Superstars from the English Premier League (EPL), one of the world’s top soccer leagues, and rookies who just started professional soccer, are equal in front of FC Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong (52). Just like the students in front of the homeroom teacher.
Coach Kim Ki-dong, who declared a new challenge in Seoul, the “capital club” after leaving Pohang, which nicknamed him “Cheol-in,” treats his players more sincerely than anyone else. Although he is a strict coach, Kim Ki-dong’s challenge to not pass on the prejudices he has experienced in the past to his students does not stop.
Sports Korea met Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong at GS Champions Park in Guri, Gyeonggi-do, the clubhouse of the Seoul club, and heard about his enlightenment as a player and coach, his guiding philosophy based on it, and the straightforward spirit of challenge.
“Going forward without prejudice…” Kim Ki-dong’s “Hot FC Seoul Life” [above Kim Ki-dong’s interview]
MBTI is also a “Yongin-led strategist”… The soccer grandson of the “Motor Strike Leader.” [Kim Ki-dong interview]
▶ ‘Lipa Coach’ Kim Ki-dong Becomes ‘Coach’ of K-League Suu Kyi
Manager Kim Ki-dong, who is also known as a tactician among K-League coaches, is calling for simplicity the most from Seoul players these days. “I tell players, especially midfielders, that I do not prefer players who are frequently captured on the live screen. The opponent does not give enough time and space to catch the ball,” he said. “In this regard, you have to be concise and think about at least three pass options before you receive the ball. If you connect the pass with just one or two accurate touches, you will not be caught by the camera for long. We need to respond faster even in defense situations,” he stressed.
Of course, until now Kim Ki-dong was there, there was also the help of a great teacher. He was the first to think of the late Lee Kwang-jong, his first teacher as a coach. Lee and Kim Ki-dong, then coaches, united on the Korean men’s U-23 soccer team to win the gold medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
“After my retirement as a soccer player in 2011, I took a break watching soccer there. After that, I worked as a scout for six months from March 2013 at Seongnam Ilhwa (currently Seongnam FC), and in December that year, I started my leadership career as a coach for national team by age after receiving a love call from coach Lee Kwang-jong. When I was playing for the Korea Merit Elephant (currently Jeju United), I was roommates with him. I think he called me as a coach because I did my best to do laundry and clean up (laughs). As a coach, I learned a lot from meeting with him for the first time. As a former full-time instructor of the Korea Football Association, he thought a lot about narrowing the gap between theory and the field. As a player, I had ample field experience, but I was not prepared as much as 10 percent theoretically. Thanks to him, I was able to combine the two properly, which was a valuable time.”
Kim served as a coach for national teams by age under Shin Tae-yong, and returned to the Pohang Steelers in September 2016 as an assistant coach to Choi Soon-ho. However, Kim had never imagined his debut as a coach until then. 퀸알바
“Coach Choi Soon-ho was dismissed due to poor performance shortly after the opening of the 2019 season. As a coach, I couldn’t feel at ease. But Choi recommended me as the next coach of the club, saying, ‘Take my recommendation and ask the club to appoint me as an official coach. If the club proposes an acting coach, you make a decision.’ Later, during the negotiations with the club, I was offered to play two games with Suwon Samsung-Ulsan as an acting coach and decide whether to appoint an official coach or not.”