New Book Summarizing 30 Years of Life as a Footballer
Unfiltered Reflections on Challenges as Football Association President
Jung Mong-gyu, chairman of the Korea Football Association and HDC Group, is publishing a book titled The Era of Football, which summarizes his 30 years of activities related to football. On the 24th, the publisher Brainstore announced the release of The Era of Football, the first official comment addressing misunderstandings and controversies surrounding Chairman Jung. This book does not respond to recent questions but rather organizes the 30 years of Jung’s life as a football person.
In this book, Chairman Jung shares reflections on his childhood love for sports, his career starting at Hyundai Motor Company in 1988, his connection with football, and his management activities from Hyundai Motor Company to Hyundai Development Company and HDC Group. He discusses the concerns and decisions he faced as both a manager and a football person. In particular, he reveals without filter how he applied insights gained from managing Hyundai Motor Company and HDC Group to football, and what he saw, heard, and felt during moments of challenge and contemplation as a club owner, president of the Korea Professional Football League, and chairman of the Korea Football Association. Additionally, readers can see how the understanding and insights gained from football were applied to corporate management.
Chairman Jung, as a businessman and chairman of the Korea Football Association, is said to have written the 30-year history of Korean football with the heart of a historian, hoping that all who love football will gain various insights along with the development of Korean football. The book records important moments in football history and his views on them, including the K League match-fixing scandal, the launch of the promotion and relegation system, the pardon controversy, and controversies surrounding national team coaches such as J?rgen Klinsmann.
The book is divided into three main parts. Part 1, Jung Mong-gyu’s Yesterday, covers his connection with football and the background of his candidacy for the Korea Football Association chairman election. Part 2, Jung Mong-gyu’s Today, deals with records related to the World Cup and controversies surrounding the football association. The final part, Part 3, Jung Mong-gyu’s Vision, contains various proposals for the future of Korean football. Chairman Jung said, “I hope this football story, which faithfully reflects my 30 years in football, will serve as a good marker for those who will work hard for the future of Korean football,” adding, “I want to share the experiences, wisdom, and insights I gained through football with readers who love the sport.”
'Brainstore' announced that it will publish "The Era of Soccer," the first official comment addressing the misunderstandings and controversies surrounding Chairman Jeong. This book does not answer the recent various questions but summarizes Chairman Jeong's 30 years of life as a soccer person. [Photo by Brainstore]
Meanwhile, Chairman Jung is facing public pressure to resign due to controversies such as the large penalty payment following the dismissal of former coach Klinsmann, the failure to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics under an interim coaching system, and the backlash after appointing Ulsan HD’s coach Hong Myung-bo as the new national team coach after six months of efforts. Netizens have reacted to the publication with comments like “This is nothing but a comedy,” “It’s not the era of football but the lost era of Korean football,” “Is this a collection of the Korea Football Association’s dark history?” and “Is there a lack of empathy?”
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