Published : Dec. 4, 2014 - 20:49
Uli Stielike, head coach of the South Korean men’s national football team, will soon meet with bench bosses from the domestic professional clubs to discuss the state of the game in the country, an official from the sport’s governing body said Thursday.
An official from the Korea Football Association said Stielike has scheduled a luncheon with head coaches from the first-division K League Classic next Tuesday. The annual rookie draft will take place the same day and the coaches from the 12 clubs will be in attendance.
“Coach Stielike will thank the K League Classic coaches for their cooperation in releasing players for the national team,” the KFA official said. “The coaches will also have a candid discussion on the state of South Korean football.”
Korea head coach Uli Stielike gives a lecture on soccer leadership during a conference in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. (Yonhap)
Stielike, who took over the national team in October, is gearing up for his first international tournament with South Korea, the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in January in Australia.
In preparation, Stielike plans to open an early training camp on Dec. 15 on Jeju Island, with players from the South Korea, Japanese and Chinese leagues.
Even though their season has ended, the K League Classic teams are not under obligation to make their players available for the training camp. Senior officials from the KFA sought cooperation from the K League team officials. General managers of the clubs gave the green light last month.
In addition to showing his appreciation, Stielike is also expected to discuss with the K League coaches potential strategies for the national team at the Asian Cup, the KFA official added.
Later on Thursday, the KFA announced a list of 28 players invited to Stielike’s camp on Jeju. There are 18 players from the domestic league, seven from Japan and three from China.
Of those 28, 15 have played at least once under Stielike, while 13 will take the field for the first time before the German coach.
The new faces include defender Rim Chang-woo of Daejeon Citizen, midfielder Lee Jae-sung of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and forward Lee Yong-jae of V-Varen Nagasaki, all of whom helped South Korea win the gold medal at this year’s Asian Games.
Cha Du-ri and Kim Ju-young, both defenders for FC Seoul, and forward Han Kyo-won of Jeonbuk are among those returning for Stielike. (Yonhap)