Hwang Sun-hong, new head coach for Korean football club FC Seoul, said Monday he will try his best to produce good results despite the pressure to keep the club's legacy alive.
Hwang officially became the 11th head coach of FC Seoul as he succeeds former boss Choi Yong-soo, who left for Chinese club Jiangsu Suning last week. Hwang, who will guide Seoul through the end of the 2018 season, will make his return to the top-flight K League Classic for the first time in seven months. He resigned from another K League Classic club, Pohang Steelers, last December.
"I started my football career with a big dream," Hwang said at the press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium. "The reason why I decided to come back is that this (being FC Seoul's head coach) is part of my dream."
Hwang, 47, coached Busan IPark from 2008 to 2010, and was at the helm of Pohang from 2011 to 2015. He achieved the rare double with Pohang in 2013 by winning both the K League Classic and the FA Cup. After leaving Pohang, he had coach training with Italian club AS Roma to learn more about European football.
"I don't think Europe always plays the right football, because you first need to play football that best suits the current squad," he said. "But I learned from European football that the tempo of the game should be fast. I will emphasize this to Seoul players."
Hwang said there is pressure to follow in the footsteps Choi, a FC Seoul club legend. Choi led the club to the K League title in 2012, becoming the first ever to win the championship as a player, an assistant coach and the head coach for the same franchise.
Choi also led Seoul to a runners-up finish at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League in 2013, and was named the AFC Coach of the Year for his efforts. Before his departure to China, the 42-year-old coach helped Seoul to reach the AFC Champions League quarterfinals against Shandong Luneng and guided the club to the last eight of the Korean Football Association Cup. Seoul are the defending champions of the FA Cup.
In the K League Classic, Seoul are in second place with 30 points, two behind the two-time defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Seoul have nine wins, three draws and four losses this season.
"I want to aim for the AFC Champions League title," said Hwang, whose best finish at the Asian premier club competition was making the last eight. "I want to implement delicacy and speed for this club to play more dynamic football."
Hwang and Choi were teammates at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and again at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where South Korea reached the semifinals. They were both prolific strikers in their heyday. Hwang said they have talked a lot about their own football in the past.
"I know Seoul mainly play a 3-5-2 formation, but that isn't a problem," he said. "I think Seoul emphasize details in play and this isn't that different from my football with Pohang."
Hwang admitted that he had thought long and hard about taking on the new job because of his fans at Pohang. But for a new challenge in his football career, Hwang said he had to accept the offer. The coach added his bigger goal is to make Seoul, the five-time K League champions, like German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
"I want to build a team that young players can look up to and can make others want to play for," he said. "Seoul have enough potential to be like that." Hwang said he is looking forward to coaching Seoul's formidable attackers -- Carlos Adriano, Dejan Damjanovic and Park Chu-young.
Seoul have scored 33 goals in 16 matches in the domestic league so far, the most among the 12 clubs. The coach said he also wants to test his ability to use foreign players.
"The trio has been the symbol of the attack," he said. "I think I will have pleasant worries (on using attackers), but what's important is to create synergy among the forwards."
Hwang will debut as Seoul head coach on Wednesday against Seongnam FC. He added that Kang Chul, who will serve as chief assistant, will be the only addition to the coaching staff. Kang was also chief assistant to Hwang bwhen both were with Pohang.
"I want to coach Seoul with confidence and I know I have to deliver results that can match Seoul's reputation," he said. "If I can develop my football philosophy here, we will see better football." (Yonhap)
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