"That one phrase is ruining Korean football": Lee Kang-in also agrees with Ku Ja-cheol's serious remarks

*This content was translated by AI.

Ku Ja-cheol (37), a former South Korean national team player and current Jeju SK youth advisor, made serious remarks stating, "I believe the saying that youth football is about fundamentals is ruining Korean football." Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain), who left Korea early to study in Spain and established himself as a world-class player, also expressed agreement with Ku Ja-cheol's argument via social media (SNS).

In an interview with SPOTV Original released on the 18th, Ku Ja-cheol emphasized, "What makes me so angry is that many people say 'youth football is about fundamentals.' I believe that one phrase is ruining Korean football. Youth players are only trying to master fundamentals. It's truly the worst. We must teach them how to judge in what kind of space and how."

Continuing, Ku Ja-cheol said, "Looking at the last 10 years in our country, players' judgment is too poor and too slow. Their judgment cannot keep up with the pace of the game." He added a sharp critique: "Where does that come from? Everyone is only taking basic skills lessons. They don't even know whether it's bean paste or something else they should be doing."

He explained, "This is about what training players should do at this stage. In Germany, coaches tell 7-year-olds, 'Ah, you shouldn't turn right there; you have to turn left. Let's look again.' They continuously provide situational judgment awareness." He concluded, "There is a huge difference between someone who has learned like this since age 7 and a player who was told only that fundamentals are important and just passed the ball back and forth."

After Ku Ja-cheol's interview video was released, Lee Kang-in shared a short edited version of it on his SNS, indicating his 'agreement' with Ku Ja-cheol's claims. Coincidentally, Lee Kang-in has been noted for his exceptional talent since his days on the TV variety show "Fly, Shoot Boys," which allowed him to grow up after embarking on a football study path in Spain at just 10 years old. Fortunately, he spent most of his youth football period not in Korea but in Europe.

Thereafter, Lee Kang-in grew up with Valencia's age-group youth teams, made his professional debut with Valencia, moved through Mallorca, and joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Europe's strongest team. Recently, a move to Spanish powerhouse Atletico Madrid is reportedly within reach. The transfer fee for Atletico could reach up to 40 million euros (approximately 68.2 billion won), and Lee Kang-in is expected to take on an ace role at Atletico Madrid. He has already played a key role for the South Korean national team from an early stage.

It was widely evaluated that his unique play style, including his dazzling passing ability as well as individual skills, dribbling, and breaking pressure, was largely due to leaving Korea early to study abroad. In this context, Ku Ja-cheol's sharp critique of the reality in Korean football where only 'fundamentals' are emphasized for youth players, along with Lee Kang-in's agreement with that critique, appears to carry significant implications for Korean football as well.

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*This content was translated by AI.