FIFA President Sepp Blatter has signalled that the policy of World Cup rotation is about to be ditched.
Speaking to the BBC, Blatter admitted he would welcome England bidding for 2018, a tournament which under the present model, should be held in North or Central America.
"I am advocating we open the market," said Blatter. Back in May, he described rotation as "a milestone", speaking to FIFA delegates in Zurich, while only a month ago, announced that a final decision on rotation with regard to 2018 would come at the end of October.
With 2010 going to (South) Africa and 2014 to South America (Brazil), Europe's next turn would not have been in 2018 (CONCACAF) but in 2022, a ridiculously long wait for that continent's front runner, England.
Given the concentration of money, power, media and fan interest in European football, it seems brave, or foolhardy, to award it the tournament only once every 24 years (there are six FIFA regions).
The traditional system of alternating from Europe to South America was ripe for reform with the global spread of the game and now Japan/Korea, South Africa and the USA have all hosted, or are about to host, the sport's showpiece event.
Outside of the traditional power bases, Australia and China could both mount serious bids before long, but political worries will probably keep the Islamic world, in the form of Morocco and Egypt, excluded for the foreseeable future. The USA is also determined to host the World Cup again after the success of 1994, the the swathe of impressive new American stadia and the arrival of David Beckham to MLS. Mexico, too, is interested in hosting its third World Cup.
It is therefore, unquestionably the world's cup, yet any change to the traditional Atlantic alteration should not be so rigid as FIFA's rotation system. Four years is a long time to wait and in a continent like Europe where England, Russia, Spain, Italy and Holland & Belgium are all itching to host the World Cup, a possible wait of half a century is too long for any country.
Rotation was never fully explained - does Oceania or CONCACAF has as much right to host the World Cup as Europe? , never universally accepted by the football world and was only rushed in as a response to Germany sensationally snatching the 2006 tournament from the heavily Blatter-endorsed South Africa by the narrowest of margins (Oceania's Charles Dempsey abstained on the final vote).
Brazil had a shoe-in for 2014 because South America had not hosted the event since Argentina in 1978.
Brazil and its decrepit stadia and infrastructure is far from ready to host the World Cup however, a fact which swayed Blatter to renege on one of his favourite pet policies.
After Colombia and Argentina withdrew, the one-horse race south of the equator illuminated a flaw in the rotation system if the only contender is manifestly unable to host the month-long show.
"We are not in a very comfortable situation in South America," admitted the FIFA President.
"It is better to have three or four associations trying to get the number one competition of the world."
Rumours abound that a new system will prevent only the previous two host regions from applying, reducing the minimum wait for any country to 12 years.
It should be remembered of course that the FIFA Executive committee and not Blatter ratifies policy and CONCACAF's controversial Jack Warner for one is against any change to the status quo.
However, the days of the half-baked, hasty and unconvincing rotation system are now clearly numbered.
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
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Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts
Friday, October 12, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Ian Porterfield Remembered
Ian Porterfield, 61, died of colon cancer this week in the UK.
Porterfield was the current manager of Armenia and coached them to their historic 1-0 win over Group A leaders Poland in June and a 1-1 draw with Portugal in late August in Euro 2008 qualifying.
The Sunderland legend and much traveled coach was kind enough to give this interview to Soccerphile during his spell as manager of Busan I'Park.
Ian Porterfield interview
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Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Egli Stakes Claim For Korean Job
Andy Egli recently resigned from K-League club Busan I'Park after a year in South Korea. That experience didn't put the ex-Switzerland international defender and FC Thun coach off the country however and, as he told Soccerphile's John Duerden, he wants to become the next coach of the South Korean national team.
You left Busan over a month ago. Why did you resign?
There were two main reasons. First of all, the results were not that good. Secondly, there were too many differences with the management of the club and I couldn’t continue like that. I offered to resign and after thinking about it for a week, they decided to accept my resignation. That was Ok for me.
What kind of differences?
I don’t want to go into specifics. In any relationship with any people –friends, couples, it is the same thing. With the management of the group, the development of the group, eventually, you have to decide whether to stay together, to try and find a compromise or to stop.
Were any problems regarding the departure of Brazilian players Popo and Somalia?
Not at all. Of course, there were a lot of questions regarding the improvement of the squad and the quality of the squad. There was not one reason.
If you had a chance again, what would you do differently?
This is the kind of question I don’t like. You can’t make the same situation happen twice. I would like to return to Korea because it is a very interesting country in football. I have no problems with the mentality of the people, with dealing with things. I would welcome the opportunity for a new challenge in Korea.
What kind of job would you like?
On a federation level or professional club level there are always possibilties. If there are people who want to build something with a lot of will, determination and patience and passion then I would be delighted.
When you mention federation, you are talking about the national team?
Verbeek has quit. I don’t know the thoughts of the KFA, how they want to deal with the challenges with coaching Korea. I have sent an application to the KFA because when I heard that Verbeek resigned, I wanted to them to know that I would really like the job.
If you have an interview, one question would be about the fact that when you left Busan were next-to-bottom in the league, how can you persuade people in Korea that you can be a good national team coach?
During that year in Busan I proved that I am able to build up the structure within a club and help develop tactical aspects. I think people enjoyed watching Busan play. The results were not as good as we expected but the football we played was exciting. We tried to go forward and we coached the players in a way that they could easily improve.
I think that it was just a question of time to see the results that everybody expected. People who came to watch Busan in Busan or anywhere else saw a team that tried to go forward and this is the way for all Korean teams to improve.
What are the problems of the national team and how would you solve them?
In the Asian Cup, the number of players that were not there was important. Statistically, there were three games with no goals. It is obvious what the problem is. It is also a K-League problem, Korean players have to improve in the box, they have to take attacking positions. Compared to the highest levels in Europe and South America, they are not that good. I think over the next years, coaches in Korea have to work on those things.
Koreans can defend well but this shouldn’t take away from the team’s attacking capabilities. A good balance between defending effectively and attacking in a way to create chances and socre goals is what they need.
That’s quite general. Is there anything specific you would change quickly that would help the national team?
The tournament showed that Korea could have won the semi-final and final on penalties. If Korea would have won for the first time in 47 years, then anybody would have been happy.
In the short term, you can’t change. It’s constant work, coaching, supporting players, in order to give them self-confidence that they can take good positions at the highest level. It is a process that will not change today or tomorrow.
Korean football in general and individual players will continue to improve and they will win the Asian Cup again, the next World Cup they can get good result. The condition is that they continue to work on their coaching skills and their mental skills and a lot of work in both penalty boxes.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
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You left Busan over a month ago. Why did you resign?
There were two main reasons. First of all, the results were not that good. Secondly, there were too many differences with the management of the club and I couldn’t continue like that. I offered to resign and after thinking about it for a week, they decided to accept my resignation. That was Ok for me.
What kind of differences?
I don’t want to go into specifics. In any relationship with any people –friends, couples, it is the same thing. With the management of the group, the development of the group, eventually, you have to decide whether to stay together, to try and find a compromise or to stop.
Were any problems regarding the departure of Brazilian players Popo and Somalia?
Not at all. Of course, there were a lot of questions regarding the improvement of the squad and the quality of the squad. There was not one reason.
If you had a chance again, what would you do differently?
This is the kind of question I don’t like. You can’t make the same situation happen twice. I would like to return to Korea because it is a very interesting country in football. I have no problems with the mentality of the people, with dealing with things. I would welcome the opportunity for a new challenge in Korea.
What kind of job would you like?
On a federation level or professional club level there are always possibilties. If there are people who want to build something with a lot of will, determination and patience and passion then I would be delighted.
When you mention federation, you are talking about the national team?
Verbeek has quit. I don’t know the thoughts of the KFA, how they want to deal with the challenges with coaching Korea. I have sent an application to the KFA because when I heard that Verbeek resigned, I wanted to them to know that I would really like the job.
If you have an interview, one question would be about the fact that when you left Busan were next-to-bottom in the league, how can you persuade people in Korea that you can be a good national team coach?
During that year in Busan I proved that I am able to build up the structure within a club and help develop tactical aspects. I think people enjoyed watching Busan play. The results were not as good as we expected but the football we played was exciting. We tried to go forward and we coached the players in a way that they could easily improve.
I think that it was just a question of time to see the results that everybody expected. People who came to watch Busan in Busan or anywhere else saw a team that tried to go forward and this is the way for all Korean teams to improve.
What are the problems of the national team and how would you solve them?
In the Asian Cup, the number of players that were not there was important. Statistically, there were three games with no goals. It is obvious what the problem is. It is also a K-League problem, Korean players have to improve in the box, they have to take attacking positions. Compared to the highest levels in Europe and South America, they are not that good. I think over the next years, coaches in Korea have to work on those things.
Koreans can defend well but this shouldn’t take away from the team’s attacking capabilities. A good balance between defending effectively and attacking in a way to create chances and socre goals is what they need.
That’s quite general. Is there anything specific you would change quickly that would help the national team?
The tournament showed that Korea could have won the semi-final and final on penalties. If Korea would have won for the first time in 47 years, then anybody would have been happy.
In the short term, you can’t change. It’s constant work, coaching, supporting players, in order to give them self-confidence that they can take good positions at the highest level. It is a process that will not change today or tomorrow.
Korean football in general and individual players will continue to improve and they will win the Asian Cup again, the next World Cup they can get good result. The condition is that they continue to work on their coaching skills and their mental skills and a lot of work in both penalty boxes.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
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Monday, August 6, 2007
Here we go again
Fans of the South Korean national team and the Korean Football Association (KFA) have been here before.
Korea is now looking for a sixth post-Hiddink coach. Pim Verbeek's resignation at the end of the Asian Cup means that five coaches have now come and gone in the Land of the Morning Calm since the 2002 World Cup.
After three spells with the Korea national team, the first two as the assistant at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, Verbeek is a familiar figure in modern Korean soccer and has been a good servant. Taking the reins last summer, the tall 51-year-old had a long-term vision for Korean soccer, up to and beyond the 2010 World Cup. In the global game however, things rarely go according to plan.
The Asian Cup was one of those things. Verbeek led the team to third place in a continental campaign that ended in a bizarre fashion as his team defeated Japan in a penalty shootout to finish third.
Banished to the sidelines by an overzealous referee for protesting the dubious sending off of Kang Min-soo, Verbeek was forced to sit among the spectators as his team battled until the end.
The win means that Korea will now not have to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup, and if that is a positive legacy then there are one or two others.
Following the retirement of the much-heralded back-line of 2002, the team has gone through defenders in an attempt to find a settled and competent back four.
At the end of the trip to Southeast Asia, however, it looks like an answer has finally been found. Oh Beom-seok, Kang Minsoo and Kim Jin-kyu and Chiwoo went seven hours without conceding a goal and, even better, the quartet are all under 24.
The experienced stars were absent, however. After the withdrawal of Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Seol Ki-hyeon and Kim Nam-il through injury, it was going to be tough for Korea to end its 47-year-long continental drought.The team stayed positive and an Asian Football Confederation official remarked that it was the first time he could remember a Korean team taking the competition with the utmost seriousness.
Unfortunately, scoring three goals in six games is going to win neither points nor plaudits.Verbeek was unable to solve the team's problems. As the defense tightened, fewer chances were created and the strikers rarely looked like they could score. Unrest in the Korean media grew - not to severe levels - but enough to question the leadership off the field and the lack of diversity in attack on it.
The knockout stage was a slog with all three games lasting two hours with no goals scored or conceded. Those six hours were more than long enough to demonstrate the fighting spirit and fitness of a team, but also showed little in the way of creativity and initiative.
It should be mentioned that such qualities are in short supply in a low-scoring K-League with overseas stars responsible for most of what does exist. Goals are not just a national team problem, they are a commodity not abundant domestically and only two out of the top 10 marksmen so far this season hold Korean passports.
That is another issue and not one that Verbeek will have to deal with. Soon, it will be the responsibility of someone else.
The early front-runner is Jorvan Vieira. The Brazilian led Iraq to the Asian Cup title. Before he did so, he confirmed that not only will he step down from that post but that he has been contacted by the Korean Football Association. The fact that he did so before Verbeek announced his departure was not appreciated in Seoul and does not reflect well on Vieira.
There is no need for the KFA to rush as little will happen for the next few months on the national team level and it is important to find the right person.
There is always the inevitable talk of big-name coaches, but with the World Cup three years away, tempting, as well as paying, such people is difficult. This is not a bad thing as perhaps it is time to avoid the stop-start effect that is in danger of becoming the norm.
It is all very well appointing famous coaches who become more attracted to Korea the closer a World Cup becomes, but as soon as the competition ends, they take their talents elsewhere and Korea finds itself almost back at square one.
For now however, it's time for a new start - again.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Korea is now looking for a sixth post-Hiddink coach. Pim Verbeek's resignation at the end of the Asian Cup means that five coaches have now come and gone in the Land of the Morning Calm since the 2002 World Cup.
