[BE.REPORT] Lee Myung-jae, Awkward at the ACLE Qualification Party: "I don't know why we should be celebrating." "Now we gotta make this the standard."

https://m.sports.naver.com/kfootball/article/343/0000138706

(Best Eleven = Hong Eundong) Daejeon Hana Citizen qualifying for the 2026-2027 AFC Champions League Elite is a landmark achievement in the club's history. However, for Daejeon's veteran left-back, Lee Myung-jae, it was a somewhat unfamiliar sight. Why did Lee Myung-jae say, "I don't know why we should be celebrating"? Lee Myung-jae was selected as the K League 1 Best Eleven left-back at the 2025 Hana Bank K League Awards held on the 1st at the Swiss Grand Hotel in Hong Eun-dong, Seoul. Lee Myung-jae, who joined Daejeon Hana after being released as a free agent (FA) from Birmingham City last summer, shared his honest feelings about his adjustment process in Daejeon and the ACLE qualification secured this season. Looking back at his immediate transfer to Daejeon, Lee Myung-jae said, "The first five games were a little difficult." He continued, "We ran more than we did back in my Ulsan HD days, and the team focused more on direct vertical play rather than possession, so I constantly kept that difference in mind while playing," explaining his adjustment over the past six months. Lee Myung-jae also stated, "Personally, I had other options, but Coach Hwang Sun-hong and the coaching staff showed direct faith in me, which built my trust," revealing that the coaching staff was the reason he decided to move to Daejeon.

AI Translated Image

For Daejeon Hana Citizen, the AFC Champions League qualification is an opportunity to elevate the club's status and a long-cherished goal of the parent company, Hana Financial Group. For the fans, who are finally returning to the AFC Champions League stage for the first time in 23 years since the Daejeon Citizen days in 2003, this achievement was the fruit of long waiting. However, Lee Myung-jae's reaction was somewhat different. Lee Myung-jae said, "Personally, I didn't really feel the weight of it, because I participated in the AFC Champions League almost every year during my time at Ulsan HD." He added a jokingly anecdote: "The club and the other players were genuinely ecstatic, but [Joo] Min-kyu hyung and [Im] Jong-eun also laughed and said, 'Are we supposed to be happy about this?'" Nevertheless, Lee Myung-jae made it clear that this achievement should be made the 'obvious standard,' not a 'special joy.' Lee Myung-jae stressed, "Even when we finished runner-up, everyone was happy, but I personally wondered, 'Is this really a satisfactory result?'" He emphasized, "Now, Daejeon must become a team that takes this kind of situation for granted." Of course, he also pointed out that there are clear tasks ahead. Lee Myung-jae stated, "We absolutely must not draw games we can win," and "When we are ahead in the standings, we must not allow any team to get higher points than us." He continued, "We had too many games where we were winning but ended up drawing. If we fix just that part, we can definitely achieve good results, just like in the second half of the season." Finally, Lee Myung-jae expressed gratitude to the Daejeon fans who supported them throughout the season. Lee Myung-jae said, "They are extremely passionate, and when the team is struggling, they cheer us on saying, 'It's okay,' and 'Try harder.'" He concluded, "We were able to achieve this success thanks to the fans who continuously created a passionate cheering atmosphere even in times of crisis.