The captains of all 12 K-League 1 teams have been decided.
With the opening of the 2023 season K League 1 approaching, each team is improving their condition through the second field training. At the same time, all captain appointments were completed. With the captain at the center, the players are preparing for the upcoming season. There are three main concepts.
# Trust and entrust!
Five players took over the armband last season. Hong Jeong-ho (Jeonbuk Hyundai), who has been captain since the 2021 season, has been wearing the captain’s armband for three consecutive seasons. Hong Jeong-ho won the K-League 1 MVP for his outstanding performance in his first season, but suffered from injuries last year. This season, it seems that they will prepare for the season with extraordinary determination to regain the league championship.
Oh Ban-seok (Incheon United), Sejingya (Daegu FC), Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), and Ahn Young-gyu (Gwangju FC) also served as captain for the second consecutive year. Cesingya is the only foreign captain in the K League 1. He has been playing in Daegu since 2016 and has risen to the ranks of legends not only with his skills but also with his outstanding leadership. Sejingya promised, “I will try to show a better performance than last year.”
# Welcome~ Is this your first claim?
Team 5 entrusted the captaincy to a new player. Jeong Seung-hyeon (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Seung-dae (Pohang Steelers), Yoon Bit-garam (Suwon FC), Ki-je Lee (Suwon Samsung), and Joo Se-jong (Daejeon Hana) took on new captain armbands. Champion Ulsan selected Jeong Seung-hyeon as the successor to Lee Chung-yong. Jeong Seung-hyun joined the team after being discharged from military service in the middle of last season and became the captain in two years. Jeong Seung-hyun expressed his determination, saying, “I will challenge for three crowns this season.” 메이저놀이터
Unlike Kim Seung-dae, Lee Ki-je, and Joo Se-jong, Yun Bit-garam assumed the captaincy at the same time as the transfer. Yoon Bit-garam, who was sluggish last season with 3 goals and 2 assists in 15 league games at Jeju United, wore a Suwon FC uniform to make a leap forward. Director Kim Do-kyun asked Yoon Bit-garam to take responsibility and put on the captain’s armband for the first time since his professional debut.
# “Vice-captain, no, now captain”
Choi Young-joon (Jeju) and Lim Chang-woo (Gangwon FC) were promoted from last season’s vice-captain to captain this season. Youngjun Choi took over as vice-captain in the middle of the 2022 season. Jeju emphasized communication this season and formed a captain’s team with 6 members. The team is led by Koo Ja-cheol, Jeong-woon, Kim Oh-gyu, Ahn Hyun-beom, and Kim Dong-jun, along with Choi Young-joon, without a separate vice-captain. Lim Chang-woo also received good reviews during his vice-captain period. Kang Won explained the reason for his appointment as captain, saying, “Lim Chang-woo set an example on and off the field and contributed to the team.”
The weight of the captain on the team is quite large. Representing the players, you have to lead the team gently, sometimes strongly. Communication with the director is also essential. The role of the captain is absolutely necessary for the entire team to achieve one goal.
An official from a K-League club said, “The atmosphere of the team is influenced by the appearance of the captain. It affects not only the players, but also the coaching staff and other people in the club. This can lead to stress on the captain. Each team has a different style, but if the captain plays a good role, the synergy effect is great.”