Dan Petrescu, the new head coach of Jeonbuk Hyundai, has sent a clear message that he intends to take control of the club in a short period of time with his unmistakable style.
Petrescu held a press conference at Hyundai Motor Studio Goyang in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, on Thursday to announce his appointment. 안전놀이터 He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, making Jeonbuk the 18th team to accompany him in his career.
Jeonbuk had been searching for a coach who could capitalize on its unique style of “shut up and attack” (dakgong). The idea is to get into the so-called final third quickly and finish with a shot. Whether it works or not, the basic buildup is to attack with the fastest possible option.
The straightforward Petrescu clearly summarized his reasons for coming to Jeonbuk. “I got a call from technical director Park Ji-sung and technical advisor Di Matteo. They told me about Jeonbuk, and of course I said yes. It’s a big team in Asia. We need to win, not only in the K League but also in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL).”
Cho Kyu-sung, Moon Sun-min, and Kim Jin-soo were called up to the A team, while Song Min-kyu and Kim Jung-hoon headed to the U-24 team. Petrescu was faced with meeting his players after the A-Match break without many of his first-team options.
However, his approach was simple. “We’ll prepare quickly and figure it out. Jeonbuk has no excuses in terms of results. We have some injuries, but we’ll see,” he said, adding, “The next game is important right now. In the long run, we will be a championship team. If not this year, we will (win) next year.” He presented a clear direction of development and results.
The philosophy that no player is greater than the team was also clear. While Jeonbuk is home to star players, Petrescu wants them to showcase their skills within the framework of the team. “I don’t want to talk about individuals, which players are good and which are not. The team is important. I’ll answer later, but the team is the most important thing,” he said, noting that it was necessary to showcase the sacrifices individuals make to achieve victory.
Petrescu described the last three matches under former coach Kim Doo-hyun as “a team effort”. He saw it in their 2-0 win over Ulsan Hyundai, 1-0 win over Daegu FC, and 2-1 win over Gangwon FC. Jeonbuk, who were desperately united, systematically pressured their opponents to win. Petrescu praised the team for breaking the opponent’s strategy by fighting.
He also has some insight into the characteristics of the K League and Korean soccer. “From the outside, all the teams in the K League are bold and powerful. It shows in the offense. You can see the colors. You can also see it in the Korean players who are currently playing in Europe. I don’t have any doubts about their ability,” he said, adding, “I’m very excited about the level of Jeonbuk’s players.” He judged Jeonbuk through the eyes of a top-level player.