“Chinese soccer has enough potential. I want to be remembered as a leader who can change and resonate.”
Everyone says Chinese football is in decline. However, Chengdu Rongcheng coach Seo Jeong-won (53), who witnessed the changes in Chinese football over the past two years, had a different idea. He said, “I saw hope while watching the players change,” and his eyes were shining like stars.
Coach Seo, who took the helm of Chengdu in the Chinese Super League (2nd Division) two years ago, promoted the team to the Super League (1st Division) within a year. After leading the promotion to the first division, when he returned to Chengdu, his hometown, he was surprised to see hundreds of fans coming to the airport to greet him and cheer. Director Seo, who recently met in Seoul, said, “The fans are fans, but I didn’t know that the owner, the group chairman, would be there in person.”
Last year, the first season of promotion to the first division, Chengdu’s blast continued. At the end of the season, they went undefeated in 16 matches (12 wins, 4 draws), including the cup competition, and raised the league ranking to 5th place (65 points, 18 wins, 11 draws, 5 losses). The only regret was that they failed to qualify for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League due to being pushed out on goal difference by the 3rd and 4th placed teams with the same points. 온라인카지노
Coach Seo said, “Actually, the level of our players is not good. Players recruited from the K-League, such as Kim Min-woo, Homulu and Felipe Silva, also have a lower ransom compared to other foreign players in the league,” he said. “The goal last season was to stay. To be honest, the results exceeded my expectations.” “Rather than grades, I feel good about our team growing. We are proving that this kind of football can work in China as well,” he said confidently.
Coach Seo changed everything in Chengdu from start to finish. He looked at not only how to exercise, but also the personal eating habits of the players. This is because he has judged that the wrong culture and habits of Chinese football are hindering his growth. Coach Seo said, “I explained every little detail to the players, such as why they must eat breakfast. Furthermore, we educated the basics, such as not fighting during the game and not wasting time after falling.” did.
Coach Seo, who has been recognized for his leadership in China, is even being discussed as a candidate for the Chinese senior team’s head coach. Coach Seo said, “We need to understand the culture, habits and personalities of Chinese players well. The role of bringing out the things I have is important.” Everyone should take on new challenges in order to learn.” He continued, “I don’t know where I will go after a year when my contract with Chengdu ends, but I want to show something fresh and make people look forward to it like now.”