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| Source=Borussia Mönchengladbach SNS |
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Jens Kastrov (Borussia Mönchengladbach), who dreams of becoming the first naturalized national team player in Korean soccer history, is aiming to make his Bundesliga debut on the day of the announcement of the Hong Myung-bo list.
Midfielder and full-back Kastroff was named in the entry for the opening home game of the Bundesliga against Hamburg in the 2025-2026 season at Borussia Park in Glatbach, Germany, at 0:30 a.m. on the 24th (Korea time). Castrov, number 17, was included in the replacement list along with Japanese striker Machino Shuto and Indonesian naturalization center back Kevin Diggs.
Castrov, who moved from Nuremberg to Glatbach this summer and made his Glatbach debut by replacing Atlas Delmenhorst in the first round of the DFB Pokal on the 17th, is expected to play in the second half, although it will depend on the circumstances of the game.
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| Source=Jens Castrov SNS Capture |
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In the match against Atlas, he was replaced by Philippe Sander in the 38th minute of the second half and played for about seven minutes. Kastrov, a Cologne youth native who played for Nuremberg since 2022 after playing for Cologne, has played in the German second division for the past three seasons. In his fourth year as a professional, he was honored to play as a member of Germany's Bundesliga club, one of the top five European leagues.
On the same day, Sander will start as a central midfielder and work with Kevin Stueger and Rocco Reitz in the midfield.
Kastrov's move is attracting the attention of domestic soccer fans. Born to a Korean mother and a German father, Kastrov is seeking naturalization to wear the national flag. He was a promising player recognized in Germany enough to represent Germany by age, but as of the 11th, he changed his association from the German Football Association to the Korean Football Association.
FIFA stipulates that the reason for changing its association is to play for the national team. Kastroff left open the possibility of going to Korea, saying, `I have the German flag and the Korean flag.' Klinsmann and Hong Myung-bo observed the player in person one after another with Kastroff in mind as Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord)'s midfield partner.
It is reported that the Hamburg match Hong Myung-bo's coach team will be in-person at the scene. Coach Hong Myung-bo will announce the list of participants in the A-match in September at 10 a.m. on the 25th. There is an open possibility that Castrov will be selected as a surprise on this list. South Korea will play two straight A-match friendly matches against the U.S. and Mexico on Sept. 6 and 9, respectively, in the U.S.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
