 |
| ▲ Stefan Mugosa of Incheon United kisses the K League 1 club's emblem on his uniform following a 1-1 draw against FC Seoul at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on June 25, 2022, in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
 |
| ▲ Stefan Mugosa of Incheon United celebrates after scoring a goal against Gangwon FC during the clubs' K League 1 match at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon, around 30 kilometers west of Seoul, on June 22, 2022, in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
 |
| ▲ This undated file photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League on June 30, 2022, shows Stefan Mugosa of Incheon United during a K League 1 match. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
football-player
Departing Incheon United striker vows continued support for K League club
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 8 (Yonhap) -- You can take Stefan Mugosa out of Incheon United, but apparently, you can't take Incheon United out of Mugosa.
The Montenegrin striker recently ended his four-year stint with the K League 1 club to sign with Vissel Kobe in Japan's J1 League. He departed South Korea on Thursday, and Incheon released a video clip of Mugosa's final interview Thursday night.
Mugosa had been a prolific scorer from the moment he first suited up for Incheon in 2018. He led the club with 19 goals in 35 matches that year, and was leading the K League 1 this season with 14 goals in 18 matches before deciding to take his talent to Japan.
"From the first game, (fans' support) has meant a lot to me. I am so happy and proud because it is not easy for a foreign player to come here and receive so much love like I did," Mugosa said. "I just want to say you guys will always be in my heart. I will always be No. 1 Incheon United fan. I love you so much. I will never forget our great moments."
Thanks to Mugosa's heroics, Incheon find themselves in fifth place among 12 clubs with 29 points, only one behind Jeju United. It is an unfamiliar position at this time of year for Incheon, which have often been forced to battle back late in seasons just to avoid relegation after typically slow starts.
Incheon can make a push for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League for next year, open to the top three K League 1 clubs and the Korean FA Cup winner.
And if the FA Cup winner also happens to be one of the top three in the K League 1, then the fourth-place team will earn a spot in the AFC Champions League (ACL).
"It was also my dream to go to the ACL," Mugosa said. "It will be a fantastic feeling for the club and for the fans. They have a chance to go. They're in good shape. They have good, positive energy and a lot of fans. They have everything they need to follow this dream."
Mugosa admitted he had been thinking about setting a new K League career high in goals this year, and he was only five goals from matching his personal best total from 2018. He added he didn't want to put too much pressure on himself, and he tried to take it "game by game," before that pursuit came to an end last month.
"It's not easy to leave now, but it was my choice. I needed to follow my dream," Mugosa said. "Incheon have a very good team. We can beat everyone. Just play without pressure, enjoy (being) on the pitch and go game by game. Do your best. Everything will be good. I have full confidence that Incheon will be good this season without me."
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
