Ki Sung-yueng (35), the “captain” of the K-League 1 FC Seoul, has officially played his first match in four months. He thanked his fans at the away game, expressing his desire for a higher ranking.
Seoul, led by head coach Kim Ki-dong, beat Suwon FC 1-0 in the 35th round of Hana Bank K League 1 2024 at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Suwon Stadium. Lucas, a foreign player, scored his last goal in the first half of the day. With the victory, Seoul ended its two consecutive losses, ranking fourth (53 points) in the league. On the same day, third-ranked Kim Cheon Sang-mu (57 points) lost, raising hopes for a spot in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) host competition.
There was another good news for Seoul on the day. It was Ki Sung-yueng’s return. Ki replaced Lee Seung-mo at the 22nd minute of the second half when his team was leading 1-0. At a time when Suwon FC’s strong counterattack continued, it was Kim Ki-dong’s chance to win. It was the first time in four months that Ki Sung-yueng stepped on the ground. It was also his first Final A performance since returning to Seoul. Ki and Seoul secured three valuable points in away matches by blocking Suwon FC’s offensive.
Ki Sung-yueng met with reporters at the mixed zone after the game and said, “The past four months have been a difficult time, but it has been a time to rebuild his body again,” adding, “It was especially hot and difficult in the summer, but thanks to my teammates, I came to the Final A for the first time. I am grateful to the players, and I felt like I only raised a spoon.”
“It was frustrating as I had to come back late after the injury. However, rather than rushing, I focused on recovering. Fortunately, the team was performing well, so I guess I felt less burdened,” he said.
For Ki Sung-yueng, who is a veteran, the injury was also a major negative factor in his career. He also said, “Actually, I have never spent this long. It was frustrating, but I think I have been constantly building my body while waiting.”
Meanwhile, Ki’s physical condition is about 70 percent. It is similar to the diagnosis made by Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong before the game. Ki said, “We have two practice games now, and I’m disappointed because the season is just around the corner. Regardless of how many minutes we play, we should prepare well for three games so that we can benefit our team.”
When the reporters asked him about the scene where he even tried to shoot himself in the second half, Ki Sung-yueng laughed and said, “Actually, there was no spirit,” and then focused more on the defensive part. When the second score was scored in the first half, I thought I would go comfortably, but it was canceled due to a video review, so it was difficult. In particular, since he was put in a one-goal lead situation, there was a difficult part, so thank you for winning the return match.” 안전놀이터
During Ki’s absence, it was Lingard who wore the team’s captain’s armband. When Ki Sung-yueng was deployed on the day, Lingard immediately handed over the captain’s armband to him. Ki Sung-yueng smiled, saying, “He was so good when I was away, and he showed good relations with the rest of the players. He is having a good influence, and I think Lingard can be the captain next year as well.”
Meanwhile, many Seoul fans took away seats in the stadium. As soon as Ki stood on the sideline, huge cheers surrounded the stadium. Ki responded, “I felt so grateful and sorry. I think I was away from the field for a long time. Thank you for your support. In fact, I felt weak as I continued to get better. However, I gained strength from fans’ support. I hope I can play well in the remaining three games and play in the AFC Champions League. For the fans.”
Finally, when asked by reporters whether he would be okay to expect him to play full-time, Ki answered honestly, “It would be good if he gets better, but I think we should make a decision through training with the coach.” He added, “I hope he has a clear sense of goal for the remaining three games. I hope he is not satisfied here. You can’t just ignore a game. You really have to push yourself to the limit to win. This is the critical moment. I hope the players will come out last in the summer.”