New U-23 football coach sets goals for 2016 Summer Olympics
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Shin Tae-yong, new coach for U-23 men’s football team, answers questions during a news conference at the Korea Football Association, Monday. / Yonhap
By Baek Byung-yeul
Shin Tae-yong, Korea’s newly appointed under-23 men’s football team coach, pledged to do everything possible for his team to qualify for the 2016 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship.
Shin’s swift appointment was made last week after former coach Lee Kwang-jong unexpectedly resigned after being diagnosed with acute leukemia. Lee flew to Thailand on Jan. 22 to lead the under-22 men’s football team participating in the King’s Cup tournament, but had to return home seven days later because of a high fever. The Korea Football Association (KFA) confirmed Thursday that Shin, an assistant coach for the men’s national football team, would stand in for Lee.
“First of all, I hope Lee will get well soon,” Shin said at a press conference at the KFC’s headquarters office in Seoul, Monday.
“During his 20-some-year long coaching career, Lee has cultivated lots of talented players. I feel so sorry for him that he cannot coach his squad.”
Shin said he was informed about Lee’s condition while he was taking part in this year’s AFC Asian Cup as an assistant coach to Ulrich Stielike.
“The KFA chief Lee Yong-soo notified me that Lee had to step down due to illness right after the men’s national football team finished the final match against Australia. On the return flight, I decided to succeed him after careful consideration,” Shin said.
With Shin at the helm, the U-23 team is scheduled to compete in qualification matches for the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship next month in Indonesia. Paired with Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Brunei in Group H, Korea must finish in first place to reach the U-23 Championship in January.
Speaking about his team’s roadmap to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the new head coach said he will endeavor to select the right players for his squad.
“Frankly, Lee had planned everything about next year’s Olympics. On the basis of his plan, I will try to decide who’s suitable for my squad. Right now, passing through the first round is my biggest goal.
“After that, I think I will be more flexible as the U-23 Championship is scheduled to begin in January,” he said.
Although Shin commented that he has not planned any specific details for next year’s Olympics, he vowed to make his squad a team that knows how to win.
“Though I didn’t intervene at all, I was with the U-22 squad when the team was competing in the King’s Cup tournament in Thailand. Having watched them train, I was impressed with their work ethic, but they need to be more aggressive on the field,” Shin said.
After starting his professional football career in 1992 playing for the Ilhwa Chunma FC, now Seongnam FC in K League, the country’s top pro football league, Shin quickly rose to stardom, receiving the Rookie of The Year award in his debut season. The two-time MVP winner retired in 2005 and coached the Seongnam FC for four seasons and captured the AFC Champions League title in 2010 and FA Cup title in 2011.