Kim Ki-dong (51), coach of the Pohang Steelers, started his coaching career differently.

The word that represents director Kim is ‘sanjeonsujeon’. Coach Kim served as an active player until the age of 40. Coach Kim, who retired in 2011,메이저놀이터 has played in a total of 501 games in the K-League, ranking second as the most field player ever. He is called ‘Iron Man’ and has overcome countless adversities.

The same goes for the director’s career. He took charge of Pohang for the first time in the middle of the 2019 season, succeeding head coach Choi Soon-ho. Despite being his new manager, manager Kim led the team stably. After finishing 2019 in 4th place, he finished 3rd the following year and won the ‘Director’s Award’ as the K-League’s first 3rd team manager.

In the 2021 season, they finished runner-up in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL), and took third place the following year, earning the right to advance to the ACL. He is already writing several stories in his 5th year as a director.

Q) It’s already your ‘5th year’ as a director?

“Five years have passed since I closed my eyes. I became the first coach in 2019, and I was really hectic for two years. Expectations were high in 2020, when it started. Motivation was also burning (laughs). Even though we played without spectators in a situation where Corona 19 broke out, we finished the season in 3rd place and won the coach award. Many players left in 2021, but a new player They came and seemed to have expectations for the director who received the ‘Best Director Award’ (laughs). That’s why I felt a lot of pressure. I did my ACL well in difficult situations.”

“After spending three seasons like that, my mind was organized. Then I divided the work. Until before, I held on to everything and did everything. It was very difficult to do everything from team management to training instructions and video analysis. The year seemed like 30 years. I thought I was going to die because it was hard (laughs). So, I gathered the coaches and told them that I would set the big frame, so they would each take care of the rest.

Q) Were you that motivated?

“I don’t trust others well (laughs). No matter who I order, I don’t get angry. It’s the same now, but I don’t show off and give feedback, ‘I wish I could do it like this.’ If I can’t find a point, I can’t sleep. Even at home, if I’m watching a video until 2:00 am, my wife will come and ask, “Have you found it yet?” It’s like this (laughs). They say, ‘Let’s do it tomorrow,’ but they say, ‘No, I have to find it.’

Q) How much weight do you place on your opponent in preparation for matches?

“We think about 70% of our style and react to the opponent’s style about 30%. In a situation where the big picture is maintained, we think about what the opponent’s weakness is and then try to target one or two.”

Q) Is there a particularly memorable year?

“There is no special year. Looking back on each year, it has its own meaning. Even if the finish is good, the process is always difficult. Incheon United), Shin Kwang-hun, and Lim Sang-hyeop (Seoul) were new players. That was the hardest time. The color of the team has completely changed. In a situation where I couldn’t force my style on the players, I made changes to suit the squad. Nevertheless, the league was good until Kang Hyeon-moo (Chief Manager Kim Cheon) was injured. At the same time, it was necessary to choose and focus because I was doing ACL at the same time. At the time, I decided to focus on ACL and even achieved runner-up.”

Q) What is the difference between Kim Ki-dong now and Kim Ki-dong in 2019?

“Rather than leisure, I seem to be seeing a bit of ‘flow’ now. At first, the role of a coach was unfamiliar to me. It feels like I’m on top of it and it flows naturally.”

Q) Who is the leader who influenced you the most?

“For soccer, coach Valery Nippomnishi, who guided me when I was playing in Bucheon. From me, coach Imsaeng Lee, coach Junghwan Yoon, coach Giil Nam, coach Seonghwan Cho, etc. are all disciples of coach Nippomnishi. received.”

Q) Now, coach Nippomnishi’s students are competing with each other.

“It’s fun. People who used to fight with their bodies on the playground all the time have now become coaches and are fighting head-to-head (laughs). While playing the game, I get greedy to win. I want to win at rock-paper-scissors as well (laughs).”

Q) Were you confident to be a good director?

“I was always confident. Even as a coach, I had expectations about what I would do if I became a manager. I went through 12 coaches as a player. I learned that ‘this coach thinks this is important’. I thought it would be. So, I was able to establish myself well.”

“I remember the words of the pastor who taught me about soccer in elementary school. Ki-il Nam Ki and Jung-hwan Yoon, whom I trained with when I was a player, were already leaders. Aren’t they the same?’ So he said, ‘On the one hand, I think so, and on the other hand, I don’t think so.’ Then he said, ‘To build a tall building, you have to dig deep underground. No matter how high you want to build it, dig deep. If you don’t, the building will eventually collapse. You’re digging the basement diligently now. Even if you’re a little late, you can go higher later. Think of it as strengthening your inner stability.”