What Ki Sung-yueng calls the 'champion candidate' FC Seoul..."You have to be recognized to be a favorite"

What Ki Sung-yueng calls the 'champion candidate' FC Seoul..."You have to be recognized to be a favorite"

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FC Seoul is a team that is being mentioned as a leading candidate for the K League 1 in the 2025 season.

However, Ki was cautious.

On the 4th, Ki Sung-yueng, who met at a hotel in Kagoshima, which FC Seoul is using as an accommodation, pointed out that Seoul can only be a real favorite when the members of Seoul acknowledge that Seoul is a favorite from the outside, rather than calling themselves a favorite, and that we should see the flow after the season begins.
Ki Sung-yueng said, "Winning is actually about the atmosphere since the league started. We have to follow luck. I think we can win the championship only when many things match," adding, "It is more important to give the impression that FC Seoul can really win (the championship) this year than to say that we are the favourites."

At the same time, Ki Sung-yueng said, "I think this year will be an important year," and added, "Last year, I overcame difficult times over the past few years. This year, I think this will be a really important year for the team FC Seoul to become a strong team. If we do well this year, I think people around us will perceive FC Seoul as a strong team," adding, "Regardless of whether we win or not, the 2025 season will be an important year for Seoul."

The following is the Q&A with Ki Sung-yueng.
-I think I lost weight.

I think it's because the amount of training is too high from Vietnam. I lost about 2kg.

-There are a lot of stories about winning, but the team's atmosphere and expectations are.

The atmosphere is quite good. A lot of new players have come in. In the case of (Kim) Jin-soo and (Moon) Sun-min, they have won the championship, and they have experience as both players and veterans. (Jung) Seung-won has been performing well recently, making his fans look forward to it. His team is more stable than last year. Fans' expectations are bound to rise. However, I personally don't think you need to feel too pressured by those expectations.

In fact, the atmosphere after the league started is important to win. You have to follow luck. I think we can win only when many things match. Personally, it is more important to give the impression that FC Seoul can really win this year than to say that we are the favourites.

As a player, there is no player who doesn't dream of winning. However, rather than saying that in our own words, I think we become the favorite only when the league starts and recognizes the people around us and fans. The league starts next week, and the early flow will be very important. I think our skills will come out in earnest according to that trend.

-It's been a long time since I participated in the first training.

I increased my personal exercise during this winter vacation, and it continued to winter training. I didn't think the training itself was difficult, but it is true that the recovery speed was slower than that of young players as I got older. If I was in my mid-20s, it was a hard but worthwhile exercise, but as I got older, it was too much.

There are pros and cons, but training alone gives me time to do what I lack. Training together creates diversity and it's good to be able to do various things because there are a lot of people. It was good to be able to do tactical training with the team.

This year, I think the pace of body building is faster compared to last year. Last year, we couldn't do the first training together, so we had to do the second training together. Now, we have no physical problems because we have started the second training with our bodies built from the first. It is certain that the recovery speed is getting slower.
-Looking back on the pre-season as a professional 19th year.

When I was abroad, I often couldn't do the pre-season properly. There were always national team games in the summer, and when I returned to the team after taking a little break, the team members had already started the pre-season. When playing overseas, I prepared for the pre-season for about three weeks and started the season.

Pre-season is rather long in Korea. Due to the long winter training period, many things including hotel life are difficult. Maybe it's because I got older. Overseas, the camp lasted for 10 days at the most. Usually, traveling for a short time is less boring. After 3-4 weeks in Korea, I feel mentally tired.

-Jung Seung-won said he was born to run well even at his current age, but he thinks.

I don't think I know how much I've trained. I had a lot of training, and I've never rested for a long time normally. I'm constantly building my body. I think I'm investing a lot of time in that direction rather than being born with it.

When you get older and become a veteran, you develop preconceived notions from the outside. If you are a little sluggish, the reaction is cold. If you are not prepared more, you cannot cope with these things well. That's why I try to build my body well. I exercise when others rest, and especially in winter, I do exercises that I couldn't do during the season.

That's why you can't run because you're old. That's why I prepare more. I think those things come out of the stadium. I worked hard in the first training and improved a lot physically. I try not to fall behind young players.

-What did you think when you were away last year due to injury.

I think I played a lot of games in the first half of the year, so I think I went overboard. There was also a hasty treatment. So the period of absence was prolonged. It is true that there was a feeling of frustration because I couldn't play at first.

But that time, in a way, became a time to reorganize for me. There were also difficult times because I played for about three consecutive seasons in Seoul. Living outside the stadium, I felt rather comfortable. I was less stressed. The pressure on my performance also decreased. So I started to see things that I couldn't see. I think I got some time.

I got out of my life of only exercising and playing, and my team's performance was good, so those things eased my burden. If my performance was not good, I would have been impatient, and the club would have urged me. I was frustrated that I couldn't play, but I liked it because I was mentally comfortable.

-Has the team's atmosphere changed since advancing to the Final A last year.

If the team performs well, the team's atmosphere will inevitably improve. Players also played in such situations, so they showed what they have. The players went through a lot. The weather was especially hot last summer, and the players worked hard at the stadium and training ground to achieve such results. Regardless of the sport, the atmosphere is good if we win, and the mood gets worse if we lose. The atmosphere was quite good. We didn't qualify for the ACL with our ability, but we achieved our desired goal. So we have some leeway.

-Recently, 17-year-old and 18-year-old players said they should go to the national team, but how do you think the national team should control this.

Players who are good at this game tend to stand out. Even though they are young, if they show overwhelming skills in the league, they will be able to do so. You can also play for Tottenham Hotspur like Yang Min-hyuk. Regardless of whether you are young or old, I think players who are young enough are competitive based on their performance in the league.

