For national team midfielder Baek Seung-ho, manager Kim Sang-shik is a benefactor. When I was struggling with the controversy over the violation of the agreement with Suwon Samsung, manager Kim Sang-sik was a great help, and I was eventually able to join Jeonbuk in 2021. Baek Seung-ho played well after joining Jeonbuk and contributed to Jeonbuk’s league championship, and last season also participated in the 2022 Qatar World Cup with evaluation as a top-class midfielder in the K-League.
His expectations for this season were also high. Jeonbuk definitely reinforced it by recruiting Jung Min-ki, Amano Jun, Rafael Silva, Kim Gun-woong, Lee Dong-jun, and Lee Soo-bin, and brought in large defender Jeong Tae-wook from the center back position, which was a ‘weakness’ last season. In addition, key players such as Cho Kyu-seong, Kim Jin-soo, Kim Moon-hwan, Baek Seung-ho, and Song Min-gyu, who raised stock prices at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, are in good health, so they were selected as clear candidates for the championship.
However, it was different from expectations. From the beginning of the season, injuries continued, failing to form a proper best 11 and falling into a swamp of consecutive losses, and eventually coach Kim Sang-sik resigned voluntarily due to poor performance. Baek Seung-ho’s heart was heavy with the resignation of the ‘eunsa’ who brought him to Jeonbuk.
Baek Seung-ho, who met with reporters after the Seoul match, said, “He has been a lifelong benefactor to me. There are many things I am grateful for. It was the players who did not play well. The coach always put the players first, and the fans first. I’m sorry that it seems like it’s my responsibility. I’m grateful, but I’m just sorry. The coach has been in Jeonbuk for a long time. I know how much he loves the club and how much he devoted himself to it. The coach said a short goodbye rather than a long speech.”
The match against Seoul 안전놀이터was the first match after the resignation of manager Kim Sang-shik. Jeonbuk fans, who had been boycotting the cheering, filled the Seoul Jeongwon seats and started cheering again.
Baek Seung-ho delivered a message to Jeonbuk fans.
“I hope you believe in me. It’s clear that I showed a disappointing performance, and the players are not satisfied. I hope you will support and trust me as much as I did with Seoul.
match in Seoul ended in a draw unfortunately, but the players did their best in a difficult situation. I think we need to prepare to win the next match.
-Director Kim Sang-sik’s resignation.
He is a lifelong benefactor to me. There are many things to be thankful for. It was the players who did not play well. The coach always put the players first and the fans first. I am sorry that it seems to be the responsibility of the players for not producing results. I’m grateful, but I’m just sorry. The coach has been in Jeonbuk for a long time. He knows how much he loves the club and how dedicated he is. The director said a short goodbye rather than a long one.
– Cheering from Jeonbuk fans
Of course, if you come a lot, you will gain strength. A lot of people always came to visit me, but not many came because of my grades this year. I feel a lot of responsibility. From now on, I hope that many fans will come while showing a good image.
– Jeonbuk has always played soccer, but this season they are playing defensively. When will the colors of Jeonbuk return?
We are trying to make a change quickly. Since the squad has changed a lot, I have the idea that we shouldn’t be in a hurry. Now that the first round robin is over, we need to prepare well. In many ways, this season has been unlucky and I am having a hard time because the results are not coming out. When you play soccer, there are times like this, so you have to overcome them well.
– Round 1 is over. There are still many seasons left. What goals do you have?
In the second round, we have to play the soccer we want to do. There were many defeats, but we need to accumulate victory points as much as possible. Personally, I have to be able to help the team. You should also accumulate a lot of points. I want to show the overall development.
-I want the fans
to trust me. It is clear that he showed a disappointing appearance, and the players are not satisfied. I hope you will support and trust us as much as you did before Seoul. I will try to show a better image.