Gwangju FC’s Victory and Hopes for 2023: Interview with Ahn Young-kyu

2022 couldn’t have been a better comeback for Gwangju FC, one of the two professional sports club in this city of 1.5 million. Its winning in K League 2, putting it back to K League 1 next year, gives hope to the football (soccer) club that has been having an up-and-down history in its involvement in the Korea Football League.

Formed in 2010, it first participated in the K League (Korea Football League) in 2011 (to those who had lived in the city earlier than 2010, Gwangju’s very first football club was Gwangju Sangmu FC, founded in 2002 and later disbanded in 2010). Gwangju FC’s very start in K League was weak. Although it won its first match against Daegu FC in March 2011, at the end of the season it was in 11th place. It was first relegated to Division 2 of K League (K League 2) in 2013. It made a comeback to K League 1 in 2015 but was again relegated to K League 2 in 2018. It may not be the strongest team in the league, but the appointment of a new manager, Lee Jeong-hyo, who previously was the head coach of Jeju United, gave the club a new breath of hope.

Lee Jeong-hyo was named the club’s seventh manager and has a big responsibility of making sure that the team is back on track to winning ways and no longer ranked at the bottom of the league. His mission to bring pride back to the team as well as to the give the team a boost of confidence is essential.

His decision to appoint Ahn Young-kyu, a veteran athlete, to be the team captain and to lead the team, was also thought of as one of the contributing factors to the team’s success this year. Ahn started his professional football career in 2011, Participating in the China Universiade on the Korean national team before entering the Samsung Bluewings in 2012. We are fortunate to meet with Ahn and to get to know more about the Gwangju FC through the following interview.

Gwangju News (GN): Thank you so much for accepting our proposal for this interview. It is an honor for us to meet with you. Please accept our warmest congratulations for your team’s winning on the K League 2 title and returning to K League 1 next year!

Coach Lee Jeong-hyo’s “New Wind Soccer” (새바람 축구) and the teamwork of the “Gwangtan Boys” (광탄소년단), who displayed their “win-and-rise” (우승과 승격) spirit, seem to be the reasons for Gwangju FC’s great season. Could you please tell us more about this, and for our international readers, the origin of the Gwangtan Boys’ unique name?

Ahn Young-kyu: We worked really hard this year with manager Lee Jung-ho and all the coaches. So, instead of using the title “Gwangtan Boys,” all our players, manager, and coaches, we all came together to train, prepare and do everything. We prepared while looking forward to the promotion of the team (to K League 1), so I think we have prepared a foothold for us to win and return to K League 1 immediately.

And I honestly don’t know exactly what the word “Gwangtan Boys” means, but maybe before I came, “Gwangtan Boys” didn’t refer to all the Gwangju FC players, but there is a youth team in Gwangju FC. It is operated by alumni of Gwangju Kumho High School, and I think the name was created based on the people who graduated from the high school and who are on the youth team. But I am also from Kumho High School, and I am the oldest among the players from the high school who are affiliated with Gwangju FC. People are saying that I’m leading the Gwangtan Boys, so the name “Gwangtan Boys” is probably based on the players from Gwangju Kumho High School and those on the Gwangju FC Youth Team.

GN: What do you think is the Gwangju FC’s greatest strength?

Ahn Young-kyu: I think that each player on Gwangju FC is exceptional. It’s not a team where only one player is greater than others, but everyone is considered equal. We are one team. Everyone on the team becomes one; we play as a whole, and we prepare for our games as one. I think that’s our biggest weapon. Our strength is that we are one.

GN: What do you think was the biggest challenge that the team faced this season, and how did you all overcome it?

Ahn Young-kyu: I remember that when we played the opening game at home this season, we lost 2–1 to Gimpo FC. I felt defeated and worried that we might have a hard time performing for the rest of the season. Personally, I think that was the most difficult time. But we reviewed what we were lacking in, and we reminded ourselves why we play. And after that, I think we became a completely different team from that first game. Since then, we’ve been getting good results and putting on a good performance.

GN: What was the team’s most unforgettable moment of this season?

Ahn Young-kyu: I don’t think there was one particular episode. But when we won [the K League 2 title], we felt that we had a great season, we tied Chungnam Asan FC 0–0 in our last [away] game. I don’t think that was our best performance. So, the manager scolded us, asking whether or not we were a winning team, because I think we should have won the game. We should have ended the season happily, but we couldn’t, so it was a pity.

GN: What is the team’s goal for next year?

