposed the internal situation of the KFA, including the K-League, during the 2006 Germany World Cup.
Kim Young-kwang mentioned coach Bonfrere 18 years ago when preparing for the World Cup in Germany, saying, “If coach Joe Bonfrere had been in charge of the national team for longer, I would have been the starting goalkeeper for the World Cup.”
Dutch coach Bonfrere led the Korean national team from June 2004 to August of the following year. After recording a record of ’10 wins, 8 draws, and 8 losses’ (41.67% win rate) in A matches over a period of approximately 1 year and 2 months, he voluntarily resigned due to criticism from domestic soccer fans.
Afterwards, the KFA appointed Dick Advocaat as manager in September 2005, and the national team failed to advance to the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup, recording 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the group stage.
Ahn Jung-hwan said, “I think they thought that coach Bonfrère’s career was inferior to that of other coaches,” and added, “It’s not a fact, but there were too many people who tried to somehow get rid of Bonfrère and take the coaching position themselves.”
When he asked, “Don’t you all agree?” Kim Nam-il, Jo Won-hee, and Kim Young-kwang agreed.
Kim Nam-il also said, “At that time, the players felt like there were two coaches. That was the feeling.”
Ahn Jung-hwan remembered, “(Coach Bonfrere) seemed a bit stubborn,” and “I think he often looked for old training methods.”
Recently, the KFA parted ways with former manager Jurgen Klinsmann and searched for a new manager for five months before appointing Hong Myung-bo, who was in charge of Ulsan HD in the K League, on the 7th. In the process, there has been criticism that they ignored the process and handed the baton over to Manager Hong without any clear reason, despite the fact that many foreign managers wanted the position of national team manager.
The controversy grew further when former national soccer player Park Joo-ho, who participated as a member of the KFA Strengthening Committee after the appointment of Coach Hong, revealed that there were problems in the process of appointing Coach Hong. In addition, soccer figures who played with Coach Hong, including Lee Young-pyo, Park Ji-sung, Lee Dong-gook, and Lee Chun-soo, who were part of the national team, also poured out criticism regarding this.
Reporter Choi Jae-ho, Donga.com [email protected]
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2024-07-21 17:05:16