"Bull" Hwang Hee-chan (30, Schalke 04) — can he win back fans' hearts again? The gaze toward him, who was recalled to Moreno's squad, remains chilly.
Robert Moreno, interim coach leading the Korea national soccer team, held a press conference at Cheonan Korea Football Park on the 29th and announced the squad list for the two away A matches in November, the team's final schedule of 2026. Korea will face Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Doha on Nov. 13 and 17.
Unlike the four consecutive A matches in Sept. and Oct., when Moreno called up 30 players, he picked 26. Compared with the previous call-up list, there are considerable changes. Kim Ji-su (Brentford), Shin Min-ha (Gangwon), Lee Myung-jae (Daejeon), Son Jeong-beom (Seoul), Jung Woo-young (Union Berlin), and Eom Ji-seong (Swansea) joined the squad newly. In particular, midfielder Son Jeong-beom, born in 2007, and center back Shin Min-ha, born in 2005, were called up for the first time.
On the other hand, striker Cho Gyu-sung, active at Midtjylland, and FC Seoul midfielder Jung Seung-won, who received Moreno's call last month, as well as injured Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham), were regrettably left out. In addition, names such as Kim Min-su (Rangers), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Cho Wi-je, Kim Tae-hyun (both Jeonbuk), Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima), Kim Gun-hee (Incheon), and Gu Seong-yun (Seoul) disappeared from the list.
The hottest topic in this list was undoubtedly whether the '96 line' trio Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan would be selected. They were at the center of a retirement commotion after the Uzbekistan match on the 6th.
At the time, the three players were seen remaining on the field and taking commemorative photos. Hwang In-beom even shed tears. Moreover, reports emerged that Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan had hinted at joint retirement to some teammates, which amplified the fallout. It was reported that Hyun Young-min, chairman of the Korea Football Association's performance enhancement committee, held talks and persuaded them past midnight.
However, the rift does not seem to be fully healed yet. In particular, when Hwang Hee-chan was asked about the national team retirement rumors at the airport after, he left only a cryptic reply, saying "nothing has been decided yet."
Afterward, some alleged that the '96 line' were dissatisfied with captain Son Heung-min's leadership and that internal conflicts within the squad had peaked. Unconfirmed rumors added to the problem. The locker-room dispute theory was even mentioned at the parliamentary audit held on the 21st.
But Moreno selected the three born in 1996 and Son Heung-min. He repeatedly emphasized that internal matters could not be disclosed publicly and said he was resolving the issues through communication and dialogue. At the same time, he stressed that he called them up because he believed all players would devote themselves to the national team and the country.
Nevertheless, criticism toward the 96 line is not easily subsiding. On the Korea Football Association's social media post, comments mentioning only jersey numbers with remarks such as "didn't they say they would retire?" have received hundreds of likes, reflecting sharp reactions.
In particular, criticism has been raised over the selection of Hwang Hee-chan, whose position in the national team has been narrowing. Some fans left comments such as "why was Hwang Hee-chan called up?", "I don't know why he's selected", "did they pick him after watching his club games?", and "he's no longer at national team level."
In fact, it has been a long time since Hwang Hee-chan showed his prime performances for the national team. Moreover, he has failed to stop his club Schalke's slump and they are fighting in the relegation zone. If he fails to show the expected form this time, the next call-up will inevitably become more difficult. For the sake of winning back fans' hearts and for his future in the national team, it is time for Hwang Hee-chan to show bull-like play.
[OSEN]