After three spells with the Korea national team, the first two as the assistant at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, Verbeek is a familiar figure in modern Korean soccer and has been a good servant. Taking the reins last summer, the tall 51-year-old had a long-term vision for Korean soccer, up to and beyond the 2010 World Cup. In the global game however, things rarely go according to plan.
The Asian Cup was one of those things. Verbeek led the team to third place in a continental campaign that ended in a bizarre fashion as his team defeated Japan in a penalty shootout to finish third.
Banished to the sidelines by an overzealous referee for protesting the dubious sending off of Kang Min-soo, Verbeek was forced to sit among the spectators as his team battled until the end.
The win means that Korea will now not have to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup, and if that is a positive legacy then there are one or two others.
Following the retirement of the much-heralded back-line of 2002, the team has gone through defenders in an attempt to find a settled and competent back four.
At the end of the trip to Southeast Asia, however, it looks like an answer has finally been found. Oh Beom-seok, Kang Minsoo and Kim Jin-kyu and Chiwoo went seven hours without conceding a goal and, even better, the quartet are all under 24.
The experienced stars were absent, however. After the withdrawal of Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Seol Ki-hyeon and Kim Nam-il through injury, it was going to be tough for Korea to end its 47-year-long continental drought.The team stayed positive and an Asian Football Confederation official remarked that it was the first time he could remember a Korean team taking the competition with the utmost seriousness.
Unfortunately, scoring three goals in six games is going to win neither points nor plaudits.Verbeek was unable to solve the team's problems. As the defense tightened, fewer chances were created and the strikers rarely looked like they could score. Unrest in the Korean media grew - not to severe levels - but enough to question the leadership off the field and the lack of diversity in attack on it.
The knockout stage was a slog with all three games lasting two hours with no goals scored or conceded. Those six hours were more than long enough to demonstrate the fighting spirit and fitness of a team, but also showed little in the way of creativity and initiative.
It should be mentioned that such qualities are in short supply in a low-scoring K-League with overseas stars responsible for most of what does exist. Goals are not just a national team problem, they are a commodity not abundant domestically and only two out of the top 10 marksmen so far this season hold Korean passports.
That is another issue and not one that Verbeek will have to deal with. Soon, it will be the responsibility of someone else.
The early front-runner is Jorvan Vieira. The Brazilian led Iraq to the Asian Cup title. Before he did so, he confirmed that not only will he step down from that post but that he has been contacted by the Korean Football Association. The fact that he did so before Verbeek announced his departure was not appreciated in Seoul and does not reflect well on Vieira.
There is no need for the KFA to rush as little will happen for the next few months on the national team level and it is important to find the right person.
There is always the inevitable talk of big-name coaches, but with the World Cup three years away, tempting, as well as paying, such people is difficult. This is not a bad thing as perhaps it is time to avoid the stop-start effect that is in danger of becoming the norm.
It is all very well appointing famous coaches who become more attracted to Korea the closer a World Cup becomes, but as soon as the competition ends, they take their talents elsewhere and Korea finds itself almost back at square one.
For now however, it's time for a new start - again.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Thursday, July 26, 2007
Verbeek On The Brink
Verbeek On The Brink
No sooner had Kim Jung-woo missed South Korea’s fifth penalty kick against Iraq in the semi-final of the Asian Cup in Kuala Lumpur than the country’s media was speculating over the future of coach Pim Verbeek.
After two spells as assistant under Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat, Verbeek took over the head coach position a year ago, promising colourful and intelligent football. According to one leading sports site, OSEN, there was little of that on display as Korea scored only three goals in five games – two of which went to extra time.
The 0-0 draw with Iraq saw Korea enjoy plenty of possession and pressure but few chances were created as strikers Cho Jae-jin, Lee Chun-soo and Lee Dong-gook went through the competition without finding the back of the net.
Before the tournament, Verbeek told me that: “If we fail to reach the semi-finals that I will seriously consider my position.” This statement became headline news in Korea and it has led to the Dutchmen having to field questions about possible resignations every time the team looked to be in danger of crashing out.
After the last four exit, it was inevitable that the issue would be raised once more and so, in the post-match press conference, Verbeek had the following to say.
"I took my decision already but I am not going to say what it is because I want to keep the Korean people excited for the next couple of days.But if the Korean fans think we didn’t play a good tournament than they must have a different vision of playing international football.
"I think a lot of countries would be very proud to reach the semi-finals and to see their team fight until the very last second of extra time to get to the final. I should be proud to be a fan of Korean football because while we did not always play good, we were not outplayed in any game throughout this tournament and we were fighting like hell to get a good result.
“If people think that is not enough that’s okay because I have no problem with that.”
The 50-year old’s contract finishes at the end of the Beijing Olympics, a competition that South Korea have a good chance of qualifying for. Verbeek is also at the helm of that team and the chance it gives to work with the country’s young players is something he enjoys very much. It remains to be seen if that is enough to keep him from leaving.
Reaction to Korea’s performances in the Korean media have mostly been of disappointment with the coach rather than outright anger. “Is Verbeek responsible for the goal-less strikers?” asks one article. Reasonable questions are being asked though the coach’s leadership and tactical skills have not been well-received. A lack of variety when attacking is the most common complaint.
It is entirely possible, even probable, that Verbeek will head home to Europe and Korea will be in the position of trying to replace Hiddink for a sixth time in the space of five years.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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No sooner had Kim Jung-woo missed South Korea’s fifth penalty kick against Iraq in the semi-final of the Asian Cup in Kuala Lumpur than the country’s media was speculating over the future of coach Pim Verbeek.
After two spells as assistant under Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat, Verbeek took over the head coach position a year ago, promising colourful and intelligent football. According to one leading sports site, OSEN, there was little of that on display as Korea scored only three goals in five games – two of which went to extra time.
The 0-0 draw with Iraq saw Korea enjoy plenty of possession and pressure but few chances were created as strikers Cho Jae-jin, Lee Chun-soo and Lee Dong-gook went through the competition without finding the back of the net.
Before the tournament, Verbeek told me that: “If we fail to reach the semi-finals that I will seriously consider my position.” This statement became headline news in Korea and it has led to the Dutchmen having to field questions about possible resignations every time the team looked to be in danger of crashing out.
After the last four exit, it was inevitable that the issue would be raised once more and so, in the post-match press conference, Verbeek had the following to say.
"I took my decision already but I am not going to say what it is because I want to keep the Korean people excited for the next couple of days.But if the Korean fans think we didn’t play a good tournament than they must have a different vision of playing international football.
"I think a lot of countries would be very proud to reach the semi-finals and to see their team fight until the very last second of extra time to get to the final. I should be proud to be a fan of Korean football because while we did not always play good, we were not outplayed in any game throughout this tournament and we were fighting like hell to get a good result.
“If people think that is not enough that’s okay because I have no problem with that.”
The 50-year old’s contract finishes at the end of the Beijing Olympics, a competition that South Korea have a good chance of qualifying for. Verbeek is also at the helm of that team and the chance it gives to work with the country’s young players is something he enjoys very much. It remains to be seen if that is enough to keep him from leaving.
Reaction to Korea’s performances in the Korean media have mostly been of disappointment with the coach rather than outright anger. “Is Verbeek responsible for the goal-less strikers?” asks one article. Reasonable questions are being asked though the coach’s leadership and tactical skills have not been well-received. A lack of variety when attacking is the most common complaint.
It is entirely possible, even probable, that Verbeek will head home to Europe and Korea will be in the position of trying to replace Hiddink for a sixth time in the space of five years.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Saturday, July 21, 2007
South Korea Be The Reds Tees
It has been statistically proved that the more people that wear "BE THE REDS" t-shirts, the more chance the South Korean national soccer team has of winning matches.
South Korea reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup when 100,000s of people wore "BE THE REDS" t-shirts.
Support the South Korean soccer team in the Asian Cup
Support Korea with these Korean soccer specials. Be The Reds T-shirts and official Korean national team jerseys.
BE THE REDS
Classic new issue Be The Reds T-shirt
Original Be The Reds T-shirts from Korea.
Color: red/white
100% quality soft cotton
Be The Reds BRAND NEW STOCK AND LARGE SIZES
Sizes:
Medium (chest 51cm x length 66cm/ 20 x 26 inches)
Large (chest 54cm x length 72cm/ 21 x 28 inches)
XL (chest 55cm x length 75cm/ 22 x 30 inches)
South Korean National Team Soccer Shirt
Korean national team jerseys
Red & White – Korean FA ‘Tiger’ logo on front - "home shirt".
White - Korean FA ‘Tiger’ logo on front - "away shirt".
Produced by Nike.
XXL RED, XL RED, L RED & XXL, XL, L WHITE
L 105cm chest (41 inches)
XL 110 cm chest (43 inches)
XXL 115 cm chest (45 inches)
Red Dragon Let's Go Korea
Red Dragon Let's Go Korea T-shirts are the latest, hip item for all South Korea soccer fans.
Color: red/black100% quality soft cotton.
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M 100 cm chest (39 inches)L 105 cm chest (41 inches) XL 110 cm chest (43 inches) XXL 115 cm chest (45 inches)
Prices from: US$19.99 (postage not included)
Red Dragon T-shirt
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Sunday, June 24, 2007
Pim Verbeek Interview: Asian Cup Countdown
The 23-man squad has been named and now South Korea’s preparations for the Asian Cup and first round games against Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia in next month’s continental competition are ready to begin.
National team coach Pim Verbeek sprung few surprises at KFA HQ last Friday afternoon. The big issue was whether strikers Lee Dong-gook and Ahn Jung-hwan would be selected. Lee was, Ahn wasn’t.
So almost five years to the day since Ahn scored that famous golden goal which sent Italy crashing out of the 2002 World Cup and South Korea to the quarter-finals, his international career was almost certainly seemingly ended. At 31 and struggling to find a starting place with K-League team Suwon Samsung Bluewings, the way back to the top looks to be a tough one for the well-traveled striker.
“Perhaps after the Asian Cup he can get back to his normal level but at this moment we never see him play,” Verbeek told the Korea Herald. “He is not playing and not scoring goals. He is struggling – he doesn’t have the confidence of his club coach so there’s no reason to choose him.”
With a number of Korea’s most experienced players injured, Verbeek admitted that the inactivity which has caused Ahn’s absence was a problem.
“If there’s somebody regretting that situation then it is me. I still think that the Ahn Jung-hwan we know can make a difference.
“I don’t know if it because of five months out of football, the way they play in Korea, the mental state he is in after playing so many years in Europe and then coming back to Korea – I don’t know,” continued the Dutchman. “The only thing I can do is watch the matches, look at the players and pick the best ones.
“I am 100% sure he will understand.”
The absence of Ahn’s 2002 and 2006 team-mates Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon from the roster was expected but still unfortunate. The English Premier League stars are all recovering from surgery and the team’s opening game against Saudi Arabia on July 11 came just too early.
“All of them have serious injuries. I have a responsibility, not only to the KFA but also to the players and their clubs. It is easy to try and select them and see later what is happening but we need a proper preparation,” Verbeek said.
“The preparation for the 2006 World Cup was very difficult because of Park Ji-sung’s injury. He missed three out of four weeks training. We were waiting for him but in the meantime we can’t train with the system we want to play. That was bad preparation. At that moment, it was the best decision we could take but after we can say that in the future we should do things differently. We have to learn from our mistakes.
“So we should focus on the players we have. We have a lot of talented young players. The only thing they lack is experience. Most of the ones selected played in the Asian Games and they played six or seven internationals then and some of them like Yeom Ki-hoon have played Asian Champions League games.
“We will miss the three (English-based players) with all of their experience, two World Cups, a combined total of 15 years in European football,” he added. “Of course, the other players are more confident lining up along side those kind of players, opponents are more afraid.”
JFK was running for president the last time that South Korea lifted the Asian Cup but with the stature of the team in Asian soccer, expectations are high every time the tournament comes around. The coach is no different.
“You are only satisfied if you win because that’s why I came here. We haven’t won it in 47 years so I don’t know if it is realistic to say we are going to win. We are going with the objective of winning.”
According to the coach, anything less than a place in the last four and he may not hang around to see out his current contract that will expire in the summer of 2008.
“I have thought about this and if we don’t make the semi-final then I will seriously consider if I want to stay in my position as the head coach.”
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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National team coach Pim Verbeek sprung few surprises at KFA HQ last Friday afternoon. The big issue was whether strikers Lee Dong-gook and Ahn Jung-hwan would be selected. Lee was, Ahn wasn’t.
So almost five years to the day since Ahn scored that famous golden goal which sent Italy crashing out of the 2002 World Cup and South Korea to the quarter-finals, his international career was almost certainly seemingly ended. At 31 and struggling to find a starting place with K-League team Suwon Samsung Bluewings, the way back to the top looks to be a tough one for the well-traveled striker.
“Perhaps after the Asian Cup he can get back to his normal level but at this moment we never see him play,” Verbeek told the Korea Herald. “He is not playing and not scoring goals. He is struggling – he doesn’t have the confidence of his club coach so there’s no reason to choose him.”
