South Korean midfielder Hwang In-beom has officially joined Serbian side Hrvena Zvezda.
The midfielder, who completed his national team campaign in September, donned the Zvezda jersey on Sept. 15 (KST). Hwang, who had previously signed a four-year contract and was assigned the number 66, visited his new team for the first time and held an induction ceremony.
Hwang In-bum will play in the Serbian league, which is a little unfamiliar to him. However, Zvezda made a significant investment to bring him to the club. The Serbian club paid a transfer fee of 5 million euros (about 7.3 billion won) to Olympiakos, which is a large amount for a Serbian club. It was the largest transfer fee in the club’s history.
Zvezda has significantly strengthened its squad for the Champions League. For the final puzzle, they chose Hwang In-bum. “He’s the best player we’ve signed in the last 30 years,” said Zvezda president Terzić. “He has been one of the best players in South Korea for many years,” said the club’s introduction. He came to Europe four years ago and plays as a central midfielder.”
Hwang In-beom was the first to speak. “I’m a little nervous in front of the press,” he said, “but I’m excited to play in front of the fantastic fans. I arrived in Belgrade last night and I think I’m going to love this city,” he laughed.
Hwang will be making his UEFA Champions League debut for Zvezda. Zvezda showed their confidence in Hwang, who has yet to make his debut, by immediately adding him to their Champions League roster. There will be a lot of interest in Korea to see how Hwang performs in the Champions League.
Zvezda were drawn in a tough group. They were drawn with defending champions Manchester City (England), RB Leipzig (Germany), and Young Boys (Switzerland). If Zvezda can show some flashes of brilliance in a team that has been underdogs in every game, they could turn heads.
Zvezda will host Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League on April 20. We can look forward to Hwang In-beom’s Champions League debut, as he has regained his form after his suspension from Klinsmann’s Lake.
“The Champions League is the reason I came here,” said Hwang. As a player, you want to play in the best competition in the world,” he said. “I’m happy to be able to play against a big club like Manchester City. I’m looking forward to it and won’t be afraid of anyone.”
To get to know Manchester City, Hwang asked his teammates Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers) for advice. “When I asked them about Manchester City, they said I should be ready to run non-stop for 90 minutes, which is something I can do well,” Hwang said. “You can’t just defend for 90 minutes. We need to score goals and win, whether it’s Manchester City or Leipzig. I’m ready to run like a dog to help the team,” he said, then smiled slightly.
Hwang’s position at Zvezda will not change. “I will do my best wherever the coach tells me to,” he said. “I haven’t talked to the coach yet. Instead, when I signed the contract, I was told the team’s style of play. They see me as a No. 8 player, and the link between defense and attack is my best position.”
Hwang came to Europe through Rubin Kazan in Russia. He was on the verge of making a significant impact when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced him to move on. He joined Olympiakos last summer after playing for FC Seoul under special rules.
Hwang dominated the Greek scene in his first year with the club. As a starting midfielder for Olympiakos, he scored three goals and provided four assists in 32 league appearances. In all competitions, he had five goals and four assists. The midfielder’s ability to link up perfectly in the midfield earned him the Olympiacos fans’ Player of the Year award.
Hwang In-beom was heavily linked with a move to Olympiacos. He pushed for a move this summer, but his contract with Olympiacos caused a conflict. Hwang In-bum’s camp claimed that he signed a 1+2 year contract, and that since he fulfilled the first year of the contract, he could be transferred this summer for 3 million euros (about 4.4 billion won). 카지노사이트
Olympiacos, on the other hand, argued that it was a three-year contract from the beginning and demanded €10 million (approximately KRW 14.5 billion). Hwang In-bum was unable to accept this and stood his ground strong enough to return to Korea. If he didn’t make the move this summer, he would likely not get any playing time at Olympiakos, so there was a lot of concern about his future.
Luckily, the situation was resolved in dramatic fashion when Zvezda decided to sign Hwang In-Bum in the final days of the transfer window. Zvezda is the most decorated club in Serbia, having won nine titles, and they also won the Champions League in 1990-91. This season, the club will be participating in the star-studded competition.