For Koo Ja-cheol, this off-season is a new feeling. This is because it is the winter season to welcome back to Jeju last year after living abroad for 11 years. The same goes for his juniors. It is all the more so because it is a time when you can grow mentally while listening to the experience and advice of veterans.
Koo Ja-cheol has been sweating heavily in Chiang Mai, Thailand since the 5th. After meeting with Bonji after training on the 12th, he said, “It’s good to live with his teammates. While he was abroad, he spent time with foreign friends, but now he is with Korean players, so it is a precious time,” he laughed.
Jeju’s captain this season is Choi Young-joon. Koo Ja-cheol also helps him and holds the center of his juniors. He said, “The path that my juniors and I have to take is different. They are just starting, and I am finishing. If you feel that someone needs help, you solve it through conversation, and the relationship that breathes together is meaningful.”
This year marks the 16th year as a pro. Koo Ja-cheol talked about the mindset players should have during the training period. He said, “In fact, now is the time when the competition between each other is the fiercest. In a state where you don’t know who will play, everyone wants to do well and get good grades, but if you don’t have experience, you want to go out. But like a marathon, you have to go at your own pace. I think you can definitely reach (the goal) if you don’t rush to achieve your goal and prepare with time to spare.”
This is the stage in which the condition of the Guja Railway is slowly being raised. He briefly left Korea for about a month from November last year as a KBS commentator for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. He has to get himself in shape again. Koo Ja-cheol said, “It is right to go according to the order of things. In fact, the off-season in Korea is rather long, so I am not used to it.”
He made an ambitious comeback last season. However, he could not play many matches due to a hamstring injury. He appeared in 9 matches, recording 1 goal and 1 assist. Koo Ja-cheol said, “I’m not sorry. It was a really happy season for me. I was grateful that I was able to keep my promise to return to Korea and say hello to the fans,” he said, looking back.
The goal for the 2023 season was ‘steadiness’. Koo Ja-cheol said, “The most important thing is to not get injured and to breathe with the team throughout the season. He hoped that he would be able to participate in all games and spend precious time with the players. 메이저사이트