With a number of Korea’s most experienced players injured, Verbeek admitted that the inactivity which has caused Ahn’s absence was a problem.
“If there’s somebody regretting that situation then it is me. I still think that the Ahn Jung-hwan we know can make a difference.
“I don’t know if it because of five months out of football, the way they play in Korea, the mental state he is in after playing so many years in Europe and then coming back to Korea – I don’t know,” continued the Dutchman. “The only thing I can do is watch the matches, look at the players and pick the best ones.
“I am 100% sure he will understand.”
The absence of Ahn’s 2002 and 2006 team-mates Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon from the roster was expected but still unfortunate. The English Premier League stars are all recovering from surgery and the team’s opening game against Saudi Arabia on July 11 came just too early.
“All of them have serious injuries. I have a responsibility, not only to the KFA but also to the players and their clubs. It is easy to try and select them and see later what is happening but we need a proper preparation,” Verbeek said.
“The preparation for the 2006 World Cup was very difficult because of Park Ji-sung’s injury. He missed three out of four weeks training. We were waiting for him but in the meantime we can’t train with the system we want to play. That was bad preparation. At that moment, it was the best decision we could take but after we can say that in the future we should do things differently. We have to learn from our mistakes.
“So we should focus on the players we have. We have a lot of talented young players. The only thing they lack is experience. Most of the ones selected played in the Asian Games and they played six or seven internationals then and some of them like Yeom Ki-hoon have played Asian Champions League games.
“We will miss the three (English-based players) with all of their experience, two World Cups, a combined total of 15 years in European football,” he added. “Of course, the other players are more confident lining up along side those kind of players, opponents are more afraid.”
JFK was running for president the last time that South Korea lifted the Asian Cup but with the stature of the team in Asian soccer, expectations are high every time the tournament comes around. The coach is no different.
“You are only satisfied if you win because that’s why I came here. We haven’t won it in 47 years so I don’t know if it is realistic to say we are going to win. We are going with the objective of winning.”
According to the coach, anything less than a place in the last four and he may not hang around to see out his current contract that will expire in the summer of 2008.
“I have thought about this and if we don’t make the semi-final then I will seriously consider if I want to stay in my position as the head coach.”
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Sunday, June 10, 2007
Pim Verbeek Interview - Pre-Asian Cup Problems
For nations like Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Korea and now Australia, the Asian Cup is second only to the World Cup in importance and not only that, it is the one major competition that is, at present, winnable for such teams.
The Taeguk Warriors haven’t done so for 47 years – and, ten months after taking his place in the hotseat in Seoul, South Korean coach Pim Verbeek is determined to end that drought. However, the Dutchman feels that the people involved in Korean football are not all pulling in the same direction.
With less than four weeks until the Asian Cup begins, the K-League is still going at full pelt. Korea’s 14 clubs will play their last games before the summer break on June 23 and the midweek Hauzen Cup will come to an end four days later – just nine days before the national team leaves for Indonesia and Group D matches with the co-hosts, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Verbeek believes the late finish as well as the hectic domestic schedule with games every weekend and Wednesday since the season began in March will harm Korea’s chances in Indonesia.
“As far as I can see, in less than three months time there have been 22 games - which is impossible. Players are tired, the coaches can’t train and have no time to improve the team and because of that. I have no preparation,” Verbeek told Soccerphile.
A congested fixture list is not unique to Korea. England is well-known for the amount of games played – the English season has already accounted for Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon, all three of which are likely to miss the Asian Cup through injury but according to Verbeek, the situation is not the same.
“In England most of the players are a very high standard and in Korea we have so many young players. To improve young players you have to train. You have to do tactical training, you have to let them rest and let them develop. I see here 20 year-old players play 20 games in less than three months. What can we expect? You have to learn from your mistakes but if there’s no training…”
Occasionally there can be too much training. When asked if it would be possible to contact the K-league coaches to request that one or two players be rested occasionally, Verbeek smiled, shook his head and gave an example regarding Jeolla Province club Chunnam Dragons.
“When we went to Yemen recently for the Olympic game, we flew from Korea on Sunday evening. Most of the players played at the weekend for their K-League clubs. One of the teams lost on Saturday and the coach thought it was a good idea to give the players extra training at 6.30 on Sunday morning.
“I think that’s disrespectful for the players. Whether the Olympic team players play well or not, at least they need some rest before they go on a 20-hour trip.
“So, after those players played a game on Saturday, they had to train at 6.30 on Sunday morning, then travel to Incheon and then fly on Sunday evening to Yemen and then they are expected to perform on Wednesday.
“I have never heard of a coach who is training at 6.30 on Sunday morning after losing a game. I think if you do that in Europe then nobody will believe it. Physically and football-wise that is not the way we treat our players in Europe even if they lost a game.
“But it’s a different culture. It’s his (Chunnam coach and ex-PSV player Huh Jung-moo) idea to punish his players like this but the point is I needed those players for a qualification game for the Olympic team. At least I would have expected that those players be given a rest because the next evening they have to sleep on the airplane which is not the best preparation.”
Preparation. That is what Verbeek is at pains to emphasize as he looks to the team’s first game in the Asian Cup.
“Preparation for the Asian Cup is only two weeks; less than four weeks for the last World Cup and five months for 2002 but it is a challenge. The good part is that the players know what to do because we always play the same system. They know exactly what position they have to play.”
That will come in useful on July 11 when South Korea kicks off its campaign against Asian powerhouse Saudi Arabia.
“Saudi Arabia is one of the favourites,” said Verbeek, “so it’s good that we have them in the first round and as long as we progress then we can’t meet again before the final.”
According to the coach, there are a number of other rivals that Korea must watch out for in south-east Asia.
“Iran is always a difficult opponent, China I have no idea how far they are but they probably have good preparation. Japan always has a good selection of players to choose from.
“Australia? Most of their players play in England and I am very curious to know how they will handle that. The English season has finished so they also have to find a solution for players not playing from May 13 to July 8 or 9 – that’s a big challenge.
Korea are in the opposite situation.
“The good part of our preparations is that our players are match-fit,” says Verbeek and then laughs, “too much so!”
A sense of humour could come in handy over the next few weeks.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.
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The Taeguk Warriors haven’t done so for 47 years – and, ten months after taking his place in the hotseat in Seoul, South Korean coach Pim Verbeek is determined to end that drought. However, the Dutchman feels that the people involved in Korean football are not all pulling in the same direction.
With less than four weeks until the Asian Cup begins, the K-League is still going at full pelt. Korea’s 14 clubs will play their last games before the summer break on June 23 and the midweek Hauzen Cup will come to an end four days later – just nine days before the national team leaves for Indonesia and Group D matches with the co-hosts, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Verbeek believes the late finish as well as the hectic domestic schedule with games every weekend and Wednesday since the season began in March will harm Korea’s chances in Indonesia.
“As far as I can see, in less than three months time there have been 22 games - which is impossible. Players are tired, the coaches can’t train and have no time to improve the team and because of that. I have no preparation,” Verbeek told Soccerphile.
A congested fixture list is not unique to Korea. England is well-known for the amount of games played – the English season has already accounted for Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon, all three of which are likely to miss the Asian Cup through injury but according to Verbeek, the situation is not the same.
“In England most of the players are a very high standard and in Korea we have so many young players. To improve young players you have to train. You have to do tactical training, you have to let them rest and let them develop. I see here 20 year-old players play 20 games in less than three months. What can we expect? You have to learn from your mistakes but if there’s no training…”
Occasionally there can be too much training. When asked if it would be possible to contact the K-league coaches to request that one or two players be rested occasionally, Verbeek smiled, shook his head and gave an example regarding Jeolla Province club Chunnam Dragons.
“When we went to Yemen recently for the Olympic game, we flew from Korea on Sunday evening. Most of the players played at the weekend for their K-League clubs. One of the teams lost on Saturday and the coach thought it was a good idea to give the players extra training at 6.30 on Sunday morning.
“I think that’s disrespectful for the players. Whether the Olympic team players play well or not, at least they need some rest before they go on a 20-hour trip.
“So, after those players played a game on Saturday, they had to train at 6.30 on Sunday morning, then travel to Incheon and then fly on Sunday evening to Yemen and then they are expected to perform on Wednesday.
“I have never heard of a coach who is training at 6.30 on Sunday morning after losing a game. I think if you do that in Europe then nobody will believe it. Physically and football-wise that is not the way we treat our players in Europe even if they lost a game.
“But it’s a different culture. It’s his (Chunnam coach and ex-PSV player Huh Jung-moo) idea to punish his players like this but the point is I needed those players for a qualification game for the Olympic team. At least I would have expected that those players be given a rest because the next evening they have to sleep on the airplane which is not the best preparation.”
Preparation. That is what Verbeek is at pains to emphasize as he looks to the team’s first game in the Asian Cup.
“Preparation for the Asian Cup is only two weeks; less than four weeks for the last World Cup and five months for 2002 but it is a challenge. The good part is that the players know what to do because we always play the same system. They know exactly what position they have to play.”
That will come in useful on July 11 when South Korea kicks off its campaign against Asian powerhouse Saudi Arabia.
“Saudi Arabia is one of the favourites,” said Verbeek, “so it’s good that we have them in the first round and as long as we progress then we can’t meet again before the final.”
According to the coach, there are a number of other rivals that Korea must watch out for in south-east Asia.
“Iran is always a difficult opponent, China I have no idea how far they are but they probably have good preparation. Japan always has a good selection of players to choose from.
“Australia? Most of their players play in England and I am very curious to know how they will handle that. The English season has finished so they also have to find a solution for players not playing from May 13 to July 8 or 9 – that’s a big challenge.
Korea are in the opposite situation.
“The good part of our preparations is that our players are match-fit,” says Verbeek and then laughs, “too much so!”
A sense of humour could come in handy over the next few weeks.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.
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Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Dutch Double Does For Korea
Games against the Netherlands are often ones to remember and last Saturday night in Seoul was no different for hosts South Korea.
The game was arranged to mark the five-year anniversary of the start of the 2002 World Cup, which was of course, hosted by Korea and Japan.
The Netherlands didn’t even qualify for that competition while South Korea, coached by Guus Hiddink and assistant Pim Verbeek, reached the semi-finals.
Despite that non-appearance, Holland are still part of the footballing elite and were expected to defeat the Asians. They did just that with a 2-0 victory. The Dutch may have been without the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Arjen Van Robben and Edwin van der Sar but the squad that traveled east was still a skilful one.
Korea were missing their Premier League quarter of Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo (sitting in the commentary box instead), Seol Ki-hyeon and Lee Dong-gook. The strength in depth of the Taeguk Warriors doesn’t, unfortunately, match that of the Europeans.
Rafael van der Vaart got a goal in each half, the first a penalty, to silence the home fans. The second came with 18 minutes remaining and Korea’s subsequent lack of fight and energy annoyed their Dutch coach Pim Verbeek who launched a scathing attack on the administrators of the K-League.
"I can’t believe the K-League organized a cup semi-final three days before a national team game,” said Verbeek after the game.
"If that’s how they want to treat the national team then we need to have serious discussions. It is stupid, disrespectful and bad for Korean football.”
"It’s the first time in my life that I have seen a Korean team lose so much energy at the end of the game. They have played 22 games in less than three months. The players were tired and after it became 2-0, they were finished.”
Verbeek was not finished there and when asked why he didn’t bring on substitute midfielder Kim Doo-hyun before the last 15 minutes, the coach launched an uncharacteristic attack on the Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma midfielder.
"I really regret bringing him on. He was terrible. I told him that if he wants to play that way then I will kick him off the national team. He can stay in Seongnam.”
Naturally, Seongnam coach Kim Hak-bom was not best pleased at the criticism of his star midfielder.
"I didn’t hear what Verbeek said but if it true then it shows a problem of leadership,” Kim replied.
"As far as I could see the team balance improved when Kim Doo-hyun came on. One player can’t change the situation of the whole team. Managing the game with that intention is a stupid way.”
“Verbeek said that the Netherlands game was a rehearsal for the Asian Cup," Kim added. "but the team was playing not to lose and packed midfield with three defensive midfielders. That won’t be the case at the Asian Cup so I don’t know what is going on.”
Korea have two more friendly games before leaving for Jakarta and the Asian Cup. The first is against Iraq in Seogwipo on Jeju Island on June 29 and the second is back in Seoul against Uzbekistan on July 5.
More of the same in K-League
Back in the K-League,little has changed. Seongnam show no sign of stopping. The champions are still six points clear and still undefeated. Last season’s runners- up Suwon Samsung Bluewings stay second, just a point ahead of the impressive Gyeongnam FC and their goalscoring duo of Popo and Cabore.
Apart from the two ‘nams’ Gyeong and Seong, the other form team is Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i. The Tigers have won their last three with Premier League target Lee Chun-soo in the middle of most good things the Tigers are doing.
