Korean U-23 Coach Takes Responsibility for Olympic Finals Failure; Calls for National Team System Changes

Coach Hwang Seon-hong of the Korean U-23 men’s national football team, who failed to achieve his goal of advancing to the Olympic finals for the 10th time in a row, bows his head as he prepares for an interview after returning to Incheon International Airport Terminal. 1 on the 27th. happy news

“Responsibility for the results rests entirely with the director. “I hope players will be encouraged more than criticized.”

Hwang Seon-hong, the coach of the U-23 national football team, who did not advance to the men’s football finals at the 10th consecutive Olympic Games in Korea, shook his head to the people as he ‘ feel full of responsibility.

After entering the country with the players at Incheon International Airport on the 27th, Coach Hwang met with reporters and said, “I’m sorry and sorry to everyone who supported for me until late in the day,” and he said, “I think the responsibility for this result rests entirely with the coach. “I have full responsibility,” he said.

On the 26th, the Korean U-23 national team drew 2-2 after 120 minutes of extra time in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup against Indonesia, on led by coach Shin Tae-yong, before they lost. 10-11 in penalty shootout However, they failed to advance to the semi-finals.

This tournament is also a qualification for the Olympics in Paris, with the 1st to 3rd place teams getting a direct ticket, and the 4th place team going to Paris through a continental play-off against Guinea in the Africa.

However, as Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals, it was unable to advance to the finals for the first time in 40 years since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and the streak of consecutive performances came his end at the 9th.

Coach Hwang, who expressed his apologies to the fans, also stressed the need for changes in the national team management system for each age group.

Coach Hwang said, “The national team for each age group must go every four years. “If what happened to the head coach is determined by the performance of the Asian Games, we will only focus on the Asian Games and cannot prepare for the Olympics,” he said, adding, “With the structure this, it will be difficult to completely control the opponent in the Asian region.”

After qualifying for the Paris Olympics, Coach Hwang’s contract with the Korea Football Association expired at the end of this month and he returned to the field.

The following is an interview with director Hwang Seon-hong.

– How do you feel after finishing the competition?

“I feel sorry for everyone who supported me until late in the day. The responsibility for a result to be eliminated in the quarter-finals is completely with myself as the coach, and I feel that responsibility completely. Our players must continue to grow significantly in the future. “I hope they give me more encouragement than criticism because I did my best in difficult times.”

-What was the biggest weakness in this competition?

“It may seem like an excuse, but the operational structure and system of age-specific national teams must be changed. What I have felt after leading the team for about two years is that if the current system is maintained, the gap with other countries will widen further. “We need to listen to the voices of the field and work together to find a solution.”

– If we were to analyze the factors that led to the loss of Indonesia, which was evaluated as one number below.

“There was a problem with the defense in the middle, so we had to move from a back four to a back three. This decision was made because three backs were the best option with the current resources. However, this did not mean that we should only play defense. We tried to apply pressure in the middle of the park, but it was not going smoothly. It was completely my decision, but there was a mistake. However, we tried to take a different approach in the second half, but it was not possible due to various variables such as injuries and sending offs. “

– What if the age group national team explains the system issues?

“There has to be a long-term plan. I don’t think the current system is right. The national team for each age group must go every four years. If a coach’s life depends on his performance in the Asian Games, he has no choice but to focus only on the Asian Games and prepare for the Olympics immediately. It may be an excuse, but there are only a few months to prepare for the Olympics. “With that structure, it’s difficult for us to completely control our opponents in Asia, so we have to change the system.”

– Did a short stint as a national team coach have a negative impact?

“You might think so, but personally, I don’t think it made a big impact. I am responsible for the results. “My heart is very heavy and I can’t help but feel sorry. “

– Major overseas players were not selected.

“I personally visited the club and was promised a call, but the teams refused to call the players because the battle for the rankings was intensifying at the end of the season. Some point out that a main defender has been selected as another player, but at the moment there is no player in the country who can be selected as a main defender. Therefore, we decided it was right to move the existing players to central defense and strengthen the midfield players.

– You are also on the list of candidates for the role of team A. What are your plans for the future?

“It’s not a matter I can decide. First of all, I am very tired. “I want to rest a little.”

– The reason why striker Lee Young-jun was used as a substitute in the match against Indonesia?

“Decisions related to player participation are not easy to make. Even about one player, decisions are made after discussions throughout the night, and such decisions must be respected. Youngjun Lee suffered a sports hernia after the second game of the group stage. Symptoms like this happen when you run too much. Since Lee Young-jun doesn’t have much playing time in K-League 1, another injury could happen if he plays more than 60 minutes in a game. Youngjun Lee’s maximum playing time is around 65 minutes. In a situation like that, you have to decide when it’s better to play, and I decided it would be better to play in the second half. “There is no other reason.”

– There is also a rumor that you had an interview with the head coach of the national A team in Qatar with officials from the Football Association.

“This is nonsense. I’m not that stupid. I’m just doing my best at what I’m doing now. I don’t do things like think about the next thing and work behind the scenes. “It’s clear.”