"Are you talking about a naturalized player?" The reason why it is not easy for German mixed-race MF to join Hong Myung-bo... "There are many problems to solve."
"Are you talking about a naturalized player?" The reason why it is not easy for German mixed-race MF to join Hong Myung-bo... "There are many problems to solve."
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For the time being, naturalized players are unlikely to be seen on the Korean national soccer team. Coach Hong Myung-bo said there are many complicated issues regarding the naturalization of Jens Kastroff (22) of Nuremberg.
Coach Hong Myung-bo announced on the 10th the list of 28 call-ups for the second consecutive Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. in March at the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Team Korea will play the seventh match of the third qualifying round against Oman on May 20 at Goyang Stadium and then move to Suwon World Cup Stadium on May 25 for the eighth match against Jordan. Currently, Korea is leading Group B with 14 points (4 wins and 2 draws). Iraq is ranked second with 11 points and Jordan is ranked third with 9 points.
If Korea wins both of the upcoming two matches, it will confirm its advance to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time at an early stage. Regardless of the result of its showdown with Iraq and Kuwait that will take place in June, Korea can secure at least the second place. For the third Asian qualifying round, up to the second place in each group will be given a ticket to the finals.
Coach Hong Myung-bo called in 28 players, which is more than usual, ahead of the two consecutive games to be held at his home turf. Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Seol Young-woo (Zvezda), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Park Yong-woo (Al-Ain), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), and Cho Yoo-min (Sharja) each have one yellow card warning, making the decision to prepare for the "Yellow Troubles." If two yellow cards accumulate in the third qualifying round, the match will be suspended.
Attention is also focusing on whether Kastrov will be selected as a "mixed-race Korean and German player." Coach Hong Myung-bo reportedly showed interest in Kastrov and checked it out himself. Kastrov is a central midfielder, but he is an essential resource for the Korean national team as he can also play right-back. For this reason, people have high expectations that Korea will be able to see a naturalized player like Indonesia, China and Japan.
Born in 2003, Kastrov is a multiple national born to a German father and a Korean mother. Born in Dusseldorf, Germany, he grew up working with the Dusseldorf and Cologne youth teams, and chose to rent Nuremberg to secure time for his 2022 summer tournament.
As soon as he joined Nuremberg, Kastrov gained recognition by securing the main position. He left a strong impression on him, and successfully transferred to the team last summer. He has continued to play as the team's mainstay this season, and has stood out in the German second division.
Recently, his transfer to the Bundesliga has been confirmed. Borussia Mönchengladbach announced last month that it would recruit Kastrov as soon as the season ends. The transfer fee is 4.5 million euros with an additional option, and the contract period is until 2029.
However, it seems too early for Castrov to join the Korean national team. "I watched the game in person when I was in Europe. The coaching staff also had short talks with my mother. However, there are many complicated factors to simply consider performance. This means that there are many problems to be solved."
He also said, "Right now, I have to train for two to three days to play. I think it is different from the direction I want from the national team. This is not an issue that can be resolved in a short period of time. We are preparing for naturalization from a longer-term perspective. There is no clear movement right now."
Castrov is also known to be open to naturalization as a Korean citizen. He has played in national teams of all ages, from Under-16 (U-16) to Under-21 (U-21) in Germany, but has yet to choose a German senior team. He can wear the national flag on his chest as he pleases. 먹튀검증
Kastrov has expressed his affection for Korea in the past. "I have a strong bond with Korea. I have visited Korea a few times. I am a beautiful country, people and culture are wonderful. That's why I have Korean national flags as well as German flags on my profile." Last year, Kastrov's mother made headlines by posting a comment, "My son is about to join the Korean national team." In fact, former coach Jurgen Klinsmann contacted Kastrov to seek naturalization, but he was dismissed in the middle.