FC Seoul are still struggling for goals as the nightmarish statistic of five in 13 games clearly shows and further down the table Andy Egli and Busan I’Park are struggling.
At least they are doing better than Gwangju Sangmu who are still looking for a first win in 2007.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Saturday, May 19, 2007
Mixed Season For Korea's English Quartet
As the referee blew his whistle at the end of Saturday’s FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea ended, he also called time on the 2006/07 English season.
So what better time to take a quick look at how the English Premier League’s quartet of South Korean football stars have fared?
Park Ji-sung (Manchester United)
Korea’s Premier League pioneer Park has been unlucky.
The midfielder was solid rather than spectacular in his first campaign at Old Trafford and his legion of fans were hopeful he would hit the heights in the second.
He didn’t at first. An ankle injury sustained in September kept him out of action for three months. Upon his return in at the end of the year, the former PSV Eindhoven star started to find his rhythm. As United battled for glory in England and Europe, Park started to add the one thing that had been missing since he joined the club in July 2005 – goals.
Two of them came against Bolton in March. One more was added in the next game against Blackburn which took his return for the season to an impressive five goals in 14 games. That was Park’s last contribution to United’s title challenge as the knee ligament damage that he picked up during that game on March 31 necessitated surgery in April and recovery in the summer.
Despite the injuries Park should be pleased with his contribution to the United cause and the fact that he is the first Asian player to win a Premier League championship medal.
“Park has been a great player for us. His energy and his work rate are great. He always makes space for the players and runs for the team. I have played a few times with him in computer games.He's a good player but a bad loser. He tends to shout a lot when he loses” – Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney.
Lee Young-pyo (Tottenham and South Korea)
Like Park, Lee’s season was going well before it also came to a premature end on the operating table.
The left-back almost left Spurs last August. Only a last-minute change of mind prevented him from joining Italian giants Roma.
It was a brave decision as, at that point, Lee had lost his place in the starting eleven to Cameroonian rival Benoit Assou-Ekotto. The Korean fought his way back into the affections of coach Martin Jol and made a total of 31 appearances before damaging his knee ligaments against Sevilla on April 6.
Lee remains a player that divides opinion among Tottenham fans. Some feel he is lacking as a defender while others believe he is under-rated and consistent.
“I will not join Roma. I changed my mind for personal reasons. I will explain in more detail when I arrive in Korea but it had nothing to do with religion.” – Lee Young-pyo.
Seol Ki-hyeon (Reading and South Korea)
Seol’s season has been the proverbial roller-coaster ride.
The attacker joined newly-promoted Reading FC last summer and, like the team, he adjusted to life in the top tier with the minimum of fuss. So much so that he was named as the club’s best player for both August and September.
As autumn faded, so did Seol’s form. This is hardly a new phenomenon as fans of previous clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Anderlecht would confirm.
From the end of December to the end of March, “The Sniper” failed to start a single game. There were rumours of moves to other teams, there still are, but as the season entered its final leg, Seol was recalled to the line-up and scored his fourth goal of the season on the final day.
Unfortunately however, the player is due to have an ankle operation and will probably miss the Asian Cup in July.
“It takes time to get used to the Premier League and playing in a new team, but I feel that I've fitted in well,” Seol Ki-hyeon.
Lee Dong-gook (Middlesbrough)
The Lion King is the newest of the quartet and the only one currently injury free, though that could be because he has had little playing time since heading to England’s north-east in January.
Lee has yet failed to score despite hitting the post in his first game. In his defence, he has only made three starts and it is next season when the pressure will be on the former Pohang player to start performing.
"He just needs time on the field to get used to the game here. But he has got clear quality, you can see that in training. We know he is really going to come through more next season." Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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So what better time to take a quick look at how the English Premier League’s quartet of South Korean football stars have fared?
Park Ji-sung (Manchester United)
Korea’s Premier League pioneer Park has been unlucky.
The midfielder was solid rather than spectacular in his first campaign at Old Trafford and his legion of fans were hopeful he would hit the heights in the second.
He didn’t at first. An ankle injury sustained in September kept him out of action for three months. Upon his return in at the end of the year, the former PSV Eindhoven star started to find his rhythm. As United battled for glory in England and Europe, Park started to add the one thing that had been missing since he joined the club in July 2005 – goals.
Two of them came against Bolton in March. One more was added in the next game against Blackburn which took his return for the season to an impressive five goals in 14 games. That was Park’s last contribution to United’s title challenge as the knee ligament damage that he picked up during that game on March 31 necessitated surgery in April and recovery in the summer.
Despite the injuries Park should be pleased with his contribution to the United cause and the fact that he is the first Asian player to win a Premier League championship medal.
“Park has been a great player for us. His energy and his work rate are great. He always makes space for the players and runs for the team. I have played a few times with him in computer games.He's a good player but a bad loser. He tends to shout a lot when he loses” – Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney.
Lee Young-pyo (Tottenham and South Korea)
Like Park, Lee’s season was going well before it also came to a premature end on the operating table.
The left-back almost left Spurs last August. Only a last-minute change of mind prevented him from joining Italian giants Roma.
It was a brave decision as, at that point, Lee had lost his place in the starting eleven to Cameroonian rival Benoit Assou-Ekotto. The Korean fought his way back into the affections of coach Martin Jol and made a total of 31 appearances before damaging his knee ligaments against Sevilla on April 6.
Lee remains a player that divides opinion among Tottenham fans. Some feel he is lacking as a defender while others believe he is under-rated and consistent.
“I will not join Roma. I changed my mind for personal reasons. I will explain in more detail when I arrive in Korea but it had nothing to do with religion.” – Lee Young-pyo.
Seol Ki-hyeon (Reading and South Korea)
Seol’s season has been the proverbial roller-coaster ride.
The attacker joined newly-promoted Reading FC last summer and, like the team, he adjusted to life in the top tier with the minimum of fuss. So much so that he was named as the club’s best player for both August and September.
As autumn faded, so did Seol’s form. This is hardly a new phenomenon as fans of previous clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Anderlecht would confirm.
From the end of December to the end of March, “The Sniper” failed to start a single game. There were rumours of moves to other teams, there still are, but as the season entered its final leg, Seol was recalled to the line-up and scored his fourth goal of the season on the final day.
Unfortunately however, the player is due to have an ankle operation and will probably miss the Asian Cup in July.
“It takes time to get used to the Premier League and playing in a new team, but I feel that I've fitted in well,” Seol Ki-hyeon.
Lee Dong-gook (Middlesbrough)
The Lion King is the newest of the quartet and the only one currently injury free, though that could be because he has had little playing time since heading to England’s north-east in January.
Lee has yet failed to score despite hitting the post in his first game. In his defence, he has only made three starts and it is next season when the pressure will be on the former Pohang player to start performing.
"He just needs time on the field to get used to the game here. But he has got clear quality, you can see that in training. We know he is really going to come through more next season." Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Monday, May 7, 2007
Korea: Goalless In Seoul
It’s all gone wrong for FC Seoul. As world leagues go, the K may be a low-scoring one but no goals in the last 582 minutes is not what the club had in mind when seemingly defensive-minded coach Lee Jang-soo was jettisoned at the end of last season for the supposedly attacking Senol Gunes.
In the middle of March however, Gunes was starting to think that the whole East Asia thing was a walk in the park. Not only did he steer Turkey to third place in at the 2002 World Cup, he won his first five games in South Korea without conceding a goal.
Three of those games were in the league and not surprisingly, FC Seoul were top of the standings. March 18 seems like a long time ago but that was when the team last scored a K-League goal. Six games later – two defeats and four goalless draws- and only the ineptitude of others keeps the capital outfit in the relatively lofty position of fifth.
The Turk was, and still is, the story of the season though headlines tend to include the word ‘crisis’ these days and it is becoming less and less of a surprise when Seoul add another 90 minutes to their unwanted collection.
Also unwelcome for the 2002 UEFA Coach of the Year is the number of injuries his players. Most of the team’s strikers have been struggling for fitness though with creativity drying up in midfield, they weren't getting many chances anyway.
"Of course the most important thing is victory but I will try to give fans football that they can love. I like Barcelona. They always play at a high tempo as well as with a good strategy. I want to adopt that model as the one for my team. About a month after the season starts, fans will be able to see the kind of football I want,” said Gunes just before the season started.
In fact after a month of the season, fans were seeing the kind of football that they had seen many times before.
Korean fans are usually patient but there have been signs of discontent. Gunes’s refusal to play mercurial Portuguese playmaker and crowd favourite Ricardo Nascimento is not going down well in north-west Seoul.
These days a large banner can be seen featuring the long-haired midfielder can be seen behind the goal, with the words “Please Use” emblazoned across it.
Something similar written across the back of the net may be useful.
As expected, champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma are experiencing no such problems. After nine games, the seven-time title-winners are the only unbeaten team and lead Suwon Samsung Bluewings by three points.
Gyeongnam FC are the surprise package and sit in third. Another surprise is the performances of two title favourites Pohang Steelers and Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I. The south-eastern pair sit in eighth and ninth respectively.
Asian Cup
South Korean cup Pim Verbeek was hit with a double whammy in the second half of April when it was announced that Lee Young-pyo and Park Ji-sung had both undergone knee operations and were both highly doubtful for the Asian Cup.
Lee was the first to go under the knife after injuring knee ligaments against Sevilla in the UEFA Cup. The under-rated Tottenham left-back had been in consistent form for the London club and his experience, versatility and talent will be missed if he doesn’t return in time for the Jakarta games against Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia.
The same can be said of his former PSV Eindhoven partner in crime. Park was in fine form for United and had just scored his third goal in two games when he collected the injury against Blackburn Rovers.
Initial reports suggested that there was little to be concerned about as the May 5 Manchester Derby was penciled in for his return. It was not to be and the 26 year-old flew to America for an operation and, if Manchester United can be beleived, won’t be back until August.
Seoul United.
It may not be of much interest to Ben Johnson, but his ‘victory’ in the 1988 Olympic 100 metre race is still the most famous sporting moment that has been witnessed in Seoul Olympic Stadium.
On April 25, at the same cavernous arena which stands on the south bank of the Han River, a South Korean third division football game between Seoul United and Changwon Dudae FC proved to be a slightly more low-key affair than the race which sent shockwaves around the world almost 19 years ago.
It was still historic. Just a few metres away from the spot where the vacant-eyed Canadian crossed the finish line; a white football rolled over the halfway line to signal the start of Seoul United’s life as a football club in the K3 league.
With some of the 14 teams in the top tier K-League struggling to attract fans, those that do battle two divisions further down the ladder would probably expect to be watched by no more than the players’ family or friends but April 21 was different. Among the dignitaries present were KFA President and FIFA Vice-President Chung Mong-joon and national team coach Pim Verbeek.
It may have been the official launch of the league but the day was all about Seoul United. The club’s name and its Newcastle United/Juventus-like black-and-white stripes shirts have been around the capital and its football scene since the turn of the century. That was when the idea of a “people’s club” for Seoul was born.
In a K-League dominated by clubs backed by big business, those people set about creating the first club that would be run by the fans. Followers could become shareholders in Seoul United and would take the decisions. Dismissed as romantics and dreamers by some in the media, the game against Changwon was vindication for those who had worked so hard. It was only the first step and it will be a long time before there is a chance of seeing the black and white stripes in the top flight of Korean football.
The K3 division is an amateur league and consists of ten teams. There is, as yet, no promotion to the second tier league in the country – known as the National League. However, the KFA will allow four or six K3 clubs into the FA Cup later in the year with the chance of facing one of the big boys from the K-League.
For the moment, it is time to focus on building a team and a season. The result wasn’t the most important aspect of the day but an entertaining game finished 2-2.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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In the middle of March however, Gunes was starting to think that the whole East Asia thing was a walk in the park. Not only did he steer Turkey to third place in at the 2002 World Cup, he won his first five games in South Korea without conceding a goal.
Three of those games were in the league and not surprisingly, FC Seoul were top of the standings. March 18 seems like a long time ago but that was when the team last scored a K-League goal. Six games later – two defeats and four goalless draws- and only the ineptitude of others keeps the capital outfit in the relatively lofty position of fifth.
The Turk was, and still is, the story of the season though headlines tend to include the word ‘crisis’ these days and it is becoming less and less of a surprise when Seoul add another 90 minutes to their unwanted collection.
Also unwelcome for the 2002 UEFA Coach of the Year is the number of injuries his players. Most of the team’s strikers have been struggling for fitness though with creativity drying up in midfield, they weren't getting many chances anyway.
"Of course the most important thing is victory but I will try to give fans football that they can love. I like Barcelona. They always play at a high tempo as well as with a good strategy. I want to adopt that model as the one for my team. About a month after the season starts, fans will be able to see the kind of football I want,” said Gunes just before the season started.
In fact after a month of the season, fans were seeing the kind of football that they had seen many times before.
