"Korean youth soccer only values physicality"... The Korean youth system seen by the Spanish coach in his third year in South Korea, "You should enjoy soccer."

"Korean youth soccer only values physicality"... The Korean youth system seen by the Spanish coach in his third year in South Korea, "You should enjoy soccer."

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In his third year in Korea, there is a special youth coach from Spain.

Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai) serves as an advisor, and the Korean youth team FC Potential, which is overseen by his brother, Lee Seung-joon, has a differentiated feature. It is that a coach from Spain guides the youth. Potential, which prefers Spanish soccer education, is continuing a very special education by recruiting a Spanish youth coach three years ago.

The main character is Pedro Manuel. Pedro has a Pro license from the UEFA Europa League. He also coached the youth at Valencia and Villarreal in Spain's La Liga.
At the stadium of Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, where Potential is being trained, Pedro showed passion throughout the training. He kept shouting "pressure," "dribble" and "shooting" in English, and encouraged the youth who were concentrating on training.

There was also a special scene. Communication between the Korean youth and the Spanish coach certainly had some difficulties. Pedro often gives detailed instructions in Spanish. Naturally, it is not easy for young players to understand.

Surprisingly, however, some players translate Pedro's instructions into Korean. They were trained early in Spain, and boast fluent Spanish even at an early age. According to sources, the players, who do not immediately understand Pedro's instructions, are reportedly learning Spanish voluntarily after their training sessions. This is the effect of killing two birds with one stone, which allows them to learn both soccer and Spanish at the same time.

When asked why he came to Korea after his passionate training, Pedro said, "Spain has too many coaches, from youth to professionals. Unlike Korea, there are so many people who do not go through athletes but immediately become leaders. That's why I came to Korea to gain better experience."

Then, what is the Spanish soccer that the Spanish coach is pursuing? "The most important thing is the ball. Tactics and technique are all important. But the ball is the most important thing. Spain has become friendly with the ball since childhood. And they should enjoy playing soccer," Pedro said.

Pedro, who has frequently learned about Korean youth education for three years after coming to Korea, said, "There are a lot of outstanding youth in Korea. However, I saw some leaders evaluate them based on their physical conditions. "Physical conditions are of course important. However, what matters more in Spain is the brain. Physical conditions are something that can develop with age. On the other hand, the brain must be developed from an early age," he said.

Pedro's remarks continued. "There are many players with special talents in Korea. However, I have often seen them lose ground in the competition to become a starting member due to lack of physical conditions. Some Korean leaders seem to prioritize physical conditions over talent," he said.

He also talked about Korean players' recent rush to Europe. Young Korean players such as Yang Min-hyuk (Tottenham Hotspur) and Yoon Do-young (Brighton and Hove Albion) were recognized for their talent and advanced to the Premier League early on, drawing attention.

In response, Pedro said, "It is right to go to Europe from an early age. We need to quickly adapt to the culture there, and talented players should experience European soccer in advance. It will be a great asset for us," and highly recommended promising players to play in Europe. 스포츠토토

Finally, when asked about Pedro's own goal, he said, "I'm sure everyone does, but the end goal is to become a professional team coach. But even now, I'm happy to do what I want," he said, concluding the interview.