As the coaching staff of the national team will judge, they will also be competitive in the national team if they think that they show a performance that everyone can acknowledge in the league. At first, the period of adaptation is necessary, but some players do not. Since this is the final qualifying period for the World Cup, there will be pressure in that area.

-Lingard said he shouldn't lose, but how these things will affect the team.

None of the players in the game want to lose. All the players go to the game with that feeling.

However, winning or losing is a small part of the decision. It is not because I make up my mind, but only when I prepare at the training site and perform at the stadium, which leads to victory. Not just Lingard but all players feel that way. It is also true that we have to make more efforts to achieve higher goals this season than last year.

I think this year will be an important year. Last year, we overcame the difficult times of the past few years. This year, I think it will be a really important year for FC Seoul to become a strong team. If we do well this year, I think people around us will perceive FC Seoul as a strong team.

All players should share their goals. In that sense, Lingard shares his experiences well, so young players are affected a lot, and those things seem to lead to a good atmosphere.
-What kind of leadership do you show when you have to have a good influence on your juniors.

The best thing is to show it on the field. Just because I talk a lot doesn't make me a good influence. The most important thing is to show it on the field or in the training field. I need to think, 'He's working hard like that, but we should work hard, too.'

I also felt a lot when I was young. I think that's the most important thing. I think I can give you some technical advice outside the stadium. You can also help players who don't play much. Those players are in a difficult position. You can let them go because you can't play, but you can't in that situation. For a team to have a good season, not 11 players, all of them have to do well. Even if you start on the bench, you have enough opportunities to become the main players. The important point is that those players don't get disappointed and go well together for a year. You have to take good care of those players.

-The reason Seoul is called the favorite is because of the new faces, and do you feel that it has been reinforced well when you play with the newly recruited players.

Compared to last year, our performance is better. I think we have to be an overwhelming team to win the championship. We have to be an overwhelming team just by playing from an opponent's point of view. I don't think FC Seoul is that team yet. I think we are the favorites only when the season begins and other teams play against FC Seoul and think, "It's too much, it's a good team."

In the case of Ulsan HD, it is certainly not negligible because it is a team that continues to win. Jeonbuk Hyundai was not good last season, but it will certainly be able to revive the team's experiences because the new coach came and the players were reinforced. Many good players went to Daejeon, and Pohang is strong although it did not recruit many players.

In fact, I don't think there is a unique team yet, and that's why some say Seoul is the favorite. It's important whether the players can gain confidence because of the results and circumstances. If you gain confidence, you will be a scary team, and if you creak in the beginning, you will feel pressured. It's more important to acknowledge it from people around you than to say we are the favorite. What is certain is that every situation is better than last year's winter training, such as the team's structure, individual players' abilities, and physicality.

-The quality of midfielders has increased, which has increased the difficulty of main competition.

The competition to become a starting player is in every team. The player who shows good performance is to play. It is our destiny. There are many great players among the players in midfield. Young players and the newcomer, Seung-won, are basically capable players. Whoever plays in the game, he or she can do his or her part.

The coach will finally think about the combination. It is the role of the players to bring such concerns. You can play only when you show your performance. I think you will show your performance through good faith competition.

Seung-mo (Lee), Jae-moon (Ryu), and Do-yoon (Hwang) as well as Seung-won showed good performances last year. No matter who I play with, I think I can generate synergy. I hope that better harmony will be achieved. However, in soccer, there is always competition. If you do your best, you will have a chance.

-What do you think about finishing your career.

I hope the team finishes well. I want to finish in a good situation. The end is more important than the beginning. Depending on how you end the game, it will remain in people's memory. The best thing is to finish with a good performance. You need to consistently give good influence to your team without injury. If you continue to lose due to injury, you will lose a lot of things. This season, the priority is to make efforts to achieve good results without injury.

(Retirement) I think I will feel the timing myself throughout the season. So I prepared winter training steadily, and I hope I can perform well this season without any injuries.

-How similar do you feel now compared to when you were the runner-up in 2008.

It is different from then. At that time, FC Seoul was lined with representative players. The same was true of the mercenaries. Even people around him were the obvious candidates for the championship. I think there is a difference from now. Of course, last year we had better performances than the past few years, but still above us, we have a team that led the K-League for the past few years. There is a difference in phase between then and now. But now, the result is different. There are both new and existing players at the center. To be honest, I think we need to start the season to know.

-I think I had a lot of worries last year, but this year it looks comfortable. If there is anything different. 스포츠토토

Last year's performance was good, so I have more leeway this year. When I started the last season, my performance was not good for a few years, and the coach was new, so I felt more pressure than now. Last year, I had to play the role of captain. I think I felt pressured. Thanks to last year's performance, I feel relaxed now. Friends like (Kim) Jin-soo and (Moon) Sun-min came in around me and these players are sharing the roles of seniors, so I am doing a lot of things for them. I think that's why those parts are less burdensome.

-Kim Jin-soo, Moon Sun-min, and Jung Seung-won all have strong characters, so isn't there a need to manage them.

They are talented. There is a person who has more talent in front of them. I think it's more comfortable because they played in the national team together. Friends with a big age difference will be difficult for me, and I have a lot of worries about how to approach them. Jin-su and Sun-min were together in the national team, so there is something to know and take care of each other. That's very comfortable.

Rather, it is more comfortable for such players to come and play together in the stadium. It is convenient to have characters who express themselves and do what they have to do. It is not possible to do something that is negative in terms of performance, but the players will be aware of it. It is personally comfortable to have those friends come.