FC Seoul expects tough match from Japan side
The defending champion of Korea’s first-division football league will face a tough challenge from a Japanese rival in the upcoming continental club tournament, the Korean team’s head coach said Wednesday.Hwangbo Kwan, manager of FC Seoul, told the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Web site that his team’s biggest competition during the AFC Champions League group stage will come from Nagoya Grampus, the reigning Japanese champion.
“Nagoya will be our biggest threat in the group,” Hwangbo was quoted as saying on the Web site.
“They are the J-League champions and are the best in Japan.
They are a very strong side, and the match against them will be very important for us,” he added.
FC Seoul is paired with Nagoya, Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates and Hangzhou Greentown of China in Group F.
The AFC Champions League is the premier club competition in Asia.
This year’s tournament will kick off on March 1.
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, a team from the Korean football league, is the defending champion.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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