Representing South Korea at the expanded FIFA Club World Cup this summer will bring both a sense of pride and responsibility to Ulsan HD FC, head coach Kim Pan-gon said.
In a recent interview with FIFA, Kim spoke of doing the country proud at the tournament featuring 32 of the world's best football clubs. The United States will host the tournament from June 14 to July 13.
"I feel proud, but I also acknowledge the significant responsibility in representing South Korea and the Asian continent," Kim said in a video clip released to Yonhap News Agency late Friday. "We need to compete strongly against teams from other continents. I also feel we are duty bound to come with a competitive edge to the competition."
Ulsan HD, three-time defending champions in the K League 1, will play in Group F. They will face Mamelodi Sundowns FC of South Africa on June 17 in Orlando, Florida; Fluminense FC of Brazil on June 21 in East Rutherford, New Jersey; and Borussia Dortmund of Germany on June 25 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Ulsan HD are one of four clubs from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the lone South Korean side. They secured their spot by finishing second in the AFC club ranking points.
"For us, I think that competing against teams at a world-class level is going to be a good opportunity," Kim said. "Fellow ethnic Koreans living in the United States and the football fans in South Korea will expect a strong performance from Ulsan HD. So I hope we will showcase our abilities in the matches."
The top two teams from each of the eight groups will qualify for the round of 16, and Kim said the first match against Mamelodi Sundowns will be "a crucial first step."
"Asian teams are strong at persevering through substantial challenges in the traditional (FIFA) World Cup. I think the teams may face similar difficulties in this tournament as well," the coach added. "However, if we focus well enough on our strengths, in areas like pace and technique, I think we may do well in our matches."
Club World Cup contestants will be in for a big payday.
A group stage draw will be worth US$1 million, and a group stage win will give teams $2 million.
Reaching the round of 16 will net teams $7.5 million each, and a trip to the quarterfinals is worth another $13.125 million.
The two finalists will receive $30 million each, and the champion will bag an additional $40 million.
FIFA has also set up a "participation pillar" worth $525 million, which will be distributed in different amounts to each continent, determined by a ranking based on sporting and commercial criteria. Asian clubs will receive $9.55 million each for participation.
Ulsan HD received 500 million won ($339,900) for winning their K League 1 title last season.
