'96th → 'Tears of joy in winning for the third consecutive K-League title' Coach Kim Pan-gon 'Ulsan baton, I have regretted it' Grievance (Full Story)
Nov 02, 2024
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Ulsan HD manager Kim Pan-gon reached the highest peak in more than three months after nesting in the K-League. He took the helm of Ulsan on July 28 as Hong Myung-bo changed his horse to the head coach of the A team. "Everyone had more concerns than expected. I came here after overcoming everything. I know that expectations and concerns coexist. I will do my best confidently and responsibly with the idea of breaking the seal again this time. I will do my best to achieve all the things I expect."
He kept his promise in the first season. It was when Kim, who coached at Busan I'Park, began to stand out as a leader when he was the head coach of the Hong Kong national team. He made such a big splash that he earned the nickname 'Heading of Hong Kong'. In 2018, he turned into an administrator and served as the chairman of the Korean Football Association's national coach appointment committee. The recruitment of Paulo Bento is his work.
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But the reality was different. Ulsan's third consecutive win in the K League 1 was not an easy challenge. First of all, after head coach Hong left, he had to manage the chaotic atmosphere. Hong led the team to the 22nd round before stepping down. It was 11 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses. Coach Hong left in third place, two points behind the first place. Ulsan was in fourth place when Kim was appointed as the head coach after serving as an acting coach. However, there was a four-point difference from the first-runner Gimcheon Sangmu.
Coach Kim led 11 games in K League 1 and forgot the loss. His performance was eight wins, two draws and one loss. He enjoyed the joy of the top after a difficult journey with the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) and the Korea Cup. He reached the final in the Korea Cup, but lost all three games in ACLE.
That's why it's Ulsan. In K League 1, the 'Ulsan Dynasty' has finally opened. In 2024, Korean professional football was the low point of Ulsan HD. Ulsan became the third club to win three consecutive K-League titles, which was launched in 1983. Seongnam FC lifted the championship trophy for three consecutive years from 1993 to 1995, 2001 to 2003, when Seongnam FC was a corporate team. Jeonbuk Hyundai won the K League 1 for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021.
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Ulsan, which scored 68 points, widened the gap with second-place Gangwon (61 points) to seven points, and confirmed its victory for the third consecutive year regardless of the results of the remaining two games. Ulsan reached the top of the K League 1 in 2022 for the first time in 17 years, and last year won its first two consecutive games since its foundation. It is also the first time that the team has won three consecutive games. Along with 1996 and 2005, he wore his fifth star on his chest.
Coach Kim made his professional debut in Ulsan in 1992 when he was an active player and spent five seasons until 1996. Ulsan won in 1996, and manager Kim won the honor of winning both as a player and manager for the fifth time in K-League history. In addition, he was the first player-turned-manager in Ulsan's club history, and enjoyed the joy of experiencing the championship as both a player and a manager. Coach Kim expressed his thoughts after the match against Gangwon.
◇Next is Kim Pan-gon's press conference
-The general evaluation of the game is.
▶Thank you and congratulations to the players who showed good performance today. Players with many experiences showed a calm and decisive appearance. Thank the players.
-He was the first Ulsan player-turned-manager in the history of the Ulsan club and experienced winning both as a player and manager in Ulsan.
▶Personally, I'm honored. He started on the 10th basement floor while serving as a leader for 26 years. I've always tried to take this opportunity. This opportunity did not come, but I am grateful that Ulsan called me. It's an honor to be able to work with good players. I thought I had to win the championship. I did it twice, and I felt a lot of pressure because it was a team that wanted to win for three consecutive years. I'm so happy, and I'm grateful to the players, coaching, support staff and the club.
-At the time of his appointment, he was in fourth place. There were ups and downs, but he achieved a feat of winning three consecutive games. How do you feel.
▶There were many cases like this when trying to change opportunities for 27 years. I went into the fire a lot. There were many cases where they couldn't train and prepare much while playing the national team. I came with confidence. At first, I was looking forward to it, I was full of confidence, and there were many good sides. However, it was not easy in the middle, and the competition to win started in fourth place, overturning the four-point gap, and it was difficult to maintain the lead after that. I had a difficult experience. I was grateful when I first woke up in the morning. However, over the past month, I have regretted making the wrong, difficult choice. There wasn't much I could do. I had to win on my own, and crying didn't work. It was a great help that the players trusted and followed the coach.
-He has been the head coach of the national team for a long time, and there was a transition. What was hard and how did you overcome it.
▶In fact, the national team is a very attractive and loving position. I prepared well, and after playing, I had enough time to recover and recharge. But the amount of work here was too much. I worked for 13 hours in the morning. You have to play every week, and the results come right away. It was difficult while playing ACLE (Asian Champions League Elite). There was a lot of pressure to win, and fans were disappointed as ACLE's performance was poor. Those things were the hardest.
-It was put in the middle. What kind of leadership did they transplant.
▶ He did not show any special leadership. When I came here for the first time, the former coach made the team well. The players had good character, and they had excellent spirit and team spirit. There was no shaking. There was nothing to touch. However, I wondered if I should go like this tactically or with my own color. I thought I couldn't do it, so I decided to go as I thought, and it was hard. The players must have been confused in the process. The approach to the game was different. The players also started with doubt. As time passed, I became convinced and interested. I was excited by a player's reaction that it was fun. There was a lot of stress, and I prayed a lot.
-The player who especially contributed to winning the championship.
▶There are many players who did well. He played a good role as a goal picker, as claimed, as a veteran, as a striker. Everyone did well, so the result came out. Thank you to everyone
-With this season's victory, the FIFA Club World Cup feeling will be more different.
▶Going to the Club World Cup next year was the motivation to come to this team. The same goes for ACLE. I think I should prepare well. However, the ACLE format has changed, but I think the foreign player quota is not ready. I think I need to think about whether the Club World Cup will be format or power. I think we should be ready without getting excited. That is more important.
-I think there will be a long-term vision of the club. The average age of the players is high.
The ▶ team has a plan. Individually, the older player has advantages and roles. But the club prepares for the future. I don't think I'm old. I didn't even feel aging. He has good mobility, and his players also run 11 kilometers. The high running speed is also quite high. It shows a high level of physical strength in the K League. If you have a younger mind or mind than your age, and if you have a passion, I think you are suitable for the team character.
-Cho Hyun-woo has a lot of points. Fans can feel it, too. He's a strong MVP candidate.
▶ be fully qualified. Cho Hyun-woo's good defense is a daily occurrence. It's nothing special. When difficulties came in all games, he made excellent saves, which was a great help to the team. I've done a lot for the team. The overall defense also tried to reduce the numbers. I'm grateful that the whole defenders tried.
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