"MY MUSCLES CAN'T HOLD UP." "FULL OF LAUGHTER." WHY KOO JA-CHEOL DECIDED TO RETIRE

"My muscles can't hold up." "Full of laughter." Why Koo Ja-cheol decided to retire

"My muscles can't hold up." "Full of laughter." Why Koo Ja-cheol decided to retire

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"I thought I couldn't do it."

Jeju SK held a press conference for Koo Ja-cheol (36)'s retirement and an appointment ceremony for Jeju SK FC Youth Advisor at 10:30 a.m. on the 14th at the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Koo Ja-cheol wore the Jeju uniform as the third pick in the 2007 K-League Rookie Draft. Since then, Koo has established himself as a leading star in Jeju and Korean soccer with rapid growth.

Koo kept his promise to his fans, who said, "If I come back to the K-League, I will only wear the Jeju uniform," 11 years ago when he went abroad ahead of the 2022 season. Although he couldn't play many games due to injuries after returning to Jeju, he always did his best, dedicating himself to the team.

Jeju did not forget Koo's dedication, and decided to stick with him after his retirement. The club confirmed his deep affection for Jeju once again, appointing him as youth advisor. Despite receiving several offers, Koo did not hesitate to accept this role for the development of Jeju's youth soccer.

As a youth advisor, Koo analyzes youth systems and training programs of soccer clubs that are stably operating in Europe and helps them apply them to Jeju clubs. He also actively utilizes European soccer networks to design training programs for Jeju youth players to gain experience abroad, and act as a link with overseas clubs. In addition, the team will support scouting, which is necessary for Jeju clubs to recruit foreign players from Europe.

Koo Ja-cheol said, "I have been preparing and thinking about retirement for many years. Even after retirement, let's not overlook my generation through the love I received for Korean soccer and the experiences I enjoyed. I prepared for many years because I was determined to play my role in Korean soccer."

He said, "Times are changing rapidly and generations are changing, but it's important how quickly they harmonize, but I learned about front office work by focusing on youth in Germany and going back and forth to Munich in Augsburg."

He said, "Fortunately, Jeju, which has improved and raised me, gave me a youth advisor position, so I have the idea of doing something with a knot without rushing."

Koo also talked about Ki Sung-yueng and Lee Chung-yong, "Best friends." He said, "Cheong-yong and Sung-yong are my friends who are very helpful to me. They are the first friends who contact me when something happens. There is a group chat room of three. They even take care of small issues. Talking about retirement, they said a lot that they were very disappointed and had a hard time. Thank you so much. I respected Sung-yong and Cheong-yong as same players, and I saw their strengths and tried to follow them a lot."

"They were great friends, players, and they were sincere. They loved Korean soccer. They were friends that I could correct when I listened to their stories even when I was on shaky ground. They have a lot of thoughts and talk a lot. They also love Korean soccer a lot. They are not short when they are bigger than me," he said.

Ki Sung-yueng and Lee Chung-yong will play in the 2025 season at FC Seoul and Ulsan HD, respectively. Is there a reason why they decided to retire earlier than them? "My muscles couldn't hold out. So did my knees and ankles. In the past, when I got injured in my muscles or joints while exercising, I thought that I should recover at this rest, but when I came to Korea, I couldn't get a feel for the recovery period," Koo said. "My body didn't help me."

He said, "I had a thought that I couldn't do it. It was repeated. In deciding to retire, I felt bitterly that I should take off my soccer shoes without regret. The time has come."

"It was my dream to retire from Jeju Island, where I discovered and raised myself after coming back to Korea. I still want to keep my retirement dream in my heart. I can't say it out loud yet," he said, adding that he will keep his last dream to himself without revealing it yet.

Asked what he wants to say to his retirement, he said, "I want to thank my dad for making me this far, rather than me. I got married early. I want to say thank you to my wife. She worked so hard." 메이저놀이터

"Especially when I had my first child in Germany and went to play for the national team, I was away once a month for 10 days. Thank you so much for raising my children in a foreign country and making me a happy family. Thank you to my sister-in-law for helping me," he said.

Lastly, "If you have a family, you will be like that. Men can eat anything and sleep anywhere. But when you have a family, you feel responsible. I am so grateful to my family. I am so grateful to my aunt who raised me when I was young. I am so grateful to my family that it doesn't matter if they don't come to me. It is my family's strength that I was able to stand here."

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