I think I should be thankful now. This is because Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola’s remark about “The Korean guy” significantly raised the profile of Hwang Hee-chan (27, Wolverhampton).
Hwang Hee-chan started in the home game against Manchester City in the 7th round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) held at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England on the 30th (Korean time), and scored the winning goal to secure a 2-1 victory in the 21st minute of the second half. .
The aftermath of Hwang Hee-chan’s goal was significant. First of all, it was a blow that inflicted the first loss of the season on Manchester City, which had been on a six-game winning streak since the opening game and was continuing the reputation of last season’s ‘Treble’. They remained at 18 points and were unable to widen the gap with the second-place group, including Tottenham and Arsenal (17 points).
In addition, the local media and fans are showing even more interest as Hwang Hee-chan, whose name Guardiola could not remember during the press conference held before the game against Wolverhampton, scored a goal.
Coach Guardiola said, “It was always a difficult game against Wolverhampton. They have excellent players,” and added, “In particular, Neto, Cunha, and ‘The Korean Guy’ are strikers of an outstanding level.” revealed.
The problem became controversial because coach Guardiola failed to say Hwang Hee-chan’s name properly. In some cases, controversy arose over lack of respect for opposing players or even racism. 토토사이트
However, when Hwang Hee-chan scored a goal, putting this controversy behind him, he became a name that would no longer be forgotten by Guardiola and Manchester City fans. Coach Guardiola also clearly referred to Hwang Hee-chan as ‘Hwang’ in the post-game press conference.
Coach Guardiola emphasized, “Wolverhampton played really well. They were excellent defensively. And attackers like Hwang Hee-chan, Cunha, and Neto kept the ball at the front and made shots.”
The same goes for Wolverhampton fans. Hwang Hee-chan’s performance came at a time when an opportunity to change the atmosphere was needed due to the recent 3 games without a win (1 draw and 2 losses). Moreover, the fact that the opponent was the world’s strongest team, Manchester City, was even more worth bragging about.
As if reflecting this, Wolverhampton’s official social media even added ‘The Korean Guy’ instead of Hwang Hee-chan’s name. It is written in place of the name that is originally attached to the photo posted when a goal is scored in each game.
Hwang Hee-chan showed off his presence by scoring a goal himself, and now ‘The Korean Guy’ has become a local nickname for Hwang Hee-chan. Online, ‘The Korean Guy’ has already become a meme symbolizing Hwang Hee-chan. Even in Korea, he is called ‘The Korean Guy’ rather than ‘Bull’.
Hwang Hee-chan received attention even though Guardiola couldn’t remember for a moment. However, as Hwang Hee-chan scored a goal, he gained greater recognition along with his new nickname. I think it would be more interesting if Hwang Hee-chan one day said to Guardiola, ‘Thank you to the Spanish coach.’