Patrice Evra, who joined 'Shooting Star Season 2' as a mercenary, showed strong trust in Park Ji-sung.
On the 12th, a site visit for the filming of the Coupang Play entertainment show 'Shooting Star Season 2' (hereinafter referred to as 'Shooting Star 2') took place at the Yongin Mir Stadium in Samga-dong, Cheoin-gu, Yongin.
'Shooting Star 2' is the only full-time growth soccer entertainment program in Korea where retired legendary players challenge the K-League alongside Director General Park Ji-sung and Coach Choi Yong-soo. Last season, 'Shooting Star,' which surpassed 3 million cumulative views on shorts and reels, proved its real-time popularity and is continuing the 'Shooting Star syndrome' once again towards higher goals with a more glamorous cast upgraded from Season 1 and the challenge of the K3 League.
FC Shooting Star, which was promoted to the K3 League, will compete against K3 clubs, the domestic semi-professional top leagues connecting K League 1 and K League 2. As the opponents have become stronger, the players have been upgraded to the point where they can be called a dream team. This season, newly recruited players include Koo Ja-cheol, who played a key role in winning the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics and led the 'London Generation' while serving as the national team captain, Lee Geun-ho, who won the AFC Champions League MVP and Player of the Year award, Yeom Ki-hun, praised by Coach Choi Yong-soo in Season 1, and legendary defender Yoon Young-sun, who will synchronize with the existing players.
In particular, Patrice Evra, a prominent football player known for his pro-Korean stance and a defender from France who played with Park Ji-sung at Manchester United, made a surprise appearance at the site visit, drawing attention.
Evra, who attended the press conference, stated, "I am happy to join the program, and when Park Ji-sung, whom I can call a brother, asked me, I couldn't refuse. The atmosphere was good, and while the coach is humorous and open-minded, he is impressive in how he conducts himself seriously and focuses. I don’t want to treat this like a friendly match. I came here for the program, not as a player named Evra, so I will do my best."
Furthermore, Evra explained, "I didn't join out of fear of or intimidation from Park Ji-sung. Even if I asked, he would accommodate me, and that’s why I accepted the suggestion. Another reason is that Korea feels like home. I came to Korea five years ago for Park Ji-sung's mother's funeral, but I am grateful to be back and to join the project."
Evra has shown top-level performances in teams representing various leagues, including Manchester United and Juventus. This time, he will be under Coach Choi Yong-soo's guidance. With a smile, Evra joked, "Coach Choi Yong-soo is better than Alex Ferguson. He is much stricter."
Evra said, "It was a joke, and what’s really great about Coach Choi Yong-soo is that he makes the players comfortable. Although he may joke around, he distinguishes between public and private matters. I believe that for players to implement the coach's philosophy and tactics, the coach needs to make them comfortable. In this respect, Coach Choi Yong-soo is an example that other coaches should follow."
Additionally, when asked what the French version of 'Shooting Star' might look like, he responded, "If there is a French version, I would definitely want to bring Park Ji-sung on as a player. I said that if Park Ji-sung doesn’t play when I have my second game in July, then I won’t play either. Also, I would like to have Coach Choi Yong-soo as the director for the French version of 'Shooting Star.'" To this, Coach Choi Yong-soo laughed and said, "That's not realistic at all. Even if I could do it, it seems like I would be replaced by Zinedine Zidane."
The Coupang Play entertainment show 'Shooting Star Season 2' is set to be released in the second half of this year.
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