Head coach Lee Ki-hyung said that Seongnam FC plans to recruit a new foreign striker.

The Korea Professional Football Federation held the ‘Hana One Q K League 2 2023 Opening Media Day’ at 1:00 pm on the 21st at The-K Hotel in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. Directors and representative players of 13 teams participating in the 2023 K-League 2, including Kim Cheon, Seongnam FC, and the new clubs Chungbuk Cheongju FC and Cheonan City FC, attended the media day.

Before the event, interviews were conducted with the coaches and players of each team. Coach Lee Ki-hyung, who will lead Seongnam FC from this season, also revealed his aspirations ahead of the season.

Coach Lee Ki-hyung said, “This season, there are a lot of player changes and new players have arrived. It was a bit difficult in the beginning, but now we are preparing in a framework that requires a lot of physical strength, such as simple and clear challenging play, forward pressure, and quick switching between offense and defense. “I gained a lot of confidence ahead of the opening of the league, and I’m aware of what we need to improve. I’m satisfied with the preparation process for the season, including training,” he said, adding that he is preparing well ahead of the season.

Director Lee Ki-hyeong worked as a technical committee member at TSG (Technology Research Group) until last year. He returned to the ground after a long absence through the coaching position of Seongnam FC ahead of this season after leaving the field. It’s been a long time since he held the baton, but coach Lee Ki-hyung said that he was able to not miss the flow of K-League 2 thanks to TSG activities.

Coach Lee Ki-hyung said, “I was away from the field, but I watched a lot of K-League 2 games and understood the flow while playing TSG. I think I was more active in training because I was well aware of the players and the team’s tendencies. I feel that there is,” he said, pointing out that doing TSG activities was helpful.

I also asked about Director Lee Ki-hyung’s ‘Hell Training’. During the Namhae off-season training, Seongnam players such as Shim Dong-woon, Kim Young-gwang, and Shin Jae-won gave their tongues to coach Lee Ki-hyung’s intensive training. Even veterans like Shim Dong-woon and Kim Young-kwang said it was the hardest training they had ever done.

Coach Lee Ki-hyung said, “From the beginning, we told the players that we were playing a game that focused on forward pressure and switching between offense and defense, and that physical strength should be the basis. Although the players had a hard time because we kept talking during training, I think I overcame it well,” he praised the players.

When the players brought up the story that coach Lee Ki-hyung said was scary, coach Lee Ki-hyung laughed and said, “Professional players have responsibilities. So, during training, I and the players should show a professional appearance during that time. Instead, training After this, we joke together and talk well. So I think the players might be afraid of me during training.”

He also asked about what many coaches say is ‘1 of 12’. In the first round of 12, it is expected that 12 teams will compete fiercely, excluding Kim Cheon, who boasts an overwhelming power.

Coach Lee Ki-hyung said, “I wonder how far the team can go. There are many players who cannot be called the best members of other teams. “I always emphasize that we have to unite and overcome. These aspects were well conveyed to the players, and I think that’s why they overcame the training well. If everyone exerts a synergistic effect, good performances and results will come out.” 토토사이트

There is one problem that Seongnam needs to solve in order to achieve good results. It is the absence of foreign strikers. There was Facial Mulich in Seongnam, but Mulich left for Suwon Samsung earlier this month. Seongnam suddenly parted ways with their main striker. Head coach Lee Ki-hyung said ahead of the season that he was looking for a new striker.

Manager Lee Ki-hyung said, “We tried to recruit a forward striker, but due to trial and error, we couldn’t recruit him. We have a plan to recruit a striker before the start of the season, and we are currently communicating with the club and looking into it. Regarding the recruitment of a forward striker, the club requested strict conditions. It was difficult to find such a player, but I am hoping that a good player will be recruited,” he said, adding that he was preparing to recruit players.

Regarding the transfer of Mulich, “It would be nice to have Mulich, but in a way, there were parts that did not match the concept we were pursuing, so we came to the conclusion that it would be better to transfer to another team through discussions with both sides. I tried to put more forward pressure or switch between offense and defense with a sense of speed, but Mulich had a different part in that area. Now I think it’s important to recruit good players.”

Coach Lee Ki-hyung consistently emphasized forward pressure and quick transitions between offense and defense. This inevitably puts a physical burden on the players as the season progresses. In preparation for this situation, I asked director Lee Ki-hyeong if he was thinking of a ‘Plan B’.

Coach Lee Ki-hyeong said, “When a player’s stamina is low, the team is run to such an extent that it is not noticeable even if another player enters. He said that if the players share the same philosophy, it can be solved.