When we met at the Suwon Samsung clubhouse in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, earlier this month, then-Suwon head coach Yi Ki-hoon was all smiles. Suwon had gone unbeaten in April with four wins and one draw and were in the thick of the race for first place in the league. Throughout the interview, Yi’s words were hopeful.
The interview never went public as originally envisioned. As if on cue, Suwon lost five straight games. After a 1-3 reverse defeat against Seoul Eiland on March 25, Suwon fans blocked a bus. After speaking with Park Kyung-hoon, the former coach walked up to the entrance of the parking lot and announced his resignation in front of the fans. 안전카지노사이트 All of this happened before May was even over.
Failing to turn doubt into faith After his appointment, Dye faced countless criticisms from fans. The club’s desperate need for promotion made it difficult for him to take the reins, but he accepted the job because he saw the positive changes in the players during his time as acting coach. I felt like I wanted to continue working with the changing Suwon players, so I took the job without much thought.
Curiously, Yeom, who took on the challenge of K League 2, was confident when he was named the top coach in April, saying he had learned a lot as a coach. “I think I can make bold changes because I have no experience. I realized that I have the flexibility to change the details, such as reducing the forward pressure without changing the game model, by watching the coaching staff, watching videos and listening to the players.” Inexperience, he said, is the fuel that drives them to compete.
As defeats piled up after the interview, the timing of the release was delayed. It’s not uncommon for soccer interviews to be shaped by results. Even the most arrogant remarks are recognized as skillful when wins are accumulated, and humble attitudes are relegated to the so-called ‘underdog’ when losses are repeated. However, given his performance in April, Suwon’s losing streak, which was supposed to end after one or two games, suddenly led to his resignation.
Throughout the interview, Yeom showed his love and gratitude for the fans, but the opportunity to share his words was cut short by the losing streak. “We’ve already scored a theater goal in three games to earn seven points. It’s thanks to the fans’ support that the players didn’t give up,” he said. It was a time when Suwon’s supporters were selling out away seats.
At the end of the interview, Yeom said more apologies than thanks, saying, “I’m sorry that I didn’t make the choice that the fans thought I should have made,” and that he was sorry that he couldn’t talk openly about the appointment of a permanent coach. He promised to hold a supporters’ meeting when he had time, but was unable to fulfill that promise.
Instead, Yeom chose to reward himself with results on the pitch. If the team had continued to perform in a promotion-worthy manner, there would have been an opportunity for the club to explain their choice of manager and the circumstances behind it in some way. That’s what he hoped for in his interview with us, but before he had a chance to do so, his short stint as Suwon’s head coach came to an end.
