We met ‘THE KING’ Joo Se-jong, captain of Daejeon Hana Citizen (hereinafter referred to as Daejeon).

Joo Se-jong is a ‘noble’ of Daejeon. In terms of career, he is the most spectacular player in Daejeon. Director Lee Min-seong also described Joo Se-jong as “a person who was brought in with difficulty” when he came to Daejeon. Perhaps due to the effect of recruiting noble players, Daejeon succeeded in getting the promotion they had longed for last year. And they are surviving well in K-League 1 this season with better-than-expected performances. From now on, all that remains is to draw a bigger picture.

Joo Se-jong, who has continued his career with unwavering play, hopes to achieve many things in Daejeon. He is already making a huge impact on the field, but he is not satisfied with that. We want to break away from the image of Daejeon as a promoted team and elevate it to one of the representative groups in K-League 1. And we are planning to go to Asia with Daejeon. This is a ‘goal’ that will never be shaken as long as Joo Se-jong stays in Daejeon.

The goal for the Taegeuk mark remains the same. Joo Se-jong, one of the main characters in ‘that scene’ against Germany, also has the same desire for the national team. Although he may be a little older than in the past, his passion for reaching the highest level remains the same. Various conversations with Joo Se-jong on various topics can be found on the YouTube channel ‘Haebangchon Soccer Company’.

b11: What is the training like in Jeongseon?

“Jeongseon Sports Complex is good. The grass is also good. It was my first time here while playing soccer. Coach Lee Min-seong gave the players several candidates. They were Jeju, Busan, and Jeongseon, but I chose Jeongseon because the players could rest and train. “I came to Jeongseon and went rafting and meditated.”

b11: Before the interview with Joo Se-jong, I also visited Gwangju FC (hereafter Gwangju). Gwangju is really good these days, right?

“Looking at Gwangju playing recently, I really respect it! This is a team that must be respected. It’s like the players are wearing soccer shoes. They know how to move. Some say Gwangju is good because they fight hard, but if you look at it from the players’ perspective, the ‘frame’ is I think it’s working well because the players are getting results and receiving media attention while playing coach Lee Jeong-hyo’s soccer, so it seems like they’re becoming more and more confident in soccer. Gwangju feels like they’ve contracted their strength rather than just running a lot? They’re pressing hard over short distances. So it may seem like they are running a lot, but in my opinion, the opposing teams actually end up running more. If you clash with them in a power struggle, Gwangju still has stamina in the second half. From the opponent’s point of view, if you take something, they come back quickly to take it back. “It’s not easy.”메이저사이트

b11: I heard a rumor that Joo Se-jong lives in Sejong City.

“I didn’t really have any intention (laughter). My house is 20 minutes away from the Daejeon clubhouse, and I also care about my children’s education, so it ended up like this,” b11

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“It’s the name my father gave me. It’s the world’s greatest bell. Ring the world’s bell. That’s how it feels. In fact, my family is a ‘bell holder.’ My cousins ​​and younger siblings have names like Taejong and most of them are the names of kings. The Joo family grew up together in the same neighborhood. So there was a lot of talk in the neighborhood about the children of this family using the king’s name. (Laughs)” b11:

Instead of player Joo Se-jong, how about your dad Joo Se-jong?

“A mother is someone who can’t do many things, but a father does everything? For example, my kids are obsessed with dinosaurs these days, and even when I try to buy them dinosaur toys, my wife says no. Even when my child says he wants something, my wife says, ‘This is not possible.’ “When that happens, I take him out secretly and buy him something.”

b11: You have two sons. I think there will be a lot of things we want to do together when we grow up!

“First of all, I want to become a soccer player. In fact, my wife had a clear goal in mind. How about playing both sidebacks, one at a time? My wife is very attracted to sidebacks. Sidebacks are a position that is highly involved in both attack and defense. . First of all, the eldest is left-footed. That means he is a left fullback. And the second is a right fullback. There has never been a case where brothers played fullback for the national team together. I hope it goes well like that. My wife is pushing me hard, so I will try my best to help. .”

b11: Joo Se-jong’s father is also known to be a person who really likes soccer. What kind of person were you?

“My father originally wanted to play soccer, but he couldn’t because the conditions weren’t right. That’s why he took me to the soccer field a lot since I was young. When I was young, I also did things like kendo and taekwondo. They say I showed my grit at that time. That’s why my father encouraged me. He said he made me exercise after eating. I am very grateful. Thanks to my father, I came to play soccer naturally. I still talk about soccer with my father a lot these days. My sister’s eldest son is playing soccer, and we talk a lot about his nephew. “

b11: There is also a story that my father made Joo Se-jong’s uniform with a sewing machine when he was young.

