2024-07-26 18:59:28
Former South Korean national soccer team coach Gus Hiddink, who led the team to the World Cup semifinals, said he engaged in a war of nerves with the Korea Football Association at the time, mentioning the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
On the SBS program ‘Over-Immersion Life’ on the 25th, Coach Hiddink revealed in a VCR interview the background of his acceptance of the position as the head coach of the Korean national team and the training methods that helped create the myth of advancing to the semifinals in the 2002 World Cup.
Coach Hiddink discovered Confucian characteristics common in Korean football and tried to change them. He even made players use informal language regardless of their seniority on the field.
He showed an unconventional approach in player selection, such as excluding veteran Hong Myung-bo from the roster and using rookie Park Ji-sung ahead of the World Cup. Accordingly, the Korea Football Association sent a list of recommended players to Coach Hiddink ahead of the announcement of the evaluation match roster.
Coach Hiddink said of the Football Association, “There were times when there was discord between us. The association proposed a list (of players), but we refused, saying, ‘We have our own list. ’”
It is said that distrust of coach Hiddink deepened after the national team suffered a crushing defeat against France 5-0 in the Intercontinental Cup held a year before the 2002 World Cup and another defeat against the Czech Republic 5-0 in an away game.
However, coach Hiddink did not select the final entry even when the World Cup was about to open in order to test the players until the end.
Lee Young-pyo, a key player in the World Cup semifinals and a favorite disciple of Coach Hiddink, said in relation to this, “Because the door was always open, all the players were able to stay alert and perform at their best.”
He said, “Once a team is formed, the starting players and the non-starting players are divided. The starting players fall into the mannerism of ‘I am a starting player,’” and “the non-starting players become alienated, saying, ‘I am not an important player. I will leave this place.’ When these players do not focus on the team, that is the process of the team falling apart.”
Lee Young-pyo said, “The leadership of a coach is to keep the starting players from falling into mannerism and to keep the non-starting players from giving up and to keep them motivated with hope.” He added, “How long this can be maintained is what separates a great coach from an average coach.”
Ultimately, coach Hiddink led South Korea to the World Cup semifinals through this process.
Coach Hiddink gave a thumbs up to Lee Young-pyo on this day and said, “Young-pyo, are you in the studio?” and “Oh my. We had a great time together. I am so proud of you, both during the World Cup and after it ended,” showing his affection.
Reporter Choi Jae-ho, Donga.com [email protected]
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2024-07-26 18:59:28