World Cup hero Ahn bids teary farewell

Former national team striker Ahn Jung-hwan has always been a quiet man who displays little emotion.

On Tuesday, however, he was in tears as he announced his retirement from football.

“Sorry, I can’t help myself. I feel sad, because this is my last time to do this as a footballer,” Ahn said during his press conference in Seoul.

The 35-year-old striker hangs up his boots after having made 71 appearances and scored 17 goals for the national team, including three goals at the World Cup.

Ahn is still considered the most technically gifted Korean player. He is best remembered for scoring the extra-time goal in Korea’s 2-1 win over Italy, helping the country advance to the round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup.

Four years later, he again scored a winning goal to help Korea beat Togo in the group stage at the 2006 World Cup. Ahn was also a member of the 2010 World Cup squad.

“I feel lucky to have played in three World Cups, but I think it’s time to call it a day,” he said.

Ahn got emotional while reflecting on his 14 years as a professional footballer. He wiped tears from his eyes before saying: “It wasn’t an easy decision, but I think it was the right decision.”

Despite his successful stint with the national team, Ahn has had a lot of ups and downs in his club career.

He debuted in 1998 with the Busan Daewoo Royals in the K-League. After being crowned the league MVP in 1999, he was loaned to Italy’s Perugia from Busan, and thrived in the Europe’s top league until 2002.

But following his dramatic goal against Italy at the 2002 World Cup, the Italian club canceled his contract and expelled him from the league.

He had to spend three years in Japan before returning to Europe where he had short stints at French club Metz and German outfit Duisburg.

The striker returned to the K-League in 2007 after signing with the Suwon Samsung, and rejoined Busan the following year.

However, after spending rather unimpressive two seasons here, he moved to China and played for Dalian in the Chinese Super League until last year.

Out of contract since last November, Ahn spent some time wondering whether he would rejoin the K-League.

He admitted Tuesday that he could have played for Seongnam Ilhwa this season, noting that the Seongnam manager Shin Tae-yong had persuaded him to join the club until the last minute.

“I’ve thought hard about it over the past months, and although I still want to play football, I feel a lot of pressure as I am no longer able to my best,” he said.

The striker finally smiled before adding: “I know my mental state is still like in 2002, but my body is telling me it’s 2012.”

He said he believes his decision is best for his family, noting that he now wants to purse a new career as a businessman, helping his wife’s cosmetics business.

When asked about the possibility of becoming a football manager, he said: “I can’t think about it at the moment. I know how difficult the job is, and I think I’m not qualified for the job.”

“But as I received so much to come here, I need to make a contribution to the K-League. Although I won’t be playing anymore here, I’ll always remain a fan of Korean football,” he said.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)