Sideline

Hong Myung-Bo (32) regained the Korean national soccer team’s captain position in 11 months.

Coach Guus Hiddink called all the players together on the 4th and declared that “Hong is to be the captain for this field training”. Considering that this training is to continue until the opening of the World Cup, Hong is certain of being the World Cup captain as long as there is no special reason like injury.

Hong had been the national team’s immovable captain since the 1998 World Cup, but had to take off the armband after last June’s Confederations Cup, as he missed Hiddink’s calling.

Even after the Spanish field training in last March, when Hong returned to the team after 8 months, Hiddink was concerned that “it may put too much pressure on Hong to be the captain after so long” and Kim Tae-Young and Choi Jin-Chul had been the past captains.

The Polish national football team, which is to face Korea in the World Cup finals, is to arrive at Cheongju Airport at 8 p.m. on the 23rd, using the presidential-plane (Airforce One).

The reason for such hospitable treatment is that all-round sportsman President Aleksander Kwasniewski showed great support and caring consideration for the team.

It is known that Kwasniewski decided to yield his presidential-plane in hope for the national team, which is to participate in the World Cup finals after 16 years, to restore the glory of the 1974 West Germany World Cup and 1982 Spain World Cup.

Kwasniewski has once visited Korea during the 1988 Seoul Olympics as an advisor of the Polish team, and he is to visit again during the World Cup’s opening ceremony or the Korea-Poland match. Associated Press.

·Alarm has set off on the Spanish World Cup battle line. Sergi Barjuan (Barcelona) is to miss the World Cup due to injury, following veteran midfielder Jose Guardiola (Brescia).

The national team’s immovable left-wing back as well as Barcelona’s captain, Sergi, had left the field for 2 months due to recent left-ankle injury. He made a comeback on the 2nd during the Champions League semifinals against Real Madrid, but sprained his left ankle again.

On 29th last month, Guardiola surrendered his participation in the World Cup finals as his knee injury recurred.

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com