Korean fans are usually patient but there have been signs of discontent. Gunes’s refusal to play mercurial Portuguese playmaker and crowd favourite Ricardo Nascimento is not going down well in north-west Seoul.
These days a large banner can be seen featuring the long-haired midfielder can be seen behind the goal, with the words “Please Use” emblazoned across it.
Something similar written across the back of the net may be useful.
As expected, champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma are experiencing no such problems. After nine games, the seven-time title-winners are the only unbeaten team and lead Suwon Samsung Bluewings by three points.
Gyeongnam FC are the surprise package and sit in third. Another surprise is the performances of two title favourites Pohang Steelers and Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I. The south-eastern pair sit in eighth and ninth respectively.
Asian Cup
South Korean cup Pim Verbeek was hit with a double whammy in the second half of April when it was announced that Lee Young-pyo and Park Ji-sung had both undergone knee operations and were both highly doubtful for the Asian Cup.
Lee was the first to go under the knife after injuring knee ligaments against Sevilla in the UEFA Cup. The under-rated Tottenham left-back had been in consistent form for the London club and his experience, versatility and talent will be missed if he doesn’t return in time for the Jakarta games against Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia.
The same can be said of his former PSV Eindhoven partner in crime. Park was in fine form for United and had just scored his third goal in two games when he collected the injury against Blackburn Rovers.
Initial reports suggested that there was little to be concerned about as the May 5 Manchester Derby was penciled in for his return. It was not to be and the 26 year-old flew to America for an operation and, if Manchester United can be beleived, won’t be back until August.
Seoul United.
It may not be of much interest to Ben Johnson, but his ‘victory’ in the 1988 Olympic 100 metre race is still the most famous sporting moment that has been witnessed in Seoul Olympic Stadium.
On April 25, at the same cavernous arena which stands on the south bank of the Han River, a South Korean third division football game between Seoul United and Changwon Dudae FC proved to be a slightly more low-key affair than the race which sent shockwaves around the world almost 19 years ago.
It was still historic. Just a few metres away from the spot where the vacant-eyed Canadian crossed the finish line; a white football rolled over the halfway line to signal the start of Seoul United’s life as a football club in the K3 league.
With some of the 14 teams in the top tier K-League struggling to attract fans, those that do battle two divisions further down the ladder would probably expect to be watched by no more than the players’ family or friends but April 21 was different. Among the dignitaries present were KFA President and FIFA Vice-President Chung Mong-joon and national team coach Pim Verbeek.
It may have been the official launch of the league but the day was all about Seoul United. The club’s name and its Newcastle United/Juventus-like black-and-white stripes shirts have been around the capital and its football scene since the turn of the century. That was when the idea of a “people’s club” for Seoul was born.
In a K-League dominated by clubs backed by big business, those people set about creating the first club that would be run by the fans. Followers could become shareholders in Seoul United and would take the decisions. Dismissed as romantics and dreamers by some in the media, the game against Changwon was vindication for those who had worked so hard. It was only the first step and it will be a long time before there is a chance of seeing the black and white stripes in the top flight of Korean football.
The K3 division is an amateur league and consists of ten teams. There is, as yet, no promotion to the second tier league in the country – known as the National League. However, the KFA will allow four or six K3 clubs into the FA Cup later in the year with the chance of facing one of the big boys from the K-League.
For the moment, it is time to focus on building a team and a season. The result wasn’t the most important aspect of the day but an entertaining game finished 2-2.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Thursday, February 8, 2007
Korean Fans in London
Korean fans, generally considered the best supporters at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, were out in force in west London, to cheer on the Taeguk Warriors in their friendly win over Greece at Fulham's Craven Cottage.
On a cold night, Korea beat the reigning European Champions Greece 1-0 thanks to a second half free kick from Lee Chun Soo.
In other friendlies in the UK yesterday, England lost to Spain 1-0, Denmark beat Australia 3-1, Portugal beat Brazil 2-0 and Ghana thrashed Nigeria 4-1.
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On a cold night, Korea beat the reigning European Champions Greece 1-0 thanks to a second half free kick from Lee Chun Soo.
In other friendlies in the UK yesterday, England lost to Spain 1-0, Denmark beat Australia 3-1, Portugal beat Brazil 2-0 and Ghana thrashed Nigeria 4-1.
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Monday, January 8, 2007
New Year Same Old Stories
Ahn Returns
It’s that time of the year again when it feels like half of the K-League is on the move. The close season in Korea is a frantic affair and at times hard to keep up with.
The fate of Ahn Jung-hwan has been the big story of the new year so far. Precisely a year ago, the “Lord of the Ring” was in the process of turning down a trial with Blackburn Rovers. Instead he headed to MSV Duisberg who were then in the Bundesliga.
After relegation, Ahn was released from his contract but since August has been without a club. On the wrong side of 30, his options are not likely to increase and he finally decided to return to the K-League on January 9 when he signed for Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
The three-time champions who already boast international stars such as Kim Nam-il, Cho Won-hee, Baek Ji-hoon and Song Chong-guk, took some time to close the deal with the ex-Perugia, Yokohama, Shimizu and Metz striker.
``We met with Ahn and his agent for the negotiation several times. There was huge difference at first over contract terms, but our talks has recently moved forward further,’’ Suwon club boss Ahn Ki-heon told Yonhap news agency.
``Ahn’s side has yielded a lot in the contract term including the annual salary. We are positive we could bring him unless there is significant disagreement during the rest of the talks.’’
A week later, Ahn signed and was given the number ten shirt. Now the challenge is to win back the red shirt of the national team.
Seoul Life
FC Seoul have released Portuguese midfielder Ricardo Nascimento -the 34 year-old playmaker spent two years in the capital, becoming a firm favourite with the fans. He returns to his homeland’s top flight to join struggling Desportivo das Aves.
Passing in the opposite direction was the club’s new manager. Senol Gunes arrived on January 6. The capital was sitting under a few inches of snow by the time the ex-Turkey coach returned to Korea for the first time since participating in the 3rd/4th play-off game at the 2002 World Cup.
“Thanks to those who came to meet me despite the bad weather,” he said. “My first impression of the fans is a good one.”
“Of course the most important thing is victory but I will try to give fans football that they can love.”
“I still have a good feeling from the 2002 World Cup. Turkey and Korea got good results. The two nations are brothers and that is one reason why I decided to come here.”
At a press conference in the bowels of Seoul World Cup Stadium 48 hours later, the 54 year-old made all the right noises and promised entertainment and results for fans.
The two Lees
A constant story since the summer has been that of Lee Young-pyo. The versatile Spurs star lost his place at the start of the new season and was a whisker away from joining AS Roma at the end of August. At the last minute however, the 29 year-old changed his mind and decided to stay in North London.
The reason for the change of heart has been kept close to the chest of “Chorongi” who had to deny in a press conference that his deep religious beliefs were behind the decision.
Stories in Italy also talked of financial reasons and pressure from Sky Sports on the player not to reduce Korean interest in the Premier League by leaving it. It sounds about as likely as reports of Chelsea interest in the defender.
Fortunately for the player, he has since won back his place in the team but the rumours still abound that he could soon swap England’s capital for its Italian counterpart. Supposedly in the first week of the New Year, Roma asked for a loan and then a full transfer.
Lee will stay put but the same can’t be said of 2002 and 2006 World Cup team-mate Lee Chun-soo. The 2005 K-League MVP said in December that he was ready to leave Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I and the K-League.
Yokohama Marinos and Urawa Reds in Japan fancy the winger who hit six goals in two and a half games in last August’s East Asian Champions Cup held on the archipelago.
As documented on here before, Lee is eyeing Europe – especially England. There has been little mention of possible moves for the winger since the transfer window opened.
It remains to be seen if that is good news or bad.
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Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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It’s that time of the year again when it feels like half of the K-League is on the move. The close season in Korea is a frantic affair and at times hard to keep up with.
The fate of Ahn Jung-hwan has been the big story of the new year so far. Precisely a year ago, the “Lord of the Ring” was in the process of turning down a trial with Blackburn Rovers. Instead he headed to MSV Duisberg who were then in the Bundesliga.
After relegation, Ahn was released from his contract but since August has been without a club. On the wrong side of 30, his options are not likely to increase and he finally decided to return to the K-League on January 9 when he signed for Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
The three-time champions who already boast international stars such as Kim Nam-il, Cho Won-hee, Baek Ji-hoon and Song Chong-guk, took some time to close the deal with the ex-Perugia, Yokohama, Shimizu and Metz striker.
``We met with Ahn and his agent for the negotiation several times. There was huge difference at first over contract terms, but our talks has recently moved forward further,’’ Suwon club boss Ahn Ki-heon told Yonhap news agency.
``Ahn’s side has yielded a lot in the contract term including the annual salary. We are positive we could bring him unless there is significant disagreement during the rest of the talks.’’
A week later, Ahn signed and was given the number ten shirt. Now the challenge is to win back the red shirt of the national team.
Seoul Life
FC Seoul have released Portuguese midfielder Ricardo Nascimento -the 34 year-old playmaker spent two years in the capital, becoming a firm favourite with the fans. He returns to his homeland’s top flight to join struggling Desportivo das Aves.
Passing in the opposite direction was the club’s new manager. Senol Gunes arrived on January 6. The capital was sitting under a few inches of snow by the time the ex-Turkey coach returned to Korea for the first time since participating in the 3rd/4th play-off game at the 2002 World Cup.
“Thanks to those who came to meet me despite the bad weather,” he said. “My first impression of the fans is a good one.”
“Of course the most important thing is victory but I will try to give fans football that they can love.”
“I still have a good feeling from the 2002 World Cup. Turkey and Korea got good results. The two nations are brothers and that is one reason why I decided to come here.”
At a press conference in the bowels of Seoul World Cup Stadium 48 hours later, the 54 year-old made all the right noises and promised entertainment and results for fans.
The two Lees
A constant story since the summer has been that of Lee Young-pyo. The versatile Spurs star lost his place at the start of the new season and was a whisker away from joining AS Roma at the end of August. At the last minute however, the 29 year-old changed his mind and decided to stay in North London.
The reason for the change of heart has been kept close to the chest of “Chorongi” who had to deny in a press conference that his deep religious beliefs were behind the decision.
Stories in Italy also talked of financial reasons and pressure from Sky Sports on the player not to reduce Korean interest in the Premier League by leaving it. It sounds about as likely as reports of Chelsea interest in the defender.
Fortunately for the player, he has since won back his place in the team but the rumours still abound that he could soon swap England’s capital for its Italian counterpart. Supposedly in the first week of the New Year, Roma asked for a loan and then a full transfer.
Lee will stay put but the same can’t be said of 2002 and 2006 World Cup team-mate Lee Chun-soo. The 2005 K-League MVP said in December that he was ready to leave Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I and the K-League.
Yokohama Marinos and Urawa Reds in Japan fancy the winger who hit six goals in two and a half games in last August’s East Asian Champions Cup held on the archipelago.
As documented on here before, Lee is eyeing Europe – especially England. There has been little mention of possible moves for the winger since the transfer window opened.
It remains to be seen if that is good news or bad.
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Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Monday, November 27, 2006
Seongnam Stroll To Seventh Success
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma have been crowned K-League champions for the seventh time after a 3-1 aggregate win over Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the two-legged championship play-off decider.
It was a deserved win for the team that inhabits the affluent southern Seoul suburb of Bundang as they took the first leg at home 1-0 and shocked Suwon with a fairly comfortable 2-1 win in the second match.
The first leg was a tight affair –even more so for the fans squeezed into Seongnam’s Stadium as the attendance given was 21,000 – 5,000 more than the official capacity of the airy arena.
K-League spokespeople mumbled something about a temporary increase in capacity. It may not be too important but anyone familiar with Korean football knows that if Korean teams were as creative on the pitch as officials are when announcing attendance figures then the K-League would be a much better place.
One thing is for sure; at least half of those in attendance were sporting blue shirts after making the short trek east from Suwon.
They had little to shout about. Seongnam controlled the game for long periods without looking especially dangerous against a well-drilled Suwon back-four. With the visitors failing to create anything of note, the game was heading for a goalless draw.
That was until the 88th minute. Park Jin-seob launched a long cross from the right and K-League top scorer Woo Sung-yong was allowed to sneak in at the far post between two defenders and head the ball past the flat-footed Park Hyo-jin in the Suwon goal.
It was a deserved win on the day and left things nicely poised for the second leg with Suwon going for a fourth title and their second in three years in front of their own fans.
Those supporters turned out in force though the official 38,500 attendance was surprisingly swelled by the presence of over 5,000 yellow-shirted away fans at the ‘Big Bird'. The Seongnam fans took advantage of free travel to give the K-League’s most successful but worst supported team some vocal backing in the second leg.
Suwon boss Cha Bum-keun gave those critics who believe that he may have been a great player but he ain’t a great coach extra fuel by sticking playmaker Lee Kwan-woo on the right wing and drafting in Park Ju-song in defence. The 22 year-old had just returned from his two year military spell with Gwangju Sangmu and looked lost.
