“After coming to Korea, I studied Korean. My favorite words are ‘high intensity’, ‘active’, and ‘don’t give up’.”
Coach Colin Bell attended the 2023 New Year press conference at 2:00 pm on the 26th at the multipurpose conference room on the 2nd floor of the Korea Football Association Soccer Hall in Sinmun-ro, Seoul.
As soon as he sat down, coach Bell said in Korean, “Hello everyone, Happy New Year. I am looking forward to the Arnold Clark Cup and the World Cup. I am confident that we will play well. I am optimistic about the World Cup.” 안전놀이터
Director Bell is fully prepared for 2023. He was able to get a glimpse of the expectations of the upcoming 2023 International Football Federation (FIFA) Australia-New Zealand Women’s World Cup through the thoroughness he had prepared in Korean in advance on a note written in densely packed notes.
Director Bell also answered reporters’ questions in Korean. Director Bell used all the words he knew, such as “First of all, maybe, first of all,” to show off his elegant (?) Korean skills. If there was a word that got stuck, he would ask the interpreter next to him and answer in Korean.
In particular, he said “Korea is very safe” and after asking what ‘safe’ is in Korean, he laughed and said, “Korea is safe.” The press conference also became a sea of laughter. Afterwards, he said, “There are a lot of cafes. I like cafes,” and he talked about his life in Korea.
It has been three years since Bell took over the baton.
Women’s soccer has also grown as much as Bell’s Korean skills. She finished runner-up in the women’s division of the 2019 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup), her first tournament after taking office. In the playoffs of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics final qualifiers, he unfortunately lost to China, but showed that he did not give up until the end.
Coach Bell developed the women’s national soccer team into an Asian powerhouse. In the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup, she made the achievement of becoming runner-up by stepping on the first final stage in history. By renewing the contract with this leadership, he will lead this World Cup as well.
Coach Bell had a deep bond with the women’s national team for three years. He said, “I have formed a good relationship by spending a long time with the players. I always try to be honest with the players and create an environment where I can enjoy working with them. Confidence is a word I learned in Korea for the first time in 2019. When I was in charge of the national team, my confidence was low, but now it is growing. I hope the players’ confidence will reach its peak when the World Cup is in progress.”
Finally, when asked about his favorite Korean language, Coach Bell said, “After coming to Korea, I studied Korean. My favorite words are ‘high intensity’, ‘active’, and ‘don’t give up’.” Introduced these words.
