U22 baton Lee Min-sung, coach of the national team by age, is my dream...I want to beat the London bronze medal by leading soccer
Jun 04, 2025
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Coach Lee said at an inauguration press conference held at the Interbulgo Hotel in Wonju, Gangwon-do at 2 p.m. on the 4th that the under-22 national team is an important age group that should advance to the senior national team in the future. He will participate in important international competitions such as the Asian Games and the Olympics. I think it is an infinite honor to lead such a national team. Already (as a coach) he participated in the 2018 Asian Games and won a gold medal. I also remember winning the 23-year-old Asian Cup. We will do our best to make good performances at the Nagoya-Aichi Asian Games and create a good situation for players to receive military service benefits and provide a bridgehead for players to advance to the A national team. While leading the team, I will do my best to help the 23-year-old national team players play happy soccer and the people watch happy soccer," he said.
Lee was appointed as the new coach of the vacant U-22 team on the 27th of last month. After about 20 days of comprehensive evaluation of candidates, the Korea Football Association's power reinforcement committee selected Lee, who stood out in various fields such as soccer philosophy, team operation plan, expertise and leadership in the U-23 age, and crisis management ability, as the top candidate. Coach Lee took the helm of the U-22 team with the approval of the association's board of directors' written resolution. Lee, a former national defender, started his leadership career as a playing coach at Yongin City Hall in 2010 after retiring from active duty and worked as a coach for various clubs such as Guangzhou Hengda (China), Gangwon, and Ulsan. He was appointed as the head coach of the U-23 national team in 2018 and contributed to winning the gold medal at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and the 2020 Asian U-23 Championship. From 2021 to May 2024, he served as Daejeon manager and led Daejeon to the promotion of the first division in 2022, and made significant achievements across national teams and clubs.
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The U-22 team was convened in Wonju on the 2nd to prepare for the match against Australia. Twenty-eight people were called, including Bae Joon-ho (Stoke City), Lee Hyun-joo (Hanover), Cho Jin-ho (Radnitsky), Lee Seung-joon (Korpakan), Yoon Jae-seok (Ulsan), Kang Sung-jin (Seoul), Lee Seung-won (Kimcheon), Kang Min-joon (Pohang), Park Chang-woo (Busan), and Lee Won-woo (Daegu). Lee Min-sung will prepare for the 2026 Asian U-23 Asian Cup qualifying round in Indonesia in September. It was organized in Group J, such as Indonesia, Laos, and Macau. A total of 16 teams, including 11 teams ranked first in 11 groups, the top four teams in the second place, and Saudi Arabia, the host country, will advance to the finals in January next year.
Regarding the management philosophy of the U-22 team, Lee said, `The combination of players is the most important thing. It is important to draw out and combine the strengths and potential of the players. When I briefly introduce my soccer, I value balance, teamwork, and speed. In it, he is planning to play a dynamic football in offense and defense that leads to a rapid transition of offense and defense. In Daejeon, three-backs and four-backs were mixed, but I don't think formation is that important. When the 23-year-old national team players form, it is important to play more leading soccer and play with the best combination with a fast and courageous leading concept. The most important part is fast pressure and transition. I plan to try to make that appearance when I go to the competition."
Then "Age doesn't matter. You have to keep skipping. The reason why young players are not selected now is that there is a competition under the age of 20. At the end of the tournament, national team players under the age of 17 will also be given a chance to board. We are preparing with a wider process. We are trying to select players with good performance and players with good performance. I have no intention of limiting myself to age." Lee Min-sung aims to win his fourth consecutive tournament at the 2026 Aichi and Nagoya Asian Games, which will be held in September next year, and tries to advance to the finals of the 2028 LA Olympics. Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, we must shake off the regret of failing to advance to the Olympic finals for the first time in 40 years. As for the specific goals, coach Lee emphasized that the Asian Games gold medal would give athletes military service and that he would advance to the finals of the Los Angeles Olympics to achieve a performance that exceeds the London bronze medal myth.