He was put out of his misery at half-time but by then the damage was done as Seongnam have something that Suwon lack – strikers that don’t need asking twice to put the ball into the net.
2004 K-League top scorer Mota has not had the best season at Seongnam – a broken ankle is responsible for that – but he showed all his predatory instincts after 26 minutes as he flicked the ball into the Suwon net from close range, despite the attentions of a blue-shirted defender.
From that moment, the hosts’ hopes of a quartet of titles looked doomed. Suwon were short of ideas, movement and perhaps most worryingly, motivation.
It didn’t improve much in the second half. The introduction of a disappointing Da Silva and young striker Seo Dong-hyun looked lightweight compared to Seongnam’s substitutions which brought the K-League’s top scorer Woo Sung-yong and international star Kim Sang-sik onto the pitch.
It wasn’t until Mota, left unmarked at the near post, scored his second and Seongnam’s third of the fixture midway through the second half that Suwon roused themselves to finally trouble Kim Yong-dae in the Seongnam goal.
Da Silva lifted his barrel-chest into the air with 14 minutes left to head home and hand the hosts a lifeline though with two goals still required, it was a tenuous one. So it proved and it was all over with three minutes remaining when striker Seo dragged a shot wide of the post with only ‘keeper Kim to beat.
It was very much a case of too little, too late from the Bluewings who can console themselves with the FA Cup final against Chunnam Dragons on December 3.
Seongnam rejoiced with a seventh title and a crack at the 2007 Asian Champions League when their line-up may contain a certain Mr. Ahn Jung-hwan.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Friday, November 17, 2006
AFC Mess It Up Again
Few people, maybe even the eventual winner Hamad Al Montashari, have happy memories of the fiasco that was 2005 Asian Player of the Year award. The Asian Football Confederation certainly doesn't as it nominated ten players for the shortlist only to remove most of them when it became apparent that they would not be able to attend the awards ceremony – leaving the sheepish Saudi defender to hold the trophy.
After that debacle, it was reassuring to read the sentence below on the confederations official homepage regarding the 2006 version.
"The eligibility criteria for selecting the best player of Asia has undergone a major and scientific revision, and the winner will be chosen on the basis of a weighted ranking system which takes into account performances at AFC tournaments, and key UEFA and FIFA tournaments.”
In a busy international year with Asian players involved in such FIFA and UEFA tournaments as the World Cup, Champions League and UEFA Cups as well as domestic leagues and the Asian Champions League, there were dozens of names to choose from. It must have been an unenviable task.
But the AFC did it.
The people that run Asian football have managed to make an even bigger mess than the one they created last year. At least in 2005 there was some logic to their decision, misguided and bizarre though it was, but the list released yesterday defies belief.
1) Badr Al Mutawa (Kuwait and Al Qadsiya)
2) Essa Al Mahiyani (Saudi Arabia and Al Wehda – Saudi)
3) Fahed Attal (Palestine)
4) Hawar Mulla Mohamed (Iraq and Apollon, Cyprus)
5) Ibraguim Rabimov (Tajikistan and Regar-Tadaz)
6) Ismael Matar (UAE and Al Wahda – UAE)
7) Khalfan Ibrahim (Qatar and Al Sadd)
8) Lionel Lewis (Singapore and Home United)
9) Mohamed Al Shlhoub (Saudi Arabia and Al Hilal)
10) Younis Mahmood (Iraq and Al Gharafa)
It should be pointed out that the nominees are all fine players but even the two Iraqis, two Saudi Arabians, one Tajikistani, one Qatari, one Kuwait, one Palestinian and the representatives from Singapore and UAE, must be wondering what is going on.
According to the AFC’s criteria, the nominees are decided partly on “key UEFA and FIFA tournaments”.
None of the players nominated have any experience at such tournaments (one Saudi nominee made the plane but not the pitch in Germany) but there are plenty of others who do. Plenty of Japanese, Koreans, Iranians and Australians who pitted themselves against the likes of Brazil, Italy, France and Portugal just five months ago but they have been mystifyingly ignored.
Perhaps the ten players nominated all achieved more than Tim Cahill who scored twice in Germany, cemented his place as one of the most accomplished midfielders in the Premier League and was nominated for the prize of European Footballer of the Year. If that is the case, the AFC needs to explain how.
Shunsuke Nakamura helped Celtic to a league title, scored at the World Cup and the Champions League but is apparently not worthy of a mention. Koreans in England such as Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon have performed in the Premier League and in Germany. Iran’s Javad Nekounam became the first Iranian to play in Spain and Andranik Teymourian followed his impressive World Cup with a move to the Premier League.
It seems that despite what the AFC says, performances at FIFA or UEFA tournaments had no bearing at all on the selection, as all the players just mentioned have more experience in such competitions that any of the ten nominated.
Perhaps the answer lies in the criteria that states “performances at AFC tournaments” – the biggest of which in 2006 was the Asian Champions League – to be a factor.
It is strange then that in a confederation where the semi-finalists of the competition make up the four-strong list for ‘team of the year’ that not one player from winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, even the star of the tournament Yeom Ki-hoon makes the list. The young winger recovered from a serious automobile accident to break into the national team and help drive Jeonbuk to the continental title but is absent as are any players from runners-up Al Karama.
Of all the Asian players who made it past the first round of the continental competition, only one, Kuwait’s Badr Al Mutawa, finds himself in the running.
If it isn’t performances at the World Cup, in Europe or the AFC Champions League which determine selection then perhaps it is performances at the domestic level.
It is surprising then that not one player from three of Asia’s strongest domestic leagues – the C, J and K - makes the list.
China’s Li Jinyu and Zheng Zhi excelled in Shandong Luneng’s romp to the title. In the J-League, Marcus Tulio Tanaka has been a rock for Urawa Reds and Ryuji Bando has been prolific for Gamba Osaka. In Korea, Lee Chun-soo scored once at the World Cup and six times in three games in the East Asian Champions Cup.
It is impossible to select all of these fine players mentioned but not to nominate a single one is another worrying misjudgement by the people in charge of Asian football, one to go with 2005 and the decision to select four co-hosts for the 2007 Asian Cup.
Using the AFC’s own criteria, many players not nominated have greater claim to the prize than many of those who are.
The Asian Football Confederation needs to explain the reasoning behind the decision if it is to salvage any of its fast disappearing credibility.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
Asian Soccer News and Interviews
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After that debacle, it was reassuring to read the sentence below on the confederations official homepage regarding the 2006 version.
"The eligibility criteria for selecting the best player of Asia has undergone a major and scientific revision, and the winner will be chosen on the basis of a weighted ranking system which takes into account performances at AFC tournaments, and key UEFA and FIFA tournaments.”
In a busy international year with Asian players involved in such FIFA and UEFA tournaments as the World Cup, Champions League and UEFA Cups as well as domestic leagues and the Asian Champions League, there were dozens of names to choose from. It must have been an unenviable task.
But the AFC did it.
The people that run Asian football have managed to make an even bigger mess than the one they created last year. At least in 2005 there was some logic to their decision, misguided and bizarre though it was, but the list released yesterday defies belief.
1) Badr Al Mutawa (Kuwait and Al Qadsiya)
2) Essa Al Mahiyani (Saudi Arabia and Al Wehda – Saudi)
3) Fahed Attal (Palestine)
4) Hawar Mulla Mohamed (Iraq and Apollon, Cyprus)
5) Ibraguim Rabimov (Tajikistan and Regar-Tadaz)
6) Ismael Matar (UAE and Al Wahda – UAE)
7) Khalfan Ibrahim (Qatar and Al Sadd)
8) Lionel Lewis (Singapore and Home United)
9) Mohamed Al Shlhoub (Saudi Arabia and Al Hilal)
10) Younis Mahmood (Iraq and Al Gharafa)
It should be pointed out that the nominees are all fine players but even the two Iraqis, two Saudi Arabians, one Tajikistani, one Qatari, one Kuwait, one Palestinian and the representatives from Singapore and UAE, must be wondering what is going on.
According to the AFC’s criteria, the nominees are decided partly on “key UEFA and FIFA tournaments”.
None of the players nominated have any experience at such tournaments (one Saudi nominee made the plane but not the pitch in Germany) but there are plenty of others who do. Plenty of Japanese, Koreans, Iranians and Australians who pitted themselves against the likes of Brazil, Italy, France and Portugal just five months ago but they have been mystifyingly ignored.
Perhaps the ten players nominated all achieved more than Tim Cahill who scored twice in Germany, cemented his place as one of the most accomplished midfielders in the Premier League and was nominated for the prize of European Footballer of the Year. If that is the case, the AFC needs to explain how.
Shunsuke Nakamura helped Celtic to a league title, scored at the World Cup and the Champions League but is apparently not worthy of a mention. Koreans in England such as Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon have performed in the Premier League and in Germany. Iran’s Javad Nekounam became the first Iranian to play in Spain and Andranik Teymourian followed his impressive World Cup with a move to the Premier League.
It seems that despite what the AFC says, performances at FIFA or UEFA tournaments had no bearing at all on the selection, as all the players just mentioned have more experience in such competitions that any of the ten nominated.
Perhaps the answer lies in the criteria that states “performances at AFC tournaments” – the biggest of which in 2006 was the Asian Champions League – to be a factor.
It is strange then that in a confederation where the semi-finalists of the competition make up the four-strong list for ‘team of the year’ that not one player from winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, even the star of the tournament Yeom Ki-hoon makes the list. The young winger recovered from a serious automobile accident to break into the national team and help drive Jeonbuk to the continental title but is absent as are any players from runners-up Al Karama.
Of all the Asian players who made it past the first round of the continental competition, only one, Kuwait’s Badr Al Mutawa, finds himself in the running.
If it isn’t performances at the World Cup, in Europe or the AFC Champions League which determine selection then perhaps it is performances at the domestic level.
It is surprising then that not one player from three of Asia’s strongest domestic leagues – the C, J and K - makes the list.
China’s Li Jinyu and Zheng Zhi excelled in Shandong Luneng’s romp to the title. In the J-League, Marcus Tulio Tanaka has been a rock for Urawa Reds and Ryuji Bando has been prolific for Gamba Osaka. In Korea, Lee Chun-soo scored once at the World Cup and six times in three games in the East Asian Champions Cup.
It is impossible to select all of these fine players mentioned but not to nominate a single one is another worrying misjudgement by the people in charge of Asian football, one to go with 2005 and the decision to select four co-hosts for the 2007 Asian Cup.
Using the AFC’s own criteria, many players not nominated have greater claim to the prize than many of those who are.
The Asian Football Confederation needs to explain the reasoning behind the decision if it is to salvage any of its fast disappearing credibility.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
Asian Soccer News and Interviews
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Thursday, November 16, 2006
Afshin Ghotbi
Afshin Ghotbi, South Korea's Iran born technical coach, was refused a visa to visit Iran for South Korea's final game in their Asian Cup qualifying Group B.
Ghotbi left Iran as a teenager and now holds US citizenship.
No reason was given by the Iranian authorites for the refusal of the coach's visa.
Ghotbi was disappointed by the decision and was hopeful that FIFA would take action against the Iranian FA.
Both teams have already qualified for the Asian Cup.
Second half goals from Reza Enyati and Hossein Badamaki gave Iran a 2-0 victory which saw them top the group ahead of the Koreans.
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Ghotbi left Iran as a teenager and now holds US citizenship.
No reason was given by the Iranian authorites for the refusal of the coach's visa.
Ghotbi was disappointed by the decision and was hopeful that FIFA would take action against the Iranian FA.
Both teams have already qualified for the Asian Cup.
Second half goals from Reza Enyati and Hossein Badamaki gave Iran a 2-0 victory which saw them top the group ahead of the Koreans.
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Monday, November 6, 2006
Seoul Complete Play-Off Line-Up
The regular season of the 2006 K-League is over -now four of the fourteen teams that started the season will do battle in the championship play-offs starting on November 12.
The line-up is:
Saturday November 12
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma - FC Seoul
Sunday November 13
Suwon Samsung Bluewings - Pohang Steelers
On the final weekend of the regular season, only Seoul had yet to secure its place but did so with a sluggish 1-0 win over Gyeongnam FC on a day when the first fingers of winter could be felt by the 17,000 fans in the cavernous Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Rumours from those in the know suggest that Seoul coach Lee Jang-soo is done for, whatever happens in the next three weeks. Fans of the club will be hoping that if he does go, he will leave the K-League trophy behind.
It is unlikely as Seoul have looked uninspired for the majority of the season and would usually come-off second best against Seongnam. However, Seongnam, having booked their play-off place months ago, have not won for the last five games – and even allowed the shot-shy Jeju United and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to score three goals each.
Whether coach Kim Hak-bom can get his players back to their form earlier in the season remains to be seen but the six-time champions are better bets to lift a seventh title than FC Seoul are to win their first (or fourth if one includes Anyang Cheetahs’ three triumphs before the club was uprooted and moved to the capital in 2004).