“I’ve been following my father since I was about 3 or 4 years old. I followed him when he played soccer at an early age. But when I was young, I thought my dad looked really cool wearing a uniform and playing soccer. So I said I wanted a uniform. Actually, There aren’t many sizes of uniforms for 3-4 year old children, right? So my father cut the early soccer uniform himself and used a sewing machine to make it in my size. I always wore that and played soccer. I still have that uniform hanging at home. “I have it.”

b11: Joo Se-jong’s hobby these days!

“Before I got married, I really liked building Legos. After having kids, I think my hobby is to put the kids to bed and sit alone in the living room and watch soccer or movies.”

b11: Can you name one benefactor of Joo Se-jong’s life?

“My parents are natural, and another person I think is my agent. I have been with my brother since I was in college, so we have already been together for over 10 years. The reason we can continue to work together is because it allows me to experience better and more interesting soccer. I think it’s because there was. In fact, the job of being an agent is advantageous if the player receives a higher annual salary. That way, the agent can also earn more profit. However, the agent who has been watching for 10 years really knows what level the player can rise to. I was a person who was worried about this. It’s a different story, but before I went to Japan, I had a choice about the Middle East. Normally, I would have recommended the Middle East, where I could make more money, but my brother went and learned more, and it was something I wanted to experience. “I recommended Japan because I could feel it. Even though I knew the salary was low. That’s why he was my benefactor. After meeting my agent, I was able to keep working hard, grow, and have new experiences.”

b11: What were your memories of playing in Japan?

“I spent a year and a half in Japan. However, I think the year and a half in Japan was greater than the emotions and learnings I felt over the 10 years in Korea. The audience culture was especially impressive. What I still remember is the high-ranking players. There was a day when a club and a club in the bottom tier played a match. However, the bottom tier club often plays games to gain at least one point in order to survive without being relegated. How did the bottom tier club win that day? But that game. The fans of the lower-ranked clubs who were watching were booing. Because soccer wasn’t fun. In soccer and in the professional world, performance is important, but it is also important to maintain the color that each team has. It has to be maintained consistently. That’s what I felt that day. “Not only the players, but also the fans became one with the team’s colors, and that was it. It remained a fresh memory.”

b11: Joo Se-jong won the K-League 1 and 2 championships and experienced the K-League promotion playoffs several times. Which is greater pressure, winning or surviving?

“I’m not the type of person who gets nervous. I wasn’t nervous during the first leg of the promotion play-offs last year either. But I couldn’t sleep the night before the second game. That was even though Daejeon played well in the first game and won. We were first. What should we do if we concede a goal? What should we do if we score first? What should we do when we have the ball in our hands? I couldn’t sleep at all because these thoughts kept running through my head. Looking at these things, the pressure on the promotion play-offs is clearly greater than on winning the championship. I think so.”

b11: I am now in the middle of my career. How do you think the ending should be? Do you have a dream with Daejeon?

“I haven’t thought about finishing it yet. Right now, I really like being with Daejeon, who are establishing themselves as a team. My goal is to help this team establish itself in K League 1 and also participate in the AFC Champions League. I am the main player. Even if this isn’t the case, I want to work together with the players on the team to achieve our goal.”

b11: When Joo Se-jong got injured this year, Daejeon fans held a recovery performance for Joo Se-jong.

“When I was playing with Incheon United, I cried once when I was substituted and brought out on a stretcher and the fans called my name. I just burst into tears. Actually, I rarely cry. The last time I cried while playing soccer was during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia World Cup match against Germany. It was the first time, and this was the first time since then. I was touched when the fans called my name. After the surgery, I watched the fans’ performance in the game against the Pohang Steelers on the broadcast. It touched my heart. When I saw that, I quickly came back and did it again. “Playing in front of the fans was all I could think of.”

b11: The number of spectators at Daejeon World Cup Stadium has increased significantly these days.

“It’s good to see a lot of Daejeon fans who left when I was in K-League 2 coming back. A lot of young fans are coming too. The players’ feelings have also changed. Last year, there weren’t many people who recognized me when I walked around Daejeon, but this year. “Please recognize as many people as possible, both children and adults. It feels like we’ve become closer. Even the teachers at my son’s daycare center come to watch the game. What should I say? Should I say it’s the revival of the special soccer city? I’m getting that feeling a lot.”

b11: I’m curious what kind of character Daejeon captain Joo Se-jong is.

