Kim Tae-young reveals behind-the-scenes of the 2002 World Cup: "Broken nasal bone... played through tears" [Knowing Bros][★Night TView]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Knowing Bros' featured Kim Tae-young recalling the 2002 World Cup era.

The JTBC variety program 'Knowing Bros,' aired on the 23rd, was specially themed around the World Cup, featuring 'Korean football legends' Ha Seok-ju, Kim Tae-young, and Kim Young-gwang.

On this day, Kim Tae-young's story of playing in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup with a broken nasal bone while wearing a mask was revealed. Lee Su-geun said, "Tae-young is a member of the Century Club," referring to the 'Century Club' designation for players who have appeared in more than 100 official national team matches.

Kim Tae-young recalled the injury, saying, "The pain and nosebleed wouldn't stop." He continued, "When I played wearing a mask, my field of vision narrowed. I had to compete for headers, but every time I headed the ball, the mask shifted and kept hitting my fractured nasal bone. I played through tears," surprising everyone.

In response, Seo Jang-hoon explained, "When I broke my nasal bone, I even had to stuff gauze into my eyes. They say adrenaline explodes when you score a goal, and it really does kick in even when you get hit. You play fueled by that heat."

Lee Sang-min asked, "Was there a precedent for wearing a mask?" Kim Tae-young replied, "A manufacturer came from Japan to Korea to produce it locally."

Seo Jang-hoon said, "That was 24 years ago. Masks today are different," referring to the mask worn by Son Heung-min. Kim Young-gwang added, "That one was made of carbon, so it was much lighter."

Kim Tae-young said, "My legs were fine even though my nasal bone was broken. I was 33 at the time, so I thought it was my last World Cup," expressing his passion back then.

The MCs discussed how Park Ji-sung and Son Heung-min inherited Kim Tae-young's jersey number 7. Ha Seok-ju said, "I can't understand it. I understand Son Heung-min and Park Ji-sung, but I don't understand Kim Tae-young," eliciting laughter.

Kim Tae-young explained, "They asked what number I wanted, so I said 7. I used number 13 during the 1998 World Cup, and I used number 7 from then on until I retired."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.