'Shooting Star 2' Lee Geun-ho mentioned players he would like to be with in season 3.
Lee Geun-ho met with reporters on the 17th at a cafe in Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and gave an interview about Coupang Play variety show 'Shooting Star 2'.
Coupang Play variety program 'Shooting Star' is Korea's only full-time growth soccer variety show in which retired legendary players, together with Park Ji-sung Director General and Choi Yong-soo as manager, challenge active K League players. The sight of retired legendary players banding together to face K4 League teams was an unscripted drama and delivered deep emotion. This was proven by 3 million accumulated views on shorts and reels.
Known as the 'Son of the Sun,' Lee Geun-ho played for Incheon United, Daegu FC, Ulsan Hyundai, Gamba Osaka and Gangwon FC. Responsible for the attack with 84 appearances and 19 goals for the national team, Lee Geun-ho served as president of the Korea Professional Footballers' Association after retiring and is currently serving as a director at the Korea Football Association, while also taking on commentary duties at Coupang Play.
Also active as a manager on 'The Kickers' (Gol Ddaerineun Geunyeodeul), Lee Geun-ho laced up his boots again by joining 'Shooting Star 2' outright. As of the 17th, ahead of episode 6's release, Lee Geun-ho has recorded two assists and is leading the attacking line alongside Park Ki-dong, Lee Jong-ho and Yeom Ki-hoon.
He has yet to claim his first victory, but there is an opportunity to rebound. With three games remaining, Lee Geun-ho is with the players at FC Shooting Star. He said, "After retiring, it's not easy to get many players together. Even just that part creates an atmosphere where you have to enjoy it. The most fun thing anywhere is old stories. You realize you lived in that world, you go into football, train, interact, and those things make for good times," he said.
What was manager Choi Yong-soo like after meeting him post-retirement? Receiving Choi Yong-soo's guidance for the first time, Lee Geun-ho said, "Before joining 'Shooting Star,' I was told a lot to be careful because people said Manager Choi Yong-soo is scary when he gets angry, but it was different from what I expected. When I actually came in, he was witty and good at reading the room. He applies pressure when players need it and then eases off, doing a good job of playing hard-to-get. Honestly, if we couldn't overcome that much, it would be understandable to overturn things, but you could see he pressed, showed trust and empowered us," showing firm trust.
Lee Geun-ho, who values 'Shooting Star' so much, sent love calls to his former teammates and players nearing retirement. He said, "I get a lot of contact from players. Kim Chang-soo and Kang Min-su, who were active in season 1, are also friends, and they are desperate. In midfield, players in good shape like Park Joo-ho or Baek Ji-hoon, and in attack, friends like Im Sang-hyub might be needed. And Kim Shin-wook, who recently announced his retirement and makes me shine, I hope he comes too. But I don't think I can contact players who haven't retired and tell them to retire quickly," he said.
Meanwhile, Coupang Play's 'Shooting Star' season 2 releases new episodes every Friday at 8 p.m.
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