He is back from hell. Daejeon manager Hwang Sun-hong said, “In the worst case scenario, I even made the playoffs. In the end, I achieved a happy ending on my own. However, he did not smile even after confirming his stay. “I think this is the beginning. We need to move forward for a higher level,” Hwang said, looking forward to next year.
Hwang Sun-hong has had a rocky 2024. The coach of the Korean national football team under the age of 23 took responsibility for failing to advance to the Olympics in April. Daejeon Hana Citizen, which was struggling in the K League 1 relegation zone at the time, chose Hwang as a firefighter. His eyes were cold. His record of resigning from Daejeon in 2020 due to poor performance was talked about again. Hwang proved it with the result. With the last round to go, he secured the ninth place. Daejeon has continued to walk a tightrope in the relegation zone. Hwang’s match proved its true value in the final round. In the split and final round, Daejeon scored 10 points by racing three wins, one draw, and finishing the first round. Hwang saved Daejeon from a cliff edge.
This is not enough to restore much crumpled pride and honor. When Daejeon escaped from last place in August, he said, “It’s not very pleasant.” He just hinted that he was not in a situation where he would be satisfied with staying in the first division. Even on the 10th when he decided to stay after beating Incheon, he said, “This is not the end. We have a long way to go. We have to make a team that fans can understand. It could be another start.”
Hwang said the most important thing is not to give up. “There is a saying that if you stop when you have a hard time, that’s it. I think life is a series of challenges. I think Hwang does not let go of himself and continues to challenge himself. I will continue to do so.” Hwang received a difficult proposal even before the injury from his elimination from the Olympics was healed. Hwang did not hide and chose to go head-to-head.
There are a lot of obstacles when he becomes a coach in the middle of the season. The team needs not only composition of players but also strategies, directions, and motivation to organize traffic from one to the next. The team has to do it at the same time as it progresses through a league in which the ranking of each game is reversed. “I felt it was very difficult. It seems like a lot more difficult than the beginning of the season,” Hwang said with a tongue-in-cheek. In particular, he said, “As expected, the problem of adaptation was huge. I had to lead the harmony between the existing players and the new players. It was not easy to make the right decision according to the situation because I did not lead the winter training.” 메이저놀이터
He did not display himself. He gave credit to players and supporters. “It was a very difficult game, but I’m grateful to the players who passed (the kickbacks) well. We were able to stay because of our fans who always came so far and supported us,” Hwang said. “We have to enjoy it for a day or two and prepare for the next game.”
Daejeon stayed in the second division from 2016 to 2022. It was promoted last year and finished eighth. It managed to catch the tail of the K-League 1 again this year. It also ranked sixth in the top division, the highest ever in history. Hwang led Pohang and Seoul to K-League championships in 2013 and 2016, respectively. Attention is focusing on how high Hwang’s “challenge” will elevate Daejeon.