On the 18th, we met striker Cho Kyu-seong (25), who emerged as the best star at the Qatar World Cup last year, at the clubhouse of Jeonbuk Hyundai in Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk-gun. He was preparing for a home game against Suwon FC on the 21st, his return from injury. Cho Kyu-seong, who was the K-League 1 top scorer last year, has only scored one goal (four games) this season. This is the aftermath of an injury sustained while playing for the national team in March.
Cho Kyu-seong said, “I had a pain in my calf two to three weeks before I went to the national team. At first he thought his muscles were tight, but after playing for the national team he felt something was wrong. As a result of a detailed diagnosis, his calf muscle was torn.”
With Cho Kyu-sung gone, Jeonbuk dropped to 8th place in the league, and manager Kim Sang-sik was sacked. Cho Kyu-seong said, “Recently, something bad happened, and I cannot say that I am not responsible. I just want to come back quickly for the team. I digested team training last week, and now I don’t feel sick at all and I’m completely back.” The muscles in his arms and thighs seemed to burst as he devoted himself to rehabilitation training.
Cho Kyu-seong became a star by scoring two goals with just a header in three minutes in the Qatar World Cup group stage match against Ghana last November. Even so, it was as calm as it was before the World Cup. When I asked, “Do you still watch the video of the game against Ghana these days?” he replied, “I don’t look for it. The past is the past, no longer clinging to it. I think it’s already over by then. I want you to look at me as I am now.”
Immediately after the World Cup, requests for broadcast appearances and advertisements rushed in, but he only filmed two entertainment programs (I Live Alone and You Quiz). Cho Kyu-seong said, “Rather than being greedy for broadcasting because I was so popular, I only appeared in two places where I could honestly talk about myself. He thought he should focus on preparing for the season rather than that.” However, the UNICEF campaign took the lead and even filmed a video. He said, “Actually, I was supporting UNICEF even before the World Cup. I thought that the future of children could change if we joined this campaign.”
His social media followers, which increased from 40,000 to 2.93 million during the World Cup, now stand at 2.54 million. Cho Kyu-seong said, “During the World Cup, I received a DM (direct message) from Uruguay’s Martin Cáceres that I wanted to exchange jerseys. After the match against Brazil, Neymar received a request through the team manager that he would like to change his uniform with number 9 (Cho Kyu-seong). I kept the shirt I exchanged with Neymar at home,” he laughed.토스카지노
Cho Kyu-sung received love calls last winter from Mainz, Cologne (Germany), Celtic (Scotland), and Minnesota (USA). He had a transfer fee of 3.7 to 6.2 billion won, but he remained in Jeonbuk. Cho Kyu-seong said, “There is no ‘1 (one)’ regret. During winter training, my physical condition was not 100%. He also thought, ‘If I had gone out in winter, I would have had a really hard time’. He decided that it would be better in the summer when the European team sets up a new edition.”
Although the heat is not as hot as right after the World Cup, local reports have recently appeared that Galatasaray (Turkiye), Rangers (Scotland), and West Bromwich (England) have put Cho Kyu-sung as candidates for recruitment. Although the score for issuing a work permit in the UK is a little short, it is said that the England Championship (Part 2) team, as well as Spain and Italy, are showing interest. Jeonbuk promised to send Cho Kyu-sung to Europe this summer. Agent Cho Kyu-seong also started moving, and the Jeonbuk club also wrote a power of attorney to the agent from Italy.
Previously, Jeonbuk Technical Director Park Ji-seong said, “It can be more helpful to go to a league below the top 5 European leagues first.” Park Ji-sung also went to Manchester United (England) via Eindhoven (Netherlands). Cho Kyu-seong also said, “I have the same idea. As I have no experience in Europe, I also want to build a foundation by starting with small and medium leagues. Of course, if a good opportunity comes in the top 5 leagues that everyone wants to play in, it is right to go. I heard that the surroundings (Park Ji-sung, agent) are working hard. Now that my body is back, I think good opportunities will come if I prepare while playing the game.”
He continued, “Some people say that I have a celebrity disease, but I’m still the same as before. I want to live honestly without being pretentious. I don’t care about the size of the three people. I think if I go abroad and do well, they will applaud me again. As I worked hard every day, a good opportunity came. Being famous doesn’t change anything.”
Cho Kyu-seong, who was called a ‘sick ostrich’ because of his skinny body during school days, once contemplated whether to give up soccer and take the civil service exam. ‘Middle Break (the important thing is the mind that does not break)’ is a keyword that explains his soccer life well. Cho Kyu-seong said, “When I was playing table tennis with his childhood friends, I thought, ‘If I do it all the way, I will win’. It’s in a similar vein to the phrase ‘don’t break it down’, but no matter what I do, if I go to the end, I, who has a strong desire to compete, won everything.”