Hwang Eui-jo returned to the domestic stage. He wore the FC Seoul jersey with a 6-month short-term loan clause. It has been six years since leaving the K-League in 2017. Hwang Ui-jo, who debuted in Seongnam in the 2013 season, played 140 games until the 2017 season, scoring 35 goals and 8 assists.

Hwang Eui-jo’s goal is to regain 메이저놀이터 his athleticism and challenge the European stage again. Ahead of this season, he left Girondins Bordeaux and transferred to Nottingham Forest and was re-loaned to Olympiacos, but his contract was terminated after six months due to poor performance. Even when he returned to Nottingham, he could not play due to the rules of the International Football Federation (FIFA) stating that he could not be registered for three teams in one season. He found a team where he could play for a comeback and took the hand of Seoul, which is commanded by coach Ahn Ik-soo of the ‘Geunsa’.

Seoul coach Ahn Ik-soo is the one who made Hwang Eui-jo debut on the professional stage. Hwang Eui-jo, who was playing for Yonsei University when he was Seongnam Ilhwa’s coach, was brought in as a priority. Although I haven’t been with Ahn for a long time, I know his strengths well. In an interview held ahead of the field training in Kagoshima on the 6th, he showed confidence, saying, “Uijo and I know each other well. I know what part Uijo needs,” and “I will perform better than expected.” 

Hwang Ui-jo has good memories with Eun-sa. Like coach Ahn, he met a turning point in his career as a player, showing good synergy with coach Kim Hak-beom, whom he had a relationship with during his Seongnam days. Head coach Kim Hak-beom selected Hwang Ui-jo ahead of the 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games, and Hwang Ui-jo scored 9 goals in 7 games, winning the team and winning the tournament scorer. His performance in the tournament led to his advance to Europe, and Hwang Ui-jo reached the pinnacle of his career, earning a starting spot for the Korean national team.

Now, with coach Ahn, we are aiming for the second turning point. The location is different from 2018, but the work to do is not much different. You just have to prove it with your skills and break everyone’s doubts. I am already making up my mind. Hwang Eui-jo also expressed his determination ahead of his field training, saying, “I will play for six months with the mindset of a rookie.” Like 2018, 2023 is expected to be the most important year in Hwang’s football life.