Hyundai Capital announced the replacement of Choi Tae-woong at 6:15 p.m. on the 21st. Hyundai Capital said, “We have decided to replace the coach to renew the stagnant club atmosphere and provide an opportunity for a new turnaround,” adding, “I would like to thank Choi Tae-woong for his efforts and dedication to the team as a player and manager. I will support Choi Tae-woong’s new future.”
As of Tuesday, Hyundai Capital is ranking sixth in men’s category with four wins and 13 losses and 16 points. It was the runner-up team last season, but it struggled from the beginning of this season. The decline continued with one win and five losses in the first round (five points), one win and five losses in the second round (four points), and two wins and three losses in the third round (seven points). The team is also trailing KB Insurance, which is ranking seventh, by two points. 슬롯머신
Ahead of the halfway point of the season, Hyundai Capital decided to replace its coach, judging that it could not continue as it is. Hyundai Capital, which decided to spend the rest of the season by appointing Jin Soon-ki as its acting coach, said it would do its best to lay the groundwork for both the players and the club to make another leap forward so that they can meet fans’ expectations.
Choi, who had played for Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and Hyundai Capital during his active career, was appointed as a manager immediately after his retirement from the team in April 2015. Back then, he was 39 years old, young and went straight to become a coach, drawing keen attention from the public. Choi, who was appointed as an unexpected card player, created a new wave of interest in the V-League by advocating the European style speed volleyball.
Since his debut season, he has achieved great results by ranking first in the regular season with the record of 18 consecutive wins in the V-League history. In the second season, he became the youngest winning coach in the men’s division by winning his first championship title. He then topped the regular season league in 2017-2018, and won the championship in 2018-2019 to achieve the feat of advancing to the championship for four consecutive seasons. During this period, he won the championship twice and the regular season title each.
On November 13, 2020, Hyundai Capital handed over Korea’s best middle blocker, Shin Young-seok and setter Hwang Dong-il, and outside heater Kim Ji-han, who was serving in the military in Sangmu, to KEPCO, and made a three-to-three trade with second-year setter prospect Kim Myung-kwan and outside heater Lee Seung-jun and a first-round pick in the 2021 rookie draft. At the time, Choi expressed his strong will, saying, “We are trying to change the team through intensive rebuilding that is equivalent to a re-establishment.”
Although his team had three wins and four losses up until the trade, Choi boldly decided to reorganize the team. There was also strong opposition against the move. Fans were full of enthusiasm about the move, which spearheaded Hyundai Capital’s heyday and maintained top-notch skills during the trade, resulting in the loss of Shin, who was loved by fans. At the time, Shin was also the captain of the team.
There were also expectations that Choi, a former specialist, would unleash the potential of Kim Myung-kwan, a 195-centimeter-tall setter, but it was not easy. In the 2021-2022 season, Choi was humiliated for the first time by ranking seventh, and suffered the greatest ordeal. Last season, Choi successfully rebounded by ranking second in the regular season and the runner-up in the championship, but it did not last long.
Kim consistently received opportunities to play as a starting member, but failed to establish himself as expected, and Kim Sun-ho, Hong Dong-seon, and Lee Hyun-seung, who were drafted first or second in the rookie draft, have also shown sluggish growth over the past three years. Lim Sung-jin (Korea Electric Power Corporation) and Jeong Han-yong (Korean Air), who Hyundai Capital could have nominated, are growing exponentially. Except for Heo Soo-bong and Park Kyung-min, there were no specific young players, and the team has become a team that relies heavily on veterans. The direction of rebuilding is missing.
As a result, he failed to overcome the aftermath of the trade three years ago. After moving to KEPCO, he was selected as the best seven middle blockers for three consecutive seasons, maintaining top-notch skills. Although he has become a 37-year-old veteran, he is showing off his strong performance again this season by ranking first in blocking (0.726) per set and second in fast attack (65.24 percent). Kim Ji-han, another trade member who left the team three years ago, saw his potential explode after being traded to Woori Card through KEPCO. He has been leading Woori Card in this season by ranking first in scoring (261 points) and second in attack success rate (51.83 percent).