Park offers to quit Korea youth role

Former Manchester United star midfielder Park Ji-sung has offered to step down from his youth administrative role at South Korea’s soccer association, officials said Monday.

Park, who also played for Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, was the biggest name to emerge from South Korean soccer before Tottenham striker Son Heung-min.

The 37-year-old has pursued a career in soccer administration since retiring from playing in 2014, and became head of the Korea Football Association’s (KFA) youth strategy department last year.

But he has submitted his resignation, an official told AFP, adding that the offer was being considered.

The exact reason for Park’s decision was unclear, but he currently lives in England and the official said that Park may have been feeling uneasy about the distance from his duties.

“He wasn’t working full time so he faced limitations,” the KFA official said.

The official added the resignation may also be aimed at creating a bigger role for Michael Muller, a veteran German expert scouted by Park this year as the KFA’s chief instructor and youth policy director.

South Korean soccer has failed to build on the national side’s run to the World Cup semifinals in 2002 – in which Park played a key role.

At the time of Park’s appointment in November 2017, he vowed to develop South Korea’s youth soccer using his abundant experience in Europe.