“Is there internal strife between the 92nd and 96 generations on the national team?” Kim Jin-su, born in 1992, draws a line: “I don’t know the details. Even if I were still on the national team…” [On-site at Sangam]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

FC Seoul’s “captain” Kim Jin-su (34) was reserved in his comments regarding the recent uproar over generational conflict between the “92-96 LINE” within the national football team, stating that he is unaware of the internal situation.

Seoul secured a 2-1 victory in their home match against Jeju SK in Round 31 of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 season, held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th.

Seoul, which recorded its first win after an approximately three-week international break, is leading the league with 65 points (20 wins, 5 draws, 6 losses). Seoul will clinch its first league title in 10 years if it adds just seven more points from the remaining seven matches.

Kim Jin-su, who started as left fullback wearing the captain’s armband on this day, protected his team’s one-goal lead with tenacious man-to-man defense and selfless play. Although they faced a crisis of losing momentum after conceding a wonder goal to opponent Lee Gun-hee in the 27th minute of the second half, Kim immediately encouraged his teammates and quickly reorganized the defensive LINE to thoroughly prevent any further goals. Throughout the match, he demonstrated his veteran presence by effectively blocking Jeju’s sharp counterattacks with tenacious defense and stable LINE control.

In the mixed zone after the match, Kim Jin-su shared his overwhelming feelings, saying, “Having achieved 20 wins for the first time in 10 years, I truly feel that we are almost there.” However, he maintained a cautious attitude, stating, “We have not yet accomplished anything, so I cannot speak too soon. The players’ expectations are high because the possibility of winning the championship is strong, but as captain, I am trying my best to control the atmosphere.”

When asked about the secret behind this season’s “winning mentality,” he mentioned “the passion of the players who refuse to lose from the training ground and the selfless attitude of the foreign players.”

When asked about his desire for the league MVP award, he humbly replied, “It would be an honor to my family if I were given it, but there are too many players on our team who perform at an MVP level,” adding, “It is appropriate to be evaluated after we have secured the championship.”

He was reserved in his comments regarding the recent issue of discord within the national team. The Choi Geun (CEO) team has experienced a joint retirement uproar amid conflicts between key players born in 1996, such as Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom, and the “senior LINE” born in 1992, including captain Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung.

Related questions were also directed at Kim Jin-su, a same-age friend of Son Heung-min and a key senior on the national team, but he answered cautiously, saying, “I do not know the internal situation in detail, so it is difficult for me to speak,” while adding, “Even if I had been on the national team, things would not have changed much.”

Regarding the possibility of being recalled to the national team, he firmly drew a line, stating, “I am striving with the dream of representing the national team until I quit football.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original