Kim Ki-hee (35, Ulsan HD) is a “winning contractor.”
Kim Ki-hee has lifted the trophy for each team he played for. At Jeonbuk Hyundai, he has lifted the K-League 1 trophy twice. At Shanghai Shenhua, the Chinese Super League, he won the FA Cup. When he was with the Seattle Sounders of the U.S. Major League Soccer, he also won the Cup championship. At Ulsan, he had two K-League 1 championships and an unbeaten AFC Champions League championship.
Kim is aiming to win the K-League 1 and the Korea Cup this season. Kim Ki-hee is participating in 18 K-League 1 matches this season. Kim Ki-hee has shown steady performance and is contributing to the team’s challenge to win the title.
Ulsan will also participate in the FIFA Club World Cup next year.
The Club World Cup is the first event in which 32 teams participated in the event to make massive changes. Kim expressed his disappointment while expressing his expectation for the Club World Cup. Why is this? We have heard from Kim Ki-hee.
Q. How did you spend your A match break in October.
Fewer players headed for the national team than before. It was the first time in a while that he trained normally during the A-match break. He strived to enhance the completeness of soccer that head coach Kim Pan-gon wants to implement. It was an A-match break in October, which was very helpful as most of the players participated in team training.
Q. Ulsan needs to play the AFC Champions League elite (ACLE). Ulsan lost both of its ACLE matches in the 2024-25 season. Ulsan will play the third ACLE match against Vissel Kobe on Sunday after finishing its business trip to Gimcheon on Wednesday.
We are a team that aims to win every season. If there is no pressure, it would be a lie. It is true that when playing at home, the grass condition is not good, so there are difficulties. However, we are professionals. We have to work hard to show good performance in any situation. I think the most important thing now is the K League 1. We will make sure to win the match against Gimcheon and thoroughly prepare for the match against Vissel Kobe. Since ACLE is in the beginning, we can rise well.
Q: Ulsan is challenging itself to win its third consecutive K League 1 title. It is challenged by all the teams in Final A including Gimcheon. Do you have any pressure or difficulties.
“I was on the winning team all the time when I was an athlete. I am used to being challenged. One thing I’m sad about is that people don’t really applaud the winning team. When we won the championship, only my family and our team members applauded. They were the coaching staff, colleagues, front desk and fans who sweated together. It seems that it is hard to receive sincere applause from others.
Q. When did you feel that way too much.
Aren’t we the team that is trying to win the K League 1 title for the third consecutive time? Ulsan is a team that prides itself on itself as a “defending champion.” It is not complacent but confident in every game. But our fans didn’t really mention the word “winning.” They jokingly call the team “that.” We are a team that proved enough in the K League 1. I hope the fans proudly bring up the word “winning.” We are the strongest team in the K League 1.
Q: Ulsan is the team closest to winning the K-League 1 title again this season. If it secures its first Final A match, it will bring it closer to winning its third consecutive K-League 1 title. 메이저사이트
He has been working at Ulsan for five years. The coaches tried to change many things. The coaches instilled in them the perception that “we are strong.” No matter what team they face, they have confidence that “we will win.” Players also have a growing sense of responsibility to perform well and produce results that meet fans’ expectations.
For example, I am a defender. In every game, I play with the mindset that if I get a hole here, I will be pushed out of the competition to become a starting member. I carefully touch and pass each ball. As we are the winning team, fans’ interest in us has increased significantly. We had a time when we had no choice but to increase our sense of responsibility.