“I don’t think it’s scary. 20-year-old (Bae) Jun-ho felt very comfortable with me, and during one-on-one training, kids like (Lim) Deok-geun deliberately call me. He tells me to come out and have a one-on-one with me (laughter). With the players. “I try to stay close. Of course, there are times when I speak sharply and strongly during tactical training or team concepts. There are many times when I get angry during games, but I am really grateful that the players follow the direction I want to go.”

b11: What was it like living with Bae Jun-ho, who went to England?

“I think Junho was introverted last year. Of course, he was good at soccer, but he was a bit lacking in trying to get close to his teammates. But this year, when he went to Thailand for training, Junho completely changed. I don’t know what happened, bro. I could see him trying to be close to them. I think he felt the need. I think we talked a lot since then. I kept telling him that Junho would really grow a lot this year. And sure enough, he did really well. He grew up well. As a senior, I’m really proud that he went to Europe. It’s amazing. (When did you tell me you were going to Stoke City?) He didn’t say anything at all. He said, “I can’t go, I can’t go,” and then suddenly he went (laughter). I told Junho this. “I remember telling him to make sure whether the team is taking you because they really want you or whether they are taking you because of your performance on the national team. He wants you to become a really good player.”

b11: A quick question! Coach Lee Min-seong’s comeback goal against Japan VS Joo Se-jong’s assist against Germany

“It’s the coach. I remember watching the game on TV with my father at the time. Coach Choi Yong-soo headed in the equalizer, and coach Seo Jeong-won finished it. I ran around the house after that goal was scored. And then coach Lee Min-seong scored the comeback goal. In , he and his father hugged each other and there was a fuss. Perhaps because of that memory, I think Coach Lee Min-seong’s goal was even better. (Still, it was an assist against the number one player in the FIFA rankings.) By the way, I definitely saw (Son) Heung-min and made a pass, but people kept saying it. I pose a question. Heung-min also spoke about it this time. Let me take this opportunity to tell you that I definitely passed after seeing Heung-min. (In that case, a video letter to Son Heung-min.) Heung-min, you finished my career well. I got a World Cup assist. I’m grateful. I hope I can lead many players and continue to show good performances for Korean soccer like I do now. Don’t get hurt always, and fighting!”

b11: Do you personally often look for assists against Germany?

“I don’t watch it back, but when the time comes, it’s shown on TV. Just once. When I’m traveling with the players, something like that comes on on the bus TV. They make fun of me so much when that scene comes on. Kids like (Seo) Youngjae are just Manuel Neuer to watch. Even before catching the catch, he was commentating, saying, ‘Joo Se-jong is coming.’ The kids are playing around a lot. It’s a little embarrassing, but I’m proud of it because it’s a scene my children will definitely see when they play soccer someday. My father recorded an assist like that in the World Cup, helping Germany “The kids will know that they won.”

b11: After the game against Germany, everyone, including Joo Se-jong, was caught on camera shedding tears.

“There was a lot of concern before the World Cup. The perception of the national team was not good. Most of the players were under a lot of stress. When we won the game against Germany and the players were gathered in a circle at the halfway line, (Cha) Du-ri said, ‘You guys did really well. He said, ‘You must now lead and change Korean soccer in the future. Using this as an opportunity, we must develop further.’ At that moment, the pressure and stress that the players had built up over the years was relieved, and everyone cried a lot. It was also sad. The game against Germany. “Because it was the last time.”

b11: What is your most memorable moment with the national team?

“When I was first called up, I didn’t know any of the players. I had never represented my age group before, so it was very difficult for me to adapt. First, I had to show myself among the existing players within two weeks to be recognized by the players and coaching staff. I think that’s all I thought about. To be recognized as a member of the national team. I trained really hard. (Lee) Cheongyong took care of me a lot. I don’t tend to talk much, but Cheongyong talked to me. “Thank you so much for giving me advice.”

b11: Do you still have a desire for the national team?

“I will pursue that goal until I retire. There are some difficulties with the new coach these days, but with Heung-min, (Kim) Min-jae, and (Hwang) In-beom, I think things will go well.” There are many players who can lead the national team. In Korea, it is a culture where the national team must perform well so that more people come to watch soccer. So, because the national team shows good performance, many fans come to see the players playing in the K-League. “I would appreciate it if you could give it to me. I will work hard in Daejeon with the goal of making the national team until the end.”