Yazan, a studying soccer player, had a clear goal in 2025. It was the K-League champion and the first time in Jordan's history to advance to a World Cup.
July 16, 2024. It was the day when Jordanian national team center back Yazan signed with FC Seoul. It was a historic day. When Yazan moved to Seoul, he became the first Jordanian player in the history of the K-League, and changed the question mark to an exclamation mark in just one game. Yazan started from his debut match in the K-League with Pohang and showed off his iron-clad defense, instantly captivating Seoul fans and immediately making him one of the best 11 players in the 26th round of the K-League 1.
In about six months, Yazan has become the best center back in the K-League. Although he played in just 12 games in the 2024 season, he was listed as the best 11 in the round six times, and was finally selected as the final six candidates for the K-League 1 Best Eleven Central Defender category. He joined the team at the end of the second half of the season and became the best center back in the K-League after playing only one third of the league.
When he met Yazan, he gave all the credit to his teammates. "I had to make efforts on my own, but the most important thing was the help of my teammates. It was really hard for me for a week or two when I first came to Korea. The weather was too hot and I was unfamiliar with it culturally. Thanks to a lot of help from the coach, the staff and colleagues, I was able to adapt well. Thanks to that, I had a good first match with Pohang and got off to a good start with a victory. I am constantly motivating the coaching staff not to be complacent," he said.
Now, he is preparing for the 2025 season. During his break, Yazan continued his master's degree by studying in the U.S., and when he returned to Jordan, he had a chance to recharge by relaxing with his family. Afterwards, he joined Seoul's winter training camp, where he improved his physical condition and set his goal of 2025 as the K-League champion and advance to the World Cup.
-I heard you did intensive physical training. What was the outcome of the first training camp?
It is natural that winter training itself is difficult. All the players think that winter training has to push up their limits. How to spend winter training is very important as we prepare for the season. The coach, physical coach, and coaching staff are all experts. It is the players' duty to trust them and follow them. I trained with faith. Of course, it was really hard, but I tried to follow them well. As we prepare for a season, we have to build our physical strength. We cannot stop because it is hard. When we go to Kagoshima, Japan, we have to complete our team through a practice game. There is still time left to build our bodies, and I think we still lack physical condition. When I see the players, I feel hungry. We are heading in a good direction.
-I heard you studied during the break. How did you spend it?
I'm studying sports science at university, and I'm doing a master's degree. In fact, at first, I was going to study after my career, but I heard from various universities in 2023. There were offers to provide a lot of support, such as online classes and online exams. I started naturally. I am connected to schools in Jordan, and after the season, I met with professors and spent time. I studied something I couldn't do during the season. I didn't set any clear goals when it came to studying because I'm still playing. However, I'm continuing my career, and now I'm a master, but I want to take a doctorate in the future. After the master's program, I think I may do a PhD in Korea. There are also many Jordanians who study in Korea.
-Coach Kim Ki-dong even joked that Yazan was not in good physical condition because he studied too hard. How is his current condition?
Haha. (laughs) It's clear that I'm not in my normal condition at the moment. I think I need a week or two. During this break, I studied in the U.S., and the weather in the U.S. was so cold that I wasn't in an environment where I could exercise hard. I spent time with my family in Jordan because I was away from them during the season. I invited my relatives to my house and ate traditional Jordanian food. My body condition is not 100% because it's a high calory food. But it's not that I didn't exercise at all, and I adjusted my condition by resting. I think it's about 50-60% now. I'm pulling it up in Vietnam, and I don't think there will be any problems if I go to Japan and train.
-You must have met several leaders, but what kind of coach is Kim Ki-dong to Yazan?
It is a great honor to be able to work with a manager like Kim Ki-dong. Before coming to Seoul, I looked up a lot of videos of the coach's game, especially the Asian Champions League, and I watched a lot of videos of the game when I was in Pohang. I was impressed and he is a leader with very good abilities and character. He is a coach who clearly knows how to manage the team, and the biggest advantage is that he has a clear plan and tactics for every game. The coaches I have met so far in the Middle East prepare at most two tactics, but Kim Ki-dong is making little changes in each game. He sends a clear message on how to approach every game and is a coach who devises strategies well. When he is serious, he makes it possible for players to pour out 100 percent, and sometimes he releases players. I think he is a coach who also studies a lot about various soccer. He is a coach who is very flexible and has clear plans.
-Came to Seoul midway through last season and became the best center back in the K League in 6 months. What's the secret?
Before signing with Seoul, I studied a lot about the K-League. Because he was the first Jordanian player to play in the K-League, he had a strong sense of responsibility. While studying, I felt that the K-League was very strong physically, and I came in recognizing that it would be difficult if I did not concentrate. 먹튀검증 There were efforts of my own, but the most important thing was the help of my teammates. When I first came to Korea for about a week or two, it was really difficult. The weather was too hot and culturally unfamiliar. I was able to adapt well because the coach, staff, and colleagues helped me a lot. Thanks to that, I played my first game well with Pohang and started well with a victory.