"Shooting Star 2" coach Choi Yong-soo spoke about the hardships of leading FC Shooting Star.
Coach Choi Yong-soo met with reporters at a cafe in Palpan-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, on the 17th and conducted an interview about Coupang Play variety show "Shooting Star 2."
The Coupang Play variety program "Shooting Star" is Korea's only full-time growth soccer variety show in which retired legend players, together with Director General Park Ji-sung and coach Choi Yong-soo, challenge active K League players. The sight of retired legend players banding together to face K4 League teams was an unscripted drama and delivered deep emotion. This was proved by 3 million cumulative views on shorts and reels.
In the history of Korean soccer forwards, one cannot omit "the Eagle" coach Choi Yong-soo. Having passed through LG Cheetahs, JEF United Ichihara, Júbilo Iwata and FC Seoul, coach Choi Yong-soo played 69 matches for the national soccer team and scored 27 goals. Later, leading FC Seoul, Changshu Suning and Gangwon FC, coach Choi Yong-soo won the 2012 K League championship (FC Seoul) and the 2015 FA Cup (FC Seoul), and received honors including 2012 K League Manager of the Year, 2013 AFC Manager of the Year and 2015 FA Cup Manager Award.
Since last year, declaring himself a "woke leader," he took charge of FC Shooting Star on "Shooting Star." In season 1, in the Legend League that faced K4 League teams, coach Choi Yong-soo led the team to promotion with a record of four wins, two draws and two losses, and in season 2, for which he again took charge, they are competing in the Legend League against K3 League teams. As of the 17th, five matches have been released, and the record is two draws and three losses, placing them at the bottom.
No matter how "woke" a leader is, if the team allows a comeback defeat and fails to show performance, he cannot help but get furious. Nevertheless, coach Choi Yong-soo did not show emotional behavior while enduring two draws and three losses this season.
Coach Choi Yong-soo said, "When results are poor, a coach's mind becomes impatient and hurried words and actions are conveyed without realizing it. At such times you must be even more careful and not blame the players. I approach them saying, 'We have been playing well; we were just unlucky,' and 'Let's talk about what went wrong.' As a woke leader, there were times I wanted to get angry. A leader is never satisfied, and even if we win it feels insufficient. So even if I wanted to get angry, I thought overturning the words and promises I made in season 1 would take a long time to repair my image. I waited with the mindset of trusting and being patient, and things gradually improved."
Producer Jo Hyo-jin, who watched closely beside him, said behind the scenes, "During the round 3 away game in Gangneung I thought something was about to happen. We finished the first half 1-0, but in the second half performance fell off and we conceded a comeback and lost. I thought there might be a big problem in the locker room today, but I could see him holding back. He controlled that anger and showed that he had trust."
Coach Choi Yong-soo recalled, "At that time I was really on the verge of exploding. But it was early in the season, and because there were games left, it was rather better that our shortcomings appeared early. And because there was no guarantee that me exploding would make things better, I held back and had a calm talk."
Reviewing "Shooting Star" season 2, coach Choi Yong-soo said, "Although the players are relatively more capable, if we had prepared more I think we might have achieved half the results. There were injury issues and absences from training due to their primary jobs that were regrettable." Producer Jo Hyo-jin added, "Unlike professional players, many have primary jobs and were inevitably absent at times. But we were grateful they participated because everyone has passion for soccer and affection for the team."
Having solidified his image as a "woke leader" through various pro league teams and FC Shooting Star, coach Choi Yong-soo said, "Fans' standards have risen, so I want to play good soccer. I must bring results to the team, but what's truly important is showing a horizontal relationship where neither I nor the players are stressed and we can coexist. 'Big brother leadership' is very good when a player approaches the coach comfortably and the coach gives orders comfortably, and the sight of us putting our heads together and worrying together is another kind of joy," explaining the image he wants to show as a coach going forward.
Meanwhile, Coupang Play's "Shooting Star" season 2 releases new episodes every Friday at 8 p.m.
[OSEN]