'Drawing the Line on the National Team Coach Position' FC Seoul Manager Kim Ki-dong: "Opportunity May Come Eventually... But I Have No Plans to Take It Now" [Sangam Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ki-dong (55), manager of FC Seoul, drew a clear line when asked about the possibility of taking charge of the South Korean national football team.

Seoul secured a 1-0 victory against Incheon United in their 16th round 'Hana Bank K League 1 2026' home match held at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on the 5th, thanks to a winning goal by Jeong Seung-won.

With this win, Seoul claimed their first victory in about seven weeks since the World Cup break. Leading the table, Seoul now has 35 points (11 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses). Incheon United remains in sixth place with 21 points (6 wins, 3 draws, 7 losses).

Seoul struggled throughout the first half, unable to unlock their attack. Manager Kim Ki-dong attempted changes by bringing on Song Min-gyu immediately after the second half began, but they faced difficulties until the final moments of the match without registering a single valid shot on target.

However, they displayed terrifying focus in the dying minutes of the second half, converting their first valid shot into the winning goal. In the 37th minute of the second half, Jeong Seung-won scored the decisive goal after receiving a precise penetrating pass from Son Jung-beom, holding on to that lead until the end to secure a one-goal victory.

After the match, Manager Kim Ki-dong opened up at the press conference: "The game did not unfold as we had prepared. I believe it was not a match where luck was on our side in the first half."

He continued, "The plays we planned for the first half did not materialize, and the players found their positioning relatively difficult. We brought on Moon Seon-min to create pressure when space opened up against the opponent in the second half, and I believe the flow then shifted in our favor."

He added, "It is positive that we developed the strength to win even when our performance was not good. I would like to congratulate the players for securing three points in a difficult match."

Kim Ki-dong also explained the situation where he gave passionate instructions as the first-half attack flowed poorly. He said, "We expected the opponent to drop Jerson and Lee Dong-rin into defense, but our players came out too far to receive the ball, leaving space empty. Even though the defenders had room, they cleared the ball prematurely, allowing easy counterattacks. I kept instructing them from the outside to maintain their positioning, but the stadium was so noisy that my instructions did not get through well."

Regarding Jeong Seung-won, who scored the winning goal today, Kim Ki-dong spared no praise. The manager said, "His form was at its peak during training. We hesitated before bringing him on in the second half, but he really delivered with a great goal. Jeong's tenacious fighting to win the ball and create chances became the driving force behind our team's victory," giving him a thumbs-up.

As for Yazan, who struggled with passing errors in the second half, Kim said, "He complained of dizziness after the first half, which worried me greatly. He insisted on playing after resting, so we brought him on, but he must have found it quite difficult due to stomach pain and other issues." He added, "These complex problems caused our defensive line to waver, and with Morgan also absent, players like Yazan and Ross really had a tough time overall," offering words of comfort.

Finally, when asked about his dream of becoming the national team coach, Kim Ki-dong adopted a cautious stance. The manager stated, "I believe that the position of national team coach is not something I can simply say I want to do. If we consistently achieve results at our current level, an opportunity may come eventually." However, he drew a clear line by adding, "Even if such an opportunity comes my way, I have no intention of grabbing it immediately."

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*This content was translated by AI.