Suwon took the second stage with a series of effective rather than impressive performances. The same can’t be said of midfielders Lee Kwan-woo and Baek Ji-hoon who have made the difference since respectively heading north from Daejeon and south from Seoul in the summer.
Last not probably not least are Pohang Steelers, a team that has gone about its business quietly. Brazilian boss Sergio Farias has built a solid team that scores more and concedes less than most.
To make matters better, Lee Song-gook has returned to the line-up after seven months out with a torn cruciate ligament. The injury kept the Lion King out of the World Cup but he announced his return in emphatic fashion in the last game of the season. Three minutes after coming off the bench, Lee headed home to give Pohang three points at the home of champions Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i.
For those who believe in such things, some have suggested (OK, only me) that fate will propel Lee to clinch the title for his team and end what has been a miserable year on a high.
Changes to the K-League
Those boffins at the K-League like to keep things interesting. Upon realizing that the league was in danger of heading for a fourth season without being tinkered with, they got off their backsides and did something about it – for the twelfth time in 24 years.
The two-stage season has been cut back down to one but the league is hoping that the excitement will not be similarly reduced.
To such an end, one team will be promoted from the second tier N-League to expand the top flight to fifteen teams and 28 games.
The number of teams qualifying for the play-offs has been expanded to six. Concerned about attendances in the league, the powers-that-be have decided that such a move will generate more interest and excitement.
With the absence of relegation and champions league qualification, play-offs are a necessary evil in the league but extending the privilege to six – 40% of clubs - is excessive.
As that old football saying goes:
“Too many clubs spoils the play-offs.”
Lee Chun-soo
The biggest star in the K-League has been hit with a big ban for swearing at referee Lee Yong-chol in Ulsan’s recent 1-0 defeat at Incheon United.
Playing in his hometown, Lee took umbrage to the fact that the ref disallowed an Ulsan equaliser after Lee Jong-min bundled the ball into the net with his hand.
Lee left fly and was soon on his way off the pitch and possibly out of the K-League.
The K-League handed him a three-match ban and then his club sentenced him to three days community service.
"We've come to the conclusion of ordering him to take responsibility for his misconduct with the community service," the champions said in a press release.
“His deed really disappointed fans and tarnished our club's honour."
Lee, who rejected a move to Portsmouth last August, was repentant - in public at least.
“I will accept my punishment,” said the baseball-cap sporting star after the hearing.
“I am very sorry. As a professional player I want to win every game and play well but what I did wasn’t necessary.
“I would like to say sorry to the fans that go to the stadium because they love football. After the sending off I reflected deeply on what I had done.”
"I’d like an opportunity to apologise to the referee directly. I will use this experience to try and become a more mature player.”
And before anybody familiar with the opinionated winger asks, no, it wasn't possible to tell if his fingers were crossed.
Copyright - John Duerden & Soccerphile
K-League News and Interviews
K-League soccer football Lee Chun-soo Korea Lee Song-gook John Duerden Korean Soccer
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Korea's Mr. Football
Korea's Mr. Football
Ka Sam-hyun, or Sam Ka, as he is known in the offices of football associations and stadiums around the world, may not like the label of "Korea's Mr. Football," but as he seems to be in charge of pretty much everything at the Korean Football Association, it suits him well.
The KFA's General Secretary is the man who brought 2002 and 2006 World Cup coaches Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat to South Korea. A talk with Sam Ka is an introduction to the recent history of the Korean national team.
What do you do?
I am the General Secretary of the KFA. I have been in charge of the international office for over 10 years. I was in charge of the organization of the World Cup and Confederations Cup 2001. Now I am in charge of not only international affairs but general administration, marketing, PR, communications and the most important thing -- competitions.
You are Korea's "Mr.Football."
[Smiles] I don't like that, I can't kick a ball.
Was 2002 the highlight of your time at the KFA?
So far, yes.
Some people have said, myself included, that the problem after 2002 was that the KFA thought the hard work had been done and relaxed too much. Do you agree with that?
The 2002 World Cup was a double-edged sword. 2002 was very successful in terms of organization and our team was very successful and the people of Korea were very happy.
Technically, professionally there were some negative points. When you have a big success expectations rise. The expectations of people in the government, the media, the fans and society have been too high.
You must know the background of Korea, -- the development of the game and grass roots. This is a weak point for us, you know how many teams we have compared to other countries. The difference is big.
Not only in football but Korea's whole past was based on the elite development system. Every sport has a weak base with a limited number of players because everything was focused on elite players.
It was very difficult to develop football from grass roots up to professional level.
Another problem is that our teams are based on schools and not a club system. We are trying to change this, to introduce competitions and tournaments for the clubs and we have several hundred club teams coming up.
In 2002, the national team received a lot of support from the KFA, has it been the same since?
Firstly, until the 2002 World Cup we had very good co-operation and support from everybody, including the club sides and the players. Therefore we could concentrate our efforts on preparing the national team for the World Cup. I am sure you have heard of how many days they had at training camps, it was almost perfect -- we even postponed the start of the league until after the World Cup.
After the World Cup everyone said "we are the semi-finalists" in world football, we mostly follow the system of developed football countries. We changed our regulations many times and did so again last year in order to make the days that players are released from clubs less and less every year. Now most of our regulations follow FIFA.
It is more difficult these days, even before the 2006 World Cup, we could not get the players together. In the past during a World Cup year we could have our players for one or two months no problem.
This year we had a long and very difficult negotiation with our club sides in the K-League in order to get permission for a three or four weeks training camp even though it was final preparation for the World Cup.
After that we didn't get any days for national team outside FIFA dates.
It is the same for most other countries..
I am not complaining but just saying that our base standards and technical standards are different than Europe.
I don't complain, I am happy to have this normal situation but the problem is the expectation from the people is different.
They still expect the days when we could get the players for two or three months. The coach of the national team now has a big problem.
Even the youth coach is complaining that he can't get the players for the Busan tournament. He wants good players who are 19 but are playing for their clubs but it is difficult.
After 2002 World Cup, everybody wants our players to go abroad for a good experience. We help them to go but it creates another problem because we have lost many good players like Ji-sung or Young-pyo -- our domestic league has another problem, most of the famous players had left.
Tell me about the search for a new coach in May 2004 and the appointment of Jo Bonfrere.
Before Bonfrere, the KFA technical committee was too aggressive. They chose so many names and officially held interviews. Then they met Metsu, Scolari, Gunes and also the Irish coach McCarthy.
The KFA met these people?
Yes, so many people -- six or seven people. It was an unusual type of search. Personally I thought it was not good because if you know that you are one of six or seven people being interviewed, some coaches like Scolari, who was a world champion, then they don't like it.
Bonfrere wasn't in the original list...
That's right.
Why was Bonfrere appointed?
Bruno Metsu was first choice.
Bonfrere was on the list from 2000 when Dr.Lee was chairman. We had two names -- Aime Jacquet and Hiddink. We had another list of two -- Henri Michel and Bonfrere.
We had many names but we had the first two names and Bonfrere was one of the second two names. This way was much better as we didn't announce but we had internal discussions.
I met Aime Jacquet first and then Hiddink and then we finished, otherwise Bonfrere and Michel would have been next.
At the time he was known as the coach of the 1996 Nigerian Oylmpic team. Next time he was on our list, one of 20, 40 or 60 names. He was one of the volunteers for the job.
We have some coaches who wanted to come, some coaches that are recommended to us and some coaches who are just picked by the committee -- like Scolari.
He let you know that he was interested?
He was always interested in getting a job in Asia as far as we knew.
Anyway at that time in 2004, we decided on Bruno Metsu. When it was announced by the media in Korea it was hell. He called me and he said that he had received more than 100 phone calls in the day that we announced it.
He became really nervous -- too much -- so he switched off his phone. Then he changed his mind and went to a Qatari club.
After this, our committee decided not to open the process and the names were kept secret. We got another five, six, seven names. We went to Europe with a very low profile. We met many coaches including some from Northern Europe.
Who?
I don't like to say. Northern Europe and then Eastern Europe, South Europe and West. The committee chairman especially wanted a coach from Western Europe.
We had some other young and very good coaches I think from North and East Europe.
Why Western Europe?
The thinking was that the personality of a person from Western Europe should be more bright and more positive than elsewhere.
It was also better to have a coach that can speak English so unfortunately those two coaches we met were very good and young but couldn't speak English -- personally I liked them.
Another problem was that we didn't have time. It was already toward the later part of June. We had the Asian Cup in the middle of July. We should have waited until the end of Euro 2004 to get the names of some good European coaches but that was another two months. The committee thought that we couldn't wait that long because if we have a big problem in the Asian Cup then it will be more serious.
The committee thought that they should appoint a coach before the Asian Cup -- that was the reason. Perhaps the decision was taken in too much of a hurry.
At the time, reports said that Metsu wasn't appointed coach because of his financial demands. Was that true?
Between him and myself, the salary was more or less agreed.
Why didn't it happen?
My opinion was that he was very nervous after receiving so many phone calls. His wife is from Senegal and I heard that she was also nervous after seeing the level of interest from the media. She had only lived in the Middle-East, not in other parts of Asia.
He must have given a reason
He was offered good money from another club
Bonfrere complained of a lack of support from the KFA. What would you say to that?
Maybe he compared the support that the KFA gave Hiddink. I told you that after 2002 we changed the regulations of the release dates for players.
He didn't have good relations with some members of the committee -- the chairman for example. He used to complain about it. The contract gives the coach lots of rights but he should consult with the committee for the selection of national staff and the selection of the national team.
He told me off the record, though since then he has said the same things on the record, that prior to the game with Germany in Dec. 2004, he was told by the committee not to select a certain striker.
Frankly speaking, I don't think that is correct because I know the situation. Whenever the technical committee chairman wanted to speak to him, he asked me to accompany him.
The technical committee thought that there were a few good players that the coach should consider. For example, Park Chu-young wasn't picked at the time and then Oh Bum-seok, who is now in the squad. Kim Young-chul was not picked at the time. These were players that many coaches in Korea thought were very good and were needed in the national team but they were never selected by the coach.
They just recommended the coach to look at these guys. For example, we had a very weak defence line so maybe this guy will be good or we need a good striker with good talent then we need this guy -- Park Chu-young.
These were recommendations. They never said "if you don't do this, we won't like it." They wanted the coach to look at these players.
If you are a coach and have been in a foreign country for a short time, don't you think it would be difficult to refuse?
Hiddink never picked who he didn't like. Advocaat didn't.
Is it common for a committee to be so involved?
If you have a foreigner as coach, the committee members may think that the coach could not see the players. Many members were former coaches, they know some players from a long time ago. They thought that if the coach knew these players better, probably he'll have more interest in the player.
They didn't recommend so many players, just a few when they really thought it was necessary.
Could recommendations from the KFA side be pressure from a coach's point of view -- especially one in a foreign country?
Frankly speaking, maybe. He probably thought that it was a kind of pressure. He never said "no" but he never picked players because of this. I know him very well. If Hiddink or Advocaat didn't like something, they said "no." Bonfrere never said anything but he didn't pick players because of it.
If he hadn't resigned, would he have been fired?
I'm not sure. He had consulted with many people before he left and our committee was to have a meeting.
In your opinion, what would have happened?
I have nothing to do with the technical committee so I don't know.
Anyway he left and you were the first person to meet Advocaat. He had only just joined the UAE less than two months before; do you think it's acceptable to contact a coach that has just started a job with another nation?
It depends on his position and contract. I have known Pim for a long time, we had some contact. He wanted to become the coach of Korea as well, he was a kind of applicant.
I discovered that he was with Advocaat in the UAE so I sent him an e-mail asking if he can arrange a meeting between Advocaat and me. He said "yes." Firstly, I asked him to check with Advocaat if he can negotiate, if he can be free.
I got the reply from Advocaat that he can leave the UAE at any time and without any penalty. The President of the UAE FA confirmed that both parties can do that -- it was very strange for me.
The second thing was that Advocaat wanted to be at the World Cup -- every coach wants this.
Did you talk to anybody else?
No. The committee decided to keep things secret.
Did you talk to Hiddink?
Not before Advocaat. We talked to Hiddink before Bonfrere. When I was in Europe, I spoke to Hiddink. He recommended one or two coaches.
Did you talk to Hiddink about returning as coach?
I knew that Hiddink would never come back to Korea. I met with Hiddink and his agent when he became our technical advisor and I knew exactly what he wanted. Many people say that he wanted to become coach again but we didn't offer but that is not true.
His ideal was the Australian job. He wanted to go only to the World Cup finals but he didn't want to be in the preliminary round.
Did you ever offer him the job?
We did but it was rejected from the beginning. Whenever I was in Europe we met together.
He thought that there was nothing left in Korea for him. He had everything that he wanted. Money? We can't give him $3 or $4 million, he can get more money elsewhere. Fame? How can he get more here?
You asked him to return?
I asked him many times but I knew he would say no.
