“I was quite impressed with the Korean team’s performance. We found key players who can make a difference.”
René Peter, head coach of Belgian side RSC Anderlecht, has heaped praise on the K League Youth Team and Korean hopefuls.
Anderlecht defeated Japan’s Tokyo Verdi 1-0 in the final of the K League International Youth Cup Incheon 2023 at the Incheon Football Stadium on September 9 to win the inaugural title. Despite reaching the top, the team admitted it wasn’t easy. Anderlecht faced five Asian teams in the group stages, including the final, and were impressed with the quality of the K League youth teams.
“I’ve participated in youth international tournaments before, but I didn’t expect such strong teams in this tournament. We met teams from Korea, Japan, and Thailand, and I was surprised that they were stronger than I expected. We won, but it wasn’t easy.” “I saw the potential of Asian teams. Some of them had the strength and skills to play at a high level, even on the world stage. We played against Incheon United and Pohang Steelers, and I saw some very good players. I think the potential is high, and I was very impressed with the performance of the Korean teams. I saw key players who can make a difference. It will be an interesting development for the Korean team.”
Anderlecht finished first in Group A of the tournament with three wins and two draws (11 points). They were joined by Pohang Steelers, Jeonbuk Hyundai, Incheon United, Chonburi FC (Thailand), and Valencia (Spain). Pohang finished second in the group (6 points) and battled Anderlecht for the lead until the very end, while Incheon played an evenly matched game against Anderlecht and drew 0-0.
“The team that impressed me the most was Incheon’s youth team. They really tried to win, but only managed a draw,” said Peter. “The level of the Korean team has risen to the point where I can’t evaluate it,” he said.
Peter also had high praise for the K League Youth Cup, which was organized for the first time by a professional football organization. “The quality of the tournament was very good. I was very satisfied. I slept well in the hotel, and the food was good. I also liked the way the organizers prepared the tournament,” he said. “I would like to see Anderlecht take part next time. In fact, some players couldn’t come because they were in the national team. 카지노사이트 Next time I will bring all the top youth players. I think I had a good experience, and I hope they will invite me again. It was a quality tournament, and I got a good impression of Korea, so I would definitely come back.”