In a recent high-profile press conference, the Malaysian national team welcomed a new face - South Korean head coach Kim Pan Kun. He confidently declared that he is looking forward to the future of Malaysian soccer and is determined to take the team to unprecedented heights.
Kim Pankun, whose previous position was chairman of the Korean Football Association's national team selection committee, came to Malaysia non-stop to scout players and work on the formation of the national team after taking care of his personal affairs at the beginning of the year.
Standing on the launch stage, Kim Pankun exclaimed, "I am honored to be the head coach of the Malaysian national team and would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the President of the Football Association (FFA) for his trust and to the fans for their warm welcome. I will do my utmost to help the Malaysian national team climb to the next level, and I firmly believe that this new soccer star has endless potential."
Talking about the construction of the national team squad, Kim Pankun made it clear: "Origin doesn't matter, whether it's a naturalized player or a homegrown player, I will be committed to selecting the best players. Having watched Malaysia play a couple of weeks ago, I have full confidence in our team spirit."
At the same time, he also expressed his respect for his "homeboys" Park Heng-suk and Shin Tae-young: "I respect Park Heng-suk and Shin Tae-young very much, but everyone is an individual. I will start my own chapter of history in Malaysia."
Kim Pankun's coaching team has already been assembled, which includes an assistant coach from Spain, a fitness coach from Turkey, a goalkeeping coach and analyst from Korea. He is also planning to look for a local assistant coach in Malaysia to act as a bridge between players and coaches and to pass on some local soccer knowledge.