When did you ask him?
Even after the World Cup we asked him to stay but we knew that he wanted to return to Holland and PSV. Later we talked about 2006 but I knew that he didn't want to come back so we made a contract for only a technical advisor.
He didn't want to coach an Asian team in 2006 -- Australia was a special case. He wanted to take care of the team for a very short period -- just for the matches. Join the team for a few days and then go back to PSV.
In Asian countries like Korea, Japan and China, this is not possible. There needs to be training, it is not possible for the coach to come and sit on the bench and then leave.
In Australia, almost all the players were in Europe so he can have friendly matches and get the players together for some days and he is close to home and during FIFA dates there are no club games. It was a special case.
The Korean people, media and society wouldn't accept such a situation.
What did you think of Advocaat as coach?
Technically, I cannot say but personally he was a very good man -- kind, bright and open-minded. Always he tried to make the players happy -- he was very co-operative.
Did the KFA ask him to stay?
We asked him. In our contract we had to declare our interest by June 15.
You did that?
Of course but he said that his wife didn't like him to stay here. His wife wanted him to be around. He told me that between Holland and St Petersburg it is only two hours flight.
When did you decide to appoint Pim Verbeek?
In Korea, if we don't make any decision and Advocaat announces his decision first, how do you think the media would react?
A few guys were saying it was too early but if we announce that Advocaat is leaving and we have no idea who will take over and there is a game in mid-August, what will they say?
Korean people try to be as late as possible. Japan announced the departure of the coach many months before the World Cup, England too, it is common.
Copyright John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Ka Sam-hyun, or Sam Ka, as he is known in the offices of football associations and stadiums around the world, may not like the label of "Korea's Mr. Football," but as he seems to be in charge of pretty much everything at the Korean Football Association, it suits him well.
The KFA's General Secretary is the man who brought 2002 and 2006 World Cup coaches Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat to South Korea. A talk with Sam Ka is an introduction to the recent history of the Korean national team.
What do you do?
I am the General Secretary of the KFA. I have been in charge of the international office for over 10 years. I was in charge of the organization of the World Cup and Confederations Cup 2001. Now I am in charge of not only international affairs but general administration, marketing, PR, communications and the most important thing -- competitions.
You are Korea's "Mr.Football."
[Smiles] I don't like that, I can't kick a ball.
Was 2002 the highlight of your time at the KFA?
So far, yes.
Some people have said, myself included, that the problem after 2002 was that the KFA thought the hard work had been done and relaxed too much. Do you agree with that?
The 2002 World Cup was a double-edged sword. 2002 was very successful in terms of organization and our team was very successful and the people of Korea were very happy.
Technically, professionally there were some negative points. When you have a big success expectations rise. The expectations of people in the government, the media, the fans and society have been too high.
You must know the background of Korea, -- the development of the game and grass roots. This is a weak point for us, you know how many teams we have compared to other countries. The difference is big.
Not only in football but Korea's whole past was based on the elite development system. Every sport has a weak base with a limited number of players because everything was focused on elite players.
It was very difficult to develop football from grass roots up to professional level.
Another problem is that our teams are based on schools and not a club system. We are trying to change this, to introduce competitions and tournaments for the clubs and we have several hundred club teams coming up.
In 2002, the national team received a lot of support from the KFA, has it been the same since?
Firstly, until the 2002 World Cup we had very good co-operation and support from everybody, including the club sides and the players. Therefore we could concentrate our efforts on preparing the national team for the World Cup. I am sure you have heard of how many days they had at training camps, it was almost perfect -- we even postponed the start of the league until after the World Cup.
After the World Cup everyone said "we are the semi-finalists" in world football, we mostly follow the system of developed football countries. We changed our regulations many times and did so again last year in order to make the days that players are released from clubs less and less every year. Now most of our regulations follow FIFA.
It is more difficult these days, even before the 2006 World Cup, we could not get the players together. In the past during a World Cup year we could have our players for one or two months no problem.
This year we had a long and very difficult negotiation with our club sides in the K-League in order to get permission for a three or four weeks training camp even though it was final preparation for the World Cup.
After that we didn't get any days for national team outside FIFA dates.
It is the same for most other countries..
I am not complaining but just saying that our base standards and technical standards are different than Europe.
I don't complain, I am happy to have this normal situation but the problem is the expectation from the people is different.
They still expect the days when we could get the players for two or three months. The coach of the national team now has a big problem.
Even the youth coach is complaining that he can't get the players for the Busan tournament. He wants good players who are 19 but are playing for their clubs but it is difficult.
After 2002 World Cup, everybody wants our players to go abroad for a good experience. We help them to go but it creates another problem because we have lost many good players like Ji-sung or Young-pyo -- our domestic league has another problem, most of the famous players had left.
Tell me about the search for a new coach in May 2004 and the appointment of Jo Bonfrere.
Before Bonfrere, the KFA technical committee was too aggressive. They chose so many names and officially held interviews. Then they met Metsu, Scolari, Gunes and also the Irish coach McCarthy.
The KFA met these people?
Yes, so many people -- six or seven people. It was an unusual type of search. Personally I thought it was not good because if you know that you are one of six or seven people being interviewed, some coaches like Scolari, who was a world champion, then they don't like it.
Bonfrere wasn't in the original list...
That's right.
Why was Bonfrere appointed?
Bruno Metsu was first choice.
Bonfrere was on the list from 2000 when Dr.Lee was chairman. We had two names -- Aime Jacquet and Hiddink. We had another list of two -- Henri Michel and Bonfrere.
We had many names but we had the first two names and Bonfrere was one of the second two names. This way was much better as we didn't announce but we had internal discussions.
I met Aime Jacquet first and then Hiddink and then we finished, otherwise Bonfrere and Michel would have been next.
At the time he was known as the coach of the 1996 Nigerian Oylmpic team. Next time he was on our list, one of 20, 40 or 60 names. He was one of the volunteers for the job.
We have some coaches who wanted to come, some coaches that are recommended to us and some coaches who are just picked by the committee -- like Scolari.
He let you know that he was interested?
He was always interested in getting a job in Asia as far as we knew.
Anyway at that time in 2004, we decided on Bruno Metsu. When it was announced by the media in Korea it was hell. He called me and he said that he had received more than 100 phone calls in the day that we announced it.
He became really nervous -- too much -- so he switched off his phone. Then he changed his mind and went to a Qatari club.
After this, our committee decided not to open the process and the names were kept secret. We got another five, six, seven names. We went to Europe with a very low profile. We met many coaches including some from Northern Europe.
Who?
I don't like to say. Northern Europe and then Eastern Europe, South Europe and West. The committee chairman especially wanted a coach from Western Europe.
We had some other young and very good coaches I think from North and East Europe.
Why Western Europe?
The thinking was that the personality of a person from Western Europe should be more bright and more positive than elsewhere.
It was also better to have a coach that can speak English so unfortunately those two coaches we met were very good and young but couldn't speak English -- personally I liked them.
Another problem was that we didn't have time. It was already toward the later part of June. We had the Asian Cup in the middle of July. We should have waited until the end of Euro 2004 to get the names of some good European coaches but that was another two months. The committee thought that we couldn't wait that long because if we have a big problem in the Asian Cup then it will be more serious.
The committee thought that they should appoint a coach before the Asian Cup -- that was the reason. Perhaps the decision was taken in too much of a hurry.
At the time, reports said that Metsu wasn't appointed coach because of his financial demands. Was that true?
Between him and myself, the salary was more or less agreed.
Why didn't it happen?
My opinion was that he was very nervous after receiving so many phone calls. His wife is from Senegal and I heard that she was also nervous after seeing the level of interest from the media. She had only lived in the Middle-East, not in other parts of Asia.
He must have given a reason
He was offered good money from another club
Bonfrere complained of a lack of support from the KFA. What would you say to that?
Maybe he compared the support that the KFA gave Hiddink. I told you that after 2002 we changed the regulations of the release dates for players.
He didn't have good relations with some members of the committee -- the chairman for example. He used to complain about it. The contract gives the coach lots of rights but he should consult with the committee for the selection of national staff and the selection of the national team.
He told me off the record, though since then he has said the same things on the record, that prior to the game with Germany in Dec. 2004, he was told by the committee not to select a certain striker.
Frankly speaking, I don't think that is correct because I know the situation. Whenever the technical committee chairman wanted to speak to him, he asked me to accompany him.
The technical committee thought that there were a few good players that the coach should consider. For example, Park Chu-young wasn't picked at the time and then Oh Bum-seok, who is now in the squad. Kim Young-chul was not picked at the time. These were players that many coaches in Korea thought were very good and were needed in the national team but they were never selected by the coach.
They just recommended the coach to look at these guys. For example, we had a very weak defence line so maybe this guy will be good or we need a good striker with good talent then we need this guy -- Park Chu-young.
These were recommendations. They never said "if you don't do this, we won't like it." They wanted the coach to look at these players.
If you are a coach and have been in a foreign country for a short time, don't you think it would be difficult to refuse?
Hiddink never picked who he didn't like. Advocaat didn't.
Is it common for a committee to be so involved?
If you have a foreigner as coach, the committee members may think that the coach could not see the players. Many members were former coaches, they know some players from a long time ago. They thought that if the coach knew these players better, probably he'll have more interest in the player.
They didn't recommend so many players, just a few when they really thought it was necessary.
Could recommendations from the KFA side be pressure from a coach's point of view -- especially one in a foreign country?
Frankly speaking, maybe. He probably thought that it was a kind of pressure. He never said "no" but he never picked players because of this. I know him very well. If Hiddink or Advocaat didn't like something, they said "no." Bonfrere never said anything but he didn't pick players because of it.
If he hadn't resigned, would he have been fired?
I'm not sure. He had consulted with many people before he left and our committee was to have a meeting.
In your opinion, what would have happened?
I have nothing to do with the technical committee so I don't know.
Anyway he left and you were the first person to meet Advocaat. He had only just joined the UAE less than two months before; do you think it's acceptable to contact a coach that has just started a job with another nation?
It depends on his position and contract. I have known Pim for a long time, we had some contact. He wanted to become the coach of Korea as well, he was a kind of applicant.
I discovered that he was with Advocaat in the UAE so I sent him an e-mail asking if he can arrange a meeting between Advocaat and me. He said "yes." Firstly, I asked him to check with Advocaat if he can negotiate, if he can be free.
I got the reply from Advocaat that he can leave the UAE at any time and without any penalty. The President of the UAE FA confirmed that both parties can do that -- it was very strange for me.
The second thing was that Advocaat wanted to be at the World Cup -- every coach wants this.
Did you talk to anybody else?
No. The committee decided to keep things secret.
Did you talk to Hiddink?
Not before Advocaat. We talked to Hiddink before Bonfrere. When I was in Europe, I spoke to Hiddink. He recommended one or two coaches.
Did you talk to Hiddink about returning as coach?
I knew that Hiddink would never come back to Korea. I met with Hiddink and his agent when he became our technical advisor and I knew exactly what he wanted. Many people say that he wanted to become coach again but we didn't offer but that is not true.
His ideal was the Australian job. He wanted to go only to the World Cup finals but he didn't want to be in the preliminary round.
Did you ever offer him the job?
We did but it was rejected from the beginning. Whenever I was in Europe we met together.
He thought that there was nothing left in Korea for him. He had everything that he wanted. Money? We can't give him $3 or $4 million, he can get more money elsewhere. Fame? How can he get more here?
You asked him to return?
I asked him many times but I knew he would say no.
When did you ask him?
Even after the World Cup we asked him to stay but we knew that he wanted to return to Holland and PSV. Later we talked about 2006 but I knew that he didn't want to come back so we made a contract for only a technical advisor.
He didn't want to coach an Asian team in 2006 -- Australia was a special case. He wanted to take care of the team for a very short period -- just for the matches. Join the team for a few days and then go back to PSV.
In Asian countries like Korea, Japan and China, this is not possible. There needs to be training, it is not possible for the coach to come and sit on the bench and then leave.
In Australia, almost all the players were in Europe so he can have friendly matches and get the players together for some days and he is close to home and during FIFA dates there are no club games. It was a special case.
The Korean people, media and society wouldn't accept such a situation.
What did you think of Advocaat as coach?
Technically, I cannot say but personally he was a very good man -- kind, bright and open-minded. Always he tried to make the players happy -- he was very co-operative.
Did the KFA ask him to stay?
We asked him. In our contract we had to declare our interest by June 15.
You did that?
Of course but he said that his wife didn't like him to stay here. His wife wanted him to be around. He told me that between Holland and St Petersburg it is only two hours flight.
When did you decide to appoint Pim Verbeek?
In Korea, if we don't make any decision and Advocaat announces his decision first, how do you think the media would react?
A few guys were saying it was too early but if we announce that Advocaat is leaving and we have no idea who will take over and there is a game in mid-August, what will they say?
Korean people try to be as late as possible. Japan announced the departure of the coach many months before the World Cup, England too, it is common.
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