Ahn Young-kyu: We have been promoted from the second division, so we are in the position of challenger in a way, but we have the mindset that we can do well. I think the goal for Gwangju FC is to show a better side next year, and try to get into the upper split in the rankings and play in the ACL (AFC Champion League).

GN: So far, our questions have been about Gwangju FC, but we would like to know more about Ahn Young-kyu as an individual. First of all, congratulations on being named MVP of K League 2 for this season! Could you introduce yourself briefly to our readers?

AhnYoung-kyu: I was born on December 4, 1989, and I am originally from Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do. I stayed in Jeollanam-do through high school, and then I went to Ulsan University. My first professional team was Suwon Samsung Bluewings. After all these years playing as a professional athlete, I was chosen as an MVP and also received the biggest award, the Best Eleven award. I felt like this year was the year that has given me the most joy during my professional sports career. I also got married two years ago, and live a very happy married life.

GN: When did you first start playing soccer?

Ahn Young-kyu: I officially started playing soccer when I was in third grade at Gwangyang Jecheolnam Elementary School. After that, I went to Jangheung Middle School, Kumho High School and Ulsan University. In 2012, I joined the Suwon Samsung Bluewings as their top draft pick.

GN: You played for Gwangju FC between 2015 and 2018, and then moved to Asan FC and Seongnam FC before returning to Gwangju FC this year. How do you think Gwangju FC has changed over the years?

Ahn Young-kyu: The biggest change is that we didn’t have our own clubhouse and lodging in 2015, so we trained at Mokpo Soccer Center at that time. We trained and lived there, so it is funny that we played our home games in Gwangju. For each home game, we had to ride the bus from Mokpo, which can take about 40 minutes to 1 hour each way. When I look back now, I think that was the biggest change because we now have our own lodging and training ground in Gwangju. Also, previously we played at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium, and now we play in a dedicated football stadium, which once was the auxiliary stadium. We can use that ground now, so I think that is the biggest change.

GN: What is the difference between playing at the World Cup Stadium (which was used until 2020) and the current Gwangju Football Stadium?

Ahn Young-kyu: The Gwangju World Cup Stadium has a track around it. That created a gap between the spectators and the players, so we both felt far from each other. Also, when we were playing at the World Cup Stadium, you couldn’t really hear what the players were saying, as they were so far away from the stands. Now at our dedicated football stadium, the distance between the spectator’s seats and the field is quite small, so the spectators can see the game more up close. It will be more fun to watch the game that way, since you will also be able to see how we communicate with each other.

GN: You were chosen team captain by coach Lee Jeong-hyo this year. Could you share with us your biggest challenge as captain as well as your role as a defender for the team?

Ahn Young-kyu: I think he thought I was the best person to convey his thoughts and lead the team well, so he entrusted me with the title. Being the go-between, I need to make sure that I fill the role well by communicating the team’s opinions and the opinions of the manager and coaches well. I have to unite everyone so that the team can go forward together with a single vision.

GN: Who is your role model or your inspiration in life?

Ahn Young-kyu: I didn’t think much about it, but I think I’ve been learning a lot from manager Lee Jeong-hyo. Reflecting on the coach’s thoughts on soccer and what he does with the people around him, I spent the year thinking that I have a lot to learn. I’m thinking that I can learn a lot from him while working with him. I am thinking of be like him when I retire from playing. I feel like I wanted to do as he does.

GN: How about your childhood, did you have any favorite soccer player back then?

Ahn Young-kyu: When I was young, I looked up to the national team players or professional players. I felt that I was like Hong Myung-bo  (currently manager of Ulsan Hyundai FC). I thought that he was cool and I looked up to him.

GN: What do you do in your free time?

Ahn Young-kyu: During the season, we usually have a day or two break every week. So usually during this time, my wife and I go out to a café, eat many delicious foods, or visit new places. This is because while training, I follow the same routine day after day. So, on my off days, I try to spend more time with her and do fun things with her.

GN: Do you have any message for our readers?

Ahn Young-kyu: To be honest, I think there are a lot of people who don’t know about Gwangju FC. And they might not know that there is a player called Ahn Young-kyu on Gwangju FC team. I hope people will have more interest in the team now that we have played so well this year. Next year, now that we have returned to K League 1, we promise to always give our best performance, so please get to know more about us, about our club, show a lot of interest, and please come to the stadium more often to support us!

GN: Thank you very much, and we wish you and Gwangju FC the best of luck for next season!

Interviewed by Karina Prananto.

Photographs courtesy of Gwangju FC.