"I want to play in Europe"... "I want to go to a soccer advanced country" after the U-17 亞 Cup

"I want to play in Europe"... "I want to go to a soccer advanced country" after the U-17 亞 Cup

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North Korea's U-17 national team captain Kim Yu-jin expressed his desire to play in Europe.
Kim Yu-jin recently drew attention as he had a video interview with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). "We wanted to win. However, we deserve compliments for making it to the semifinals where we are qualified to the World Cup," Kim said after finishing the event.

North Korea made a splash by reaching the semi-finals at the "2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup." As the North lost to Uzbekistan in the semifinals and South Korea also lost to Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout in the semifinals, the much-anticipated "final match" was not held. The final match for third place will not be held.

Japanese media also showed interest in interviewing North Korean players. "I was surprised to see a North Korean player interviewing him. I usually just walk past talking to a North Korean player in the joint coverage area of an international competition," said Kim Myung-wook, a third-generation Korean football journalist in Japan. "The AFC video interview included the voices of North Korean players who say it is extremely difficult to interview."

"Honestly, North Korea did not receive as much attention as South Korea. However, their performance in the group league surprised the officials," he said.

North Korea tied Iran 1-1 in the group league and defeated Tajikistan 3-0. Then, it tied Oman 2-2 to advance to the quarterfinals. Then, it defeated Indonesia 6-0 in the quarterfinals. Kim Yu-jin, the core attacker, scored two goals and two assists.

Regarding his strengths, Kim said, "I can play the role of a striker because of my fast feet. Speed and physique are my strengths, but I need to improve shooting accuracy."
He expressed his desire to play in Europe. "I want to work harder and acquire various skills to be selected for the A-team," Kim said. "I want to play in the European professional league, an advanced soccer country someday."

"North Korean players are also watching the UEFA Champions League and the World Cup," Japanese media said. "For this reason, I am well aware of the information on European players," adding, "In the past, Han Kwang-sun also played for Serie A Cagliari and Juventus."

"North Korea is closed, but many young players dream of playing in Europe," he said. "Recruitment of North Korean players tends to be affected by international circumstances. However, there must be teams that want to recruit talented North Korean players." 토토사이트

North Korea won the U-17 FIFA World Cup qualification by performing at least the quarterfinals of the tournament. The media expected, "If Kim Yu-jin performs well in the U-17 Qatar World Cup in November, he could be a target for European team scouts."