Lee Chung-yong, who was moved by Park Joo-young and Koo Ja-cheol's retirement, said, "I'm sad, but right... I want to finish well, too."
Lee Chung-yong, who was moved by Park Joo-young and Koo Ja-cheol's retirement, said, "I'm sad, but right... I want to finish well, too."
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Blue Dragon Lee Chung-yong (Ulsan HD) talked about the last flame.
After 11 years in Europe, Lee moved to Ulsan in the 2020 season. He has scored 11 goals and 10 assists in a total of 137 matches so far, helping Ulsan win its K League 1 title for three consecutive seasons from the 2022 to 2024 seasons. Notably, he helped Joo Min-kyu, who clinched the K League 1 title last season, score a goal, and made his senior Park Chu-young's retirement goal in the final match of the league.
On the 5th, Ulsan renewed its contract with Lee Chung-yong. Lee Chung-yong marks his fifth season in Ulsan. He is preparing for the season by sweating with his teammates in Duba, the United Arab Emirates.
When asked how he felt when he signed the contract, Lee said, "I was more grateful to my teammates than to what I did well. I was also very grateful to my fans who gave me passionate support in the stadium. I am also grateful to the team that considers me a necessary player for the team."
Regarding the winter training, he said, "It is my first winter training in Dubai. I remember coming here when I had a match for the national team. It is nice to be able to train in good environment and weather. It is the best winter training site I have visited recently in terms of grass condition and everything."
Kim Young-kwon, Ulsan's new captain, whom he met before Lee, said, "(Lee) Cheong-yong is more influential than a captain. He is called a "torture" among players, adding that he has tremendous presence.
"Is it me?" Lee laughed. "(Kim) Young-kwon has been in Ulsan for four years. He played many important roles in and out of the stadium before. It would be his first time to wear the captain's armband (in Ulsan), but since he has done as much as the captain before, there is nothing much difference," Lee said. "Our team has had a lot of veterans. It consists of players with experience in various leagues. The former captain, Seung-hyeon (Al Wasl), also did a great job, helping the former captain. "I think he is putting in a lot of effort. As a team member, I am grateful and many juniors follow him well. I just give strength to him from behind and give the team more strength centered on him."
Ulsan has a lot of young blood this season. Lee Chung-yong's role is important. He said, "There are little changes at the end of each season. This is especially true this season. There have been many new players, and the emphasis is on getting rid of each other's awkwardness during the winter training. I think the players have gotten a lot closer. As the coach's picture shows, the winter training is going well without any major setbacks," and added, "They have been recognized for their skills. We have won three consecutive league games. What's important is that these players don't have to feel pressure to 'win four consecutive games this season'. That kind of pressure can lead to pressure."
Ulsan has to play four matches at the same time: K League 1's fourth consecutive win, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League elite, FIFA Club World Cup and Korea Cup. In particular, other teams are expected to check more severely in the K League 1.
"Personally, I think it will be a fiercer season than ever before. How we will perform in the beginning will have a big impact on the game and performance of a season," Lee said. "First of all, we have to start well. The coach must have a plan. Through the practice games here, we tried to quickly understand the coach's demands and implement them on the field by putting in the plays that we wanted. We expect such performances to come out well in the season."
Recently, Lee Chung-yong's best friend Koo Ja-cheol took off his soccer shoes. He held a retirement press conference on the 14th and announced the end. He was appointed as youth advisor for Jeju SK. At the end of last year, Park Joo-young, who was Ulsan's playing coach, retired and is currently serving as Ulsan's official coach. 메이저놀이터
Lee Chung-yong's retirement period is also approaching little by little. After watching this, he said, "I'm sad but right. Last season, coach Park Chu-young decided to retire. In the midst of this, he finished the game with a good look on the field. This reminded me of many things. (Old) Ja-cheol retired with something different. I don't think I have much time left either. I don't think it's just about my will (continuing my active career). There will be many things in the end, but it's more about whether I can show good performance on the field than about my age. I'm working with that mindset that each season is special to me and that each season can be the last," and added, "If I try to be greedy for one thing, my team's performance will be very important to me. The season when I won the trophy after working hard and the season when I didn't feel the same way I felt at the end. I hope that all the members of the team will be able to finish it happily with a smile. As a player who has been loved a lot so far, I want to finish it well without injury."