-How do you feel about taking office.
▶ The national team under the age of 22 is an important age group. He will participate in important international competitions such as the Asian Games and the Olympics. It is an important age group that can advance to the senior national team in the future. I think it's an infinite honor for me to lead a national team like this. He has already won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. I also remember winning the 23-year-old Asian Cup. We will do our best to make good performances at the Nagoya-Aichi Asian Games and create a good situation for players to receive military service benefits and prepare a bridgehead for the A national team. While leading the team, I will do my best to help the 23-year-old national team players play happy soccer and the people watch happy soccer.
-I experienced the 2018 Asian Games. We talked about know-how, but the U-22 national team always has a lot of variables. What do you focus on?
▶Compared to the last Asian Games, there was a 22-year rule at the time, but there were not many players. The trend is increasing by team. Right now, there are many players who are active as the main players in the team right now. I think it's an advantage. So far, when we classify 22 players, the physical strength of those players, that's a shame. I am thinking about how to improve the physical strength of the game. In 2018, I had time to spare in a situation where it was going extremely hard. Since we have no choice but to call up during the A-match period, I think we should continue monitoring and find a way to make up for it by continuing to provide training programs or such parts to each player and do so.
-Compared to the soccer style in Daejeon, it was a club then and now it is a national team. What kind of soccer does it stand for?
I experienced several teams while coaching ▶. The combination of players is the most important thing. It is important how much potential the players bring out and combine their strengths. To briefly introduce our soccer, we value balance, teamwork, and speed. In it, he envisions playing a dynamic football in offense and defense, which leads to a rapid transition of offense and defense. In Daejeon, three-backs and four-backs were mixed. I don't think formation is that important. The 23-year-old national team players are trying to play more leading football when they play a certain formation, and play with the best combination with a fast and courageous leading concept. The most important part is fast pressure and transition. I plan to try to make that appearance when I go to the competition.
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▶What I thought while talking with head coach Kim Hak-beom during the 2018 Asian Games was that if any of our players say they need a national team, representative Han Kueng-seon will come first. It's my job to make it fit. I think it's my role to communicate with coach Hong Myung-bo and produce a lot of such players. After the Asian Games in 2018, many A representatives were produced. It is important to send more players up.
-The reason why I chose the coach of the U-22 national team among many options is
▶When I was a player, I dreamed of playing in the national team. It was my dream to go to the World Cup. Now, what I dreamed of while coaching the Asian Games in 2018 after being a leader, I also dreamed of becoming a coach of the national team in the age group. No other option mattered. It was not financially necessary. I'm not a representative of A, but my dream was to coach the national team by age. It doesn't feel real yet. I think no matter how good the offer came before, I would have refused it all.
-I reunited with Bae Jun-ho, who has been with me in my team. Have you seen development?
▶I still feel that my talent is still indelible, and physically, I definitely felt better after entering the European stage. Touching and such areas are developing more. He advised that he should try harder because his performance in the team is not 100% coming out. Because of its potential, I think he is a player who will go to the higher leagues and lead the Republic of Korea if his team scores more goals and help.
-How do you analyze the factors that failed to advance to the Paris Olympics?
▶It's true to evaluate it, but if we talk about it personally, our Southeast Asian teams are growing a lot. In terms of technology, I think we have reached a level similar to that of Korea. The reason for the failure is that I think risk management is wrong when playing soccer that leads. If you take the lead and fail to score on the scoring chance, you lost a point because you couldn't manage the risk. The same goes for the European team. There is a part like that when you do it with the medicine team. If you pay attention to risk management and prepare, I'm going to prepare so that it doesn't happen again.
-Are you also considering selecting young players such as Yang Min-hyuk and Yoon Do-young who were born in 2006?
