Choi Won-kwon, the head coach of professional soccer\'s K League 1 Daegu FC, has revealed that he tried three times to stop striker Lee Geun-ho from retiring.
Lee, a 19-year veteran who began his professional career in 2004, announced on Nov. 16 that he would hang up his cleats after this season.
This was a disappointment for head coach Choi Won-kwon, who used Lee as the team\'s moral support and joker.
"I wanted to encourage him to retire, but I couldn\'t catch him three times," Choi said bitterly as he met with reporters before the media day for the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 Final Round at the Nine Tree Premier Locus Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Daegu FC head coach Choi Won-kwon looks on during the professional soccer \'Hana One Q K League 1 2023\' 10th round match between Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Daegu FC at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Paldal-gu, Suwon, South Korea, on April 30.
"At first, I told him that I really need you. The second time, I explained why I needed you. The third time, I changed my strategy. I appealed to the \'family\' aspect, saying that a newborn baby should see its father as a soccer player."
The third strategy came from Choi\'s own experience. "When I retired, my biggest regret was not being able to show my baby how to play soccer," Choi explains.
"In the third, (Lee) was shaky, so I thought he wouldn\'t retire, but then he asked for a fourth meeting, so I had no choice but to let him go," said Choi Won-kwon.
"It\'s unfortunate that Lee Geun-ho is leaving, but we will do our best to collaborate on good results in the remaining schedule."
"I will do my best for Daegu in the remaining matches, and I will leave with a ticket to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) next season," Lee said. 스포츠토토맨