Jeonbuk Petrescu, Unable to Smile Despite the Complete Victory

Jeonbuk Petrescu, Who was Unable to Smile Despite the Complete Victory, Said, “There are a Lot of Injuries”

Dan Petrescu, coach of professional soccer K-League 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai, who started 2024 with a pleasant clean sweep, could not help but smile.

Jeonbuk defeated Pohang 2-0 in the first leg of the round of 16 of the 2023-2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonbuk, its home, on the 14th.

This match is the first official match of 2024 not only between the two teams, but also Korean professional soccer.

Jeonbuk, which spent its first off-season under coach Petrescu, is off to a good start ahead of the 2024 K League 1 season, which opens in March.

However, Coach Petrescu said at the post-game press conference, “I am concerned that there are many injuries.

“There is a second game left in Pohang in six days, and we have to show a good performance there to advance to the quarterfinals,” he said.

Jeonbuk, which finished fourth last season despite being considered a contender for the championship, has steadily strengthened its strength.

Winter transfer They recruited 'K League experienced players' Thiago and Hernández from the market, and even brought in national team fullback Kim Tae-hwan from last season's champion and rival Ulsan HD.

The midfield team was also strengthened by recruiting former national team winger Kwon Chang-hoon, who was used under former manager Paulo Bento, and Lee Young-jae, who played as a key midfielder for Suwon FC.

However, from the first game, they encountered bad news, with Hernández and Kim Tae-hwan leaving the field midway through injuries.

Coach Petrescu said, “It seems like Hernández got hurt while trying to shoot a mid-range shot.

“It seems unclear whether he will play in the second game,” he said.

“It seems that Kim Tae-hwan’s accumulated fatigue from playing several games for the national team affected his injury.”

Although coach Petrescu was unable to smile due to the injury, he won against Pohang. pointed out that it was encouraging.

With this victory, Jeonbuk succeeded in avenging itself against Pohang, who suffered in each meeting with 1 draw and 4 losses last season. Pohang

and Jeonbuk also faced each other in the FA Cup final in December last year, and Pohang won 4-2.

Coach Petrescu said, “I am satisfied because I was able to bring happiness to the fans and players,” and added, “It is also a good result in terms of team morale.

We never beat Pohang last year, but it's good that we showed a difference from last year, he said.

He added, "We have a lot of capable players, and I want to unite them at the team level."