▶ Age doesn't matter. I think we should keep skipping meals. I think it's a competition. It's not because I was born in 2003, but the reason I didn't pick those players is because there's a 20-year-old world tournament, so I have to give them all. At the end of the tournament, we will see the overall player and compete, giving the 17-year-old a chance to get on board. We are preparing with a wider process. We are trying to select players with good performance and players with good performance. I have no intention of limiting myself to age.
-What's the wild card plan for the Asian Games?
▶I haven't thought about it yet. Players in this age group are different tomorrow and different next year. I will continue to observe it, and as I prepare for the necessary position in preparation for the Asian Cup in January, I will consult with the coach and observe it with the player to pick a wild card that suits it.
-I understand that he made a sincere PPT during the director candidate process. Is there anything we can reveal?
▶I want to emphasize balance, teamwork, and speed. The balance must be well-balanced to have against offense, defense, offense and defense. The team work needs to be right to improve the speed when converting offense and defense. I think I gave a PPT to Chairman Hyun Young-min on that point and gave him a high evaluation.
-This convocation was selected by the association rather than by hand.
▶You have to continuously select the players within the players here. When we call later, a new face will emerge. Overall, I checked on TV or something like that. You should also go to the field and check how the players train in their teams.
-Analysts say that the gap with Japan has widened at the age level. Do you have a plan to catch up with Japan?
▶When we watched the J-League, I think there is a real difference in the gap with Japan. When I watched the J-League game, I felt that the pressure speed was higher than ours. One thing we feel is that we need to work harder on the direction and aggression of the first touch. We also have an equal position, a lot of resources to go ahead. There is a leader who has that leadership. I think it will improve as soon as possible. Every leader is feeling it too. I think I can gradually narrow it down and get ahead.
-What do you want to check against Australia?
▶The part we will focus on is how much we understand and implement defensive conversion and counter pressing when the players' balls are taken away, and we have been training for two to four days. I'm going to closely check how fast I can move as a team.
-Which leader has had the biggest influence on football philosophy? Is there anything you talked about separately, director Kim Hak-beom?
▶ Is Director Kim Hak-beom on the phone?? Congratulations, go and do well, I think it's a difficult situation, but it's enough to do it. I hope you will do well in observation and produce good results." The leader who influenced was every leader. Coach Lee Jang-soo, coach Kim Hak-beom, Gwynesh, and Hiddink, I felt that I wanted to go this way. This is probably what all directors think, not our philosophy. It is important how to express it and implement it in the stadium. I think I was inspired by all the teachers.
-They will face Indonesia in the Asian Cup qualifying round in September.
▶ Indonesia brought coach Yeom Ki-hoon because he doesn't have to worry too much. I think Coach Yeom will do well. Overall, a lot of investment is made, and in the end, the representative of each alliance is the convocation period. In the absence of the 22-year-old rule, it was a lot of call-ups. Now, as the soccer market grows, we can only convene during the window because we have many 22-year-old players participating in many games. Southeast Asia has grown a lot, but I think it's only a matter of time how much you fit into the convocation period. Depending on whether we take a game model to a training session or game, we can sufficiently overwhelm the teams. From now on, the match came out. I don't think there will be much trouble if you analyze the team accurately and bring a game model with you.
-Goals
▶I want to win the Asian Games. When I was in Daejeon, I thought that I should raise it to K League 1, and Hana Bank Chairman Ham Young-joo gave a sponsor, so I was motivated to raise it. The Asian Games are a crossroads in soccer life. Even if my body breaks down for the sake of a player with motivation, military exemption is a dream and a wish. After that, coach Hong Myung-bo won the Olympic bronze medal, and I think it's my dream and wish to look beyond that.
-We have reduced the number of Olympic teams.
▶After the Asian Games, continuity should be discussed with the association. Since the 12 Olympic teams have been decided, I cannot go to the IOC and ask for a favor. It's my job to do it accordingly. As it has become difficult, I think I will be able to win the right to participate if I try harder.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
