"We will achieve a good result against Sydney to comfort our fans."
Jeonbuk Hyundai will face Sydney FC (Australia) on the 6th at Yongin Mireu Stadium in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League.
On the day before the match, a press conference was held on the 5th, attended by head coach Gus Poyet and central defender Kim Ha-jun.
Poyet stated, "This is a really important match. Sydney plays an aggressive style of football. Since it will be a fierce match, we will prepare hard."
Poyet further explained, "It is certainly not a happy thing that the home stadium has changed. The condition of Jeonju World Cup Stadium is not significantly different from this place. However, we must do our best in the match."
Jeonbuk advanced to the quarterfinals without significant difficulties after defeating Port FC (Thailand) in the round of 16. Jeonbuk, aiming for redemption this season, sees the quarterfinal match against Sydney as important. Especially since it is taking place at a neutral venue, the determination for victory is even stronger.
In response to a question about potential difficulties for fans in attending the match due to the change of home stadium, he acknowledged, "It is true that this situation is really unfortunate. The fans must have been greatly disappointed." He added, "In order for the AFC Champions League to succeed in the future, we must consider the fans. If not, there is no reason to hold the tournament. While the decision to change stadiums is truly regrettable, we will play a good match."
Poyet, who is making efforts to settle in the K League, noted, "The K League is also working hard." He mentioned that Kim Ha-jun, who attended the press conference with him, is undoubtedly a player ready to compete. "Although he has not been given the opportunity, he is a player who is working very hard," he explained.
Regarding Sydney expressing concerns about their tall forward, Poyet said, "It is clear that we must contain Compagno. However, there will be no significant changes to our plan. Compagno is a player who excels in aerial duels, so the opponent will certainly focus on him. This will happen not only in tomorrow's match but in all matches. We need to find ways to distribute the focus on Compagno and also identify ways to utilize his strengths."
Meanwhile, regarding the tight schedule, he emphasized, "It is true that the schedule is challenging. However, I am considering various aspects regarding squad formation. For now, I will work hard to achieve the best result in tomorrow's match."
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