Son Heung-min receiving questions from foreign media after the Bahrain match.
If one were to pick the most popular team for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, it would definitely be Korea. There are figures that cannot be seen in Asia, such as legendary coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who left a significant mark on world soccer history, Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), who are worthy of the title of 'world class'. It's not a strange reaction.
Korea's popularity could also be felt in the match against Bahrain, where it made its first appearance in the tournament. In particular, the foreign media's interest in Son Heung-min and Coach Klinsmann was great.
The Korean national soccer team, led by Coach Klinsmann, won 3-1 in the first match of the Asian Cup Group E against Bahrain held at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on the 15th (Korean time).
The game on this day was watched not only by Korean fans but also by fans from various nationalities, including Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Qatar. Most overseas fans cheer for Korea by wearing Tottenham or national team uniforms with Son Heung-min's name on them.
In addition, reporters from various countries, including Qatar, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Oman, also visited the stadium and watched Korea.
Coach Klinsmann of the Korean national team (right) and Juan Antonio Pizzi of the Bahrain national team greet each other before the match between Korea and Bahrain in Group E of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup held at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 15th (local time). We are sharing.
There are players who are considered the best in Europe, such as Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), but the media's attention was also on Son Heung-min.
Son Heung-min boasts top-level skills that make him the top scorer in the English Premier League (EPL), the most popular game in the world. He is a star representing Asia beyond Korea.
When Son Heung-min appeared in the mixed zone after the game, reporters from all over the world flocked to him. As about 30 reporters gathered, Son Heung-min, who was about to leave the stadium, stopped for a moment and agreed to an interview.
Son Heung-min said of the attention toward him, “It’s a good thing rather than a burden. It's fun as a player to get a lot of attention. “I especially like the fact that I can show my skills to many fans,” he said, accepting it skillfully.
Coach Klinsmann's popularity is no less popular than Son Heung-min. Coach Klinsmann, a legendary German striker who won the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Football Championship (Euro), drives reporters around.
Many reporters gathered at the Main Media Center (MMC), where the pre-game press conference was held, to watch Coach Klinsmann.
Foreign reporters who visited Korea's first game also showed great interest, approaching coach Klinsmann after the official press conference was over and asking to take pictures.
Along with Japan, Korea is considered the team with the highest probability of winning this tournament. However, foreign media outlets seem to rate Japan's odds as slightly higher. However, it seems that no team can match Korea in terms of 'popularity' and 'attention'. 19가이드03