| (Photo = Korea Professional Football Federation) |
[데일리스포츠한국 최정서 기자] Ulsan players who participated in the FIFA (International Football Federation) Club World Cup, where the best clubs in the world participate, showed their confidence.
Ulsan Hyundai will play the first match of the 2020 FIFA Qatar Club World Cup with Tigres UANL (Mexico), the champions league champion of the North-Central Caribbean Football Federation (CONCACAF), at the Al Rayyan Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on the 4th (Korean time). Ulsan arrived in Qatar, a battlefield on the 30th of last month.
Ulsan, who reached the top of the 2020 AFC (Asian Football Federation) Champions League (ACL) after eight years, prepared for the FIFA Club World Cup after a short vacation. Meanwhile, as manager Hong Myung-bo took over and young players joined, the roster changed greatly. Although we prepared for the tournament under adverse conditions, the players’ willingness to compete in the best tournament is great.
“It is not a competition that anyone can participate in. Only the best teams from around the world, including Asia and Europe, can participate. It is a great honor to be able to participate in this competition,” said Won Doo-jae.
Doo-jae Won added, “I think all players have the same goal. We want to win the upcoming first match. Now that’s all we think of.”
Kim Ki-hee, who will be in charge of defending Ulsan along with Won Doo-jae, also said, “It is not a common opportunity to participate in this tournament on behalf of Ulsan Hyundai as well as the K League. It is really exciting and the process of preparing for the upcoming match is fun.”
FIFA appreciated Ulsan’s defensive line, supported by Kim Ki-hee and Won Doo-jae. Beyond these two, Jo Hyun-woo, the head of the national headquarter, is still guarding the goal. Jo Hyun-woo said, “We can show a stronger figure than our opponents. Our 11 players can show an active appearance on the pitch as a team. We keep the nickname’Asian Tigers’ and are a team that is not easy for us to face against. “I want to show that.”
Meanwhile, the K-League teams that have entered the previous FIFA Club World Cup have no memory of winning in the first leg against the North and Central American champions. Interest is growing as to whether Ulsan can break K-League Jinx at this opportunity.
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