Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo said, "Winning against Seoul... ACL Saudi Al-Hilal will be a big boost."

Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo said, "Winning against Seoul... ACL Saudi Al-Hilal will be a big boost."

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Gwangju FC, the only K-League team to reach the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE), filled its confidence with an "away victory" before heading out to Saudi Arabia.
Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo said at a press conference after the away match against Seoul in the K League 1 at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 19th, "It must have been difficult for the players in a difficult environment, but I'm really proud and want to praise them by bringing the victory. It will be a great help to go to Saudi Arabia and play."

On the day, Gwangju defeated Seoul 2-1 and jumped to the second place in the K League (16, with 16 points). Gwangju also enjoyed the joy of winning five consecutive games from September 2023 in the face-to-face match against Seoul.

In particular, Gwangju, which will depart on the 20th, provided an important opportunity to boost the atmosphere ahead of the ACLE quarterfinal clash with Saudi Arabia's "luxury corps" Al Hilal early on the 26th in Korean time. "There was no away victory this year, but I won my first victory before going to Saudi Arabia," coach Lee said.

When Kim Kyung-min and Asani were given warnings due to time delays at the end of the second half when Gwangju was continuing their unstable lead, Lee said, "I made them do it because I really wanted to win. The players probably didn't intend to do that. He was so motivated to win that day that he said, "You can curse me because I told you to do it."

"I got a lot of energy thanks to the fans and our players," he said, adding, "I want to share good energy with the players and give them a lot of energy."

Coach Lee Jung-hyo defines the upcoming ACLE event as an "opportunity" for a better future. "Players say they want to participate in the ACLE again. They have strong motivation to achieve this only when they win the championship," Lee said. "Players have begun to have different dreams based on their experiences with teams such as Japan, China and Johor from Malaysia. I want to elevate the players to a higher level and make them realize their dream of playing overseas."
Coach Lee then said, "I hope many people will be inspired and hopeful by watching our game called 'Underdog'. So I ask the players to 'just do it' with any team and try and challenge themselves with courage," adding, "If that experience accumulates, we will be able to grow." 안전놀이터

Midfielder Park Tae-joon, the winner of the final goal, did not hide his expectations for a showdown with Al-Hilal. "I'm excited. "The opposing players are very good players, but I don't think there's anything I can't do," he said, expressing confidence, "Even if I lack personal skills, I will be able to produce good results if I fight strongly as a team."

"I don't think about anything. I still have more than a month to go," he said. "I will analyze al-Hilal and focus on preparing for the event. I want to try and learn and feel it without any regrets."