*This content was translated by AI.
Park Tae-ha (58), head coach of Pohang Steelers, pledged to secure a victory in the first match of the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE).
According to Pohang, they will face Beijing Guoan (China) at 9:15 p.m. on the 15th at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing, China, for the first stage match of the 2026–2027 ACLE league.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference held on the 14th, Coach Park Tae-ha said, "It feels fresh to be back at the Beijing stadium after about 10 years. As Pohang is participating in the Asian stage for three consecutive years, I am well aware of the importance of the first game. Although it is an away match, we will do our best to achieve a good result," as he issued his challenge statement.
Defender Cho Sung-wook, who was present at the same event, also said, "I am happy and excited to be on such a big stage. As we are representing K-League, I will take responsibility and secure a good result."
Coach Park Tae-ha, who previously faced Beijing when he was the head coach of Yanbian in China, did not let his guard down, evaluating the opponent as a traditional powerhouse. He emphasized, "Beijing is always a team that possesses excellent players. They have strengthened their squad with additional foreign players for this tournament, so we will prepare thoroughly keeping in mind that they could be a major threat."
He also mentioned his reunion with Ji Chung-kook (Beijing), a former student he had coached at Yanbian. Coach Park Tae-ha said, "We happened to meet by chance at the training ground, and I was glad to see him. It is gratifying to see my very diligent student still active. He is a player who teaches that treating football sincerely can leave a lasting impression on fans for a long time," praising him highly.
Meanwhile, Pohang, which is participating in the restructured ACLE stage this season, has previously met Beijing twice, recording one draw and one loss.
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*This content was translated by AI.
