[Sportschosun Kim Jun-seok] Lee Kyung-kyu could not hide his anger over South Korea national football team's failure to advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32.
Lee Kyung-kyu shared his feelings about the World Cup exit on his YouTube channel, "God Kyung-kyu," on the 28th.
He said he had watched the FIFA World Cup on site since 1994 and called this year "the worst of all." He added that it "started badly and ended badly."
He also expressed disappointment over how Son Heung-min was used.
Lee Kyung-kyu said, "At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, we reached the round of 16, and in 2018, we eased our disappointment by beating Germany." He added, "This time, people made a fuss without Son Heung-min, and then they did not even let him play. That makes no sense."
His frustration was also visible in his actions when the team's elimination was confirmed.
The production team had prepared a cake in hopes that South Korea would advance to the round of 32, but when the result ended in disappointment, Lee Kyung-kyu threw the cake on the floor in anger.
He said, "I cannot even curse. I am really furious. I feel like I am going crazy," and added, "Honestly, we were not good enough to reach the round of 32."
He also criticized head coach Hong Myung-bo and the Korea Football Association (KFA).
Lee Kyung-kyu said, "It makes no sense that we had to go through this again after what happened in 2014." He added, "This mess started when Klinsmann came in."
He continued, "If a bowl breaks, even if you glue it back together, it still has cracks. You have to get rid of the bowl itself." He strongly criticized the situation, saying, "We should have uprooted it back then, but because it was not properly fixed and just left as it was, this is what happened in the end."
He also mentioned the 2030 FIFA World Cup and shared his hope for Son Heung-min. He said, "I hope Son Heung-min does not retire," and added, "The coach will change, right? What if they try again? I would lose my mind."
He ended his anger with his trademark humor. Lee Kyung-kyu said, "I guess I should challenge for the Korea Football Association president position and build a team." He added, "I should meet Lee Yoon-seok and tell him to find some people for my run for KFA president. Maybe I should put Sukeun and Kang Ho-dong at the front and run in the KFA election."
Meanwhile, South Korea finished the group stage with one win and two losses in Group A and had hoped for a third-place wild-card spot, but advancement to the round of 32 was denied depending on results in other groups.
As the team settled for a disappointing 34th-place finish, criticism of the KFA and the management of the national team is growing stronger.
narusi@sportschosun.com
