It is a difficult time for Hong Jeong-ho, the captain of Jeonbuk Hyundai.
As the current captain whose past glory is fading, Hong emphasized confidence and trust in the players.
Jeonbuk lost 1-2 in the 9th round of Hana One Q K League 1 2023 against Daejeon Hana Citizen held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 26th.
Jeonbuk, who gave up consecutive goals to Anton and Lee Jin-hyeon, followed Tae-wook Jeong with a header, but failed to equalize and fell to 9th place.
On this day, captain Hong Jeong-ho, who played full-time as a center back but failed to prevent the team from losing, could not hide his dark expression in the Mixed Zone (joint coverage area).
Hong Jeong-ho has been in his fourth year since joining Jeonbuk in the 2020 season, and he is having the most difficult season. After joining Jeonbuk, we shared a moment of glory with 4 K-League 1 championships and 2 FA Cup championships, but this season feels like the winning mentality of the past has disappeared. 스포츠토토
Hong Jung-ho also expressed his feelings, saying, “It is not easy mentally. It is very difficult.”
He continued, “I think that all the players will have more burden than me. Let’s not take too much,” he said.
In addition, Hong Jeong-ho said, “If you think about it, there is no end to your thoughts. So if you go over a lot, it becomes a worse concern. I kept doing that.” I think about it and try to talk to the players.”
However, Hong Jeong-ho cannot help but listen to the noise inside and outside the Jeonbuk club. Fans are demanding communication from the club and continuing group actions that do not support them.
Regarding this, Hong Jung-ho said, “In conclusion, if the game went well, I think the fans would not have gone this far. I am sorry as the team representative. I am trying to repay you with good performance, but it is not easy to play every game, and I am always sorry.”
In addition, he said, “Anyway, it’s right to show our best in the stadium. We are always fighting and trying to work hard in the stadium. Jeonbuk must rebound. It should not be in this position. It has already lost 5 games. Jeonbuk suffered 5 losses on average during the season, but I think they have already suffered. There is no back.”
“I think the players have to do it to rise again so that they can climb again. I tell the players that I want them to have fun at the stadium without worrying about not losing confidence,” he said.
Regarding the current situation of the team, Hong Jung-ho said, “The players are burdened. There are also things that are urgently attached. As a result, I don’t think Jeonbuk-style games are coming out.”
He concluded, “I want to tell the players, ‘Don’t lose confidence and don’t doubt your work or Jeonbuk. It’s a team that can rise again at any time, so let’s trust each other and Jeonbuk and fight together.'”