‘Soccer star + broadcaster’ Ahn Jung-hwan, why do you want to return to the soccer world?
“Ahn Jung-hwan didn’t suddenly come back to the soccer world. He kept thinking that he wouldn’t last forever as a broadcaster.”
An aide to ‘soccer star + broadcaster’ Ahn Jung-hwan (46) recently told a reporter this story. A handsome World Cup star and successful broadcaster, he will receive soccer coaching lessons in earnest from 2023. Ahn Jung-hwan passed the best P-level coaching course selected by the Korea Football Association in November. The P level is the highest course at the soccer leadership level, and you can sit on the bench in the K-League and the national team.
Why did Ahn Jung-hwan make this decision? He recently said that the World Cup in Qatar will be his last commentary. He also plans to reduce the number of broadcast programs he is appearing on, he says.
Ahn Jung-hwan had been away from the elite soccer stage for about 10 years after his retirement in 2011. In the meantime, he also did business with his wife Lee Hye-won, opened a soccer class, and expanded his footsteps to broadcast entertainment programs following broadcast soccer commentators. He enjoyed great popularity as a leader in entertainment programs such as ‘Youth FC’ and ‘Cold Together’. He was also rumored to be making billions of won a year. He said it is a large amount that is difficult to touch in the domestic soccer world.
One of his aides said, “Ahn Jung-hwan often said that his broadcasting job was not permanent. He wanted to continue taking leadership courses and teaching his juniors.” He saw that it was time to return for a future leader even if he gave up big income through future broadcast appearances.
Ahn Jung-hwan’s coaching class will be from March next year when the Korea Football Association’s new P-level license process starts. This course is conducted over approximately one year. A total of 4 rounds of collective training for 10 days or so are held at home and abroad. You will receive practical and theoretical training, presentations, tests, and evaluations from professional instructors. Upon completion of the course, there will be a graduation ceremony and a thesis written. After completing all these courses, you will receive a P-level certificate.
An official from the Korea Football Association said, “I don’t think Ahn Jung-hwan, whom I know, will immediately try to become the commander of a big team. He will likely take the steps to start as a coach under a manager who can lead him well like his predecessors.” It doesn’t matter if he’s on the K-League team, overseas league team, or national team. Prior to Ahn Jung-hwan, Ulsan Hyundai coach Hong Myung-bo, a hero in the semifinals of the World Cup, started as a coach in 2006 as the coach of the Korean national soccer World Cup team. He helped then coach Dick Advocaat, later coached under Pim Verbeck and Hiddink (while in Anzhi, Russia). Coach Hong started the command tower in 2009 by taking the helm of the U-20 national team. 토토
Ahn Jung-hwan is a ‘blue chip’ that Korean soccer has never used among the top 4 heroes. His commerciality grew further through his affair with broadcasting. In addition to ‘soccer player Ahn Jung-hwan’, he even added the wings of ‘popular broadcaster’. Of course, no one can guarantee that he will succeed in returning to football. However, Ahn Jung-hwan’s comeback in the soccer world will certainly have the effect of enriching Korean soccer, including the K-League and the national team.
An official from the Korea Professional Football Federation said, “It is very encouraging to see a star player like Ahn Jung-hwan achieve success on TV and return to the football world. I think the K-League clubs will want to work with each other.” A soccer person who knows Ahn Jung-hwan well said, “Ahn Jung-hwan has been away from the elite soccer world, but he has a sharp eye and knows how to handle people. As a leader, he can achieve as much success as a player and broadcaster.”
