Football
John Duerden, Asia correspondent 6y

Sir Alex Ferguson, Hiddink are suited to coaching, not me - Park Ji-Sung

After studying Sir Alex Ferguson and Guus Hiddink in their heyday, South Korea legend Park Ji-Sung has declared that coaching is not for him, but he still wants to play a major part in the future of Asian football.

Park played under Ferguson at Manchester United from 2005 to 2012, winning four Premier League titles, as well as the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League. He was also a key member of the South Korea team who Hiddink led to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup.

"I watched Hiddink and Ferguson at close quarters and I realised that I was not a coach," Park said in an interview with Yahoo Japan.

The former midfielder believes that he could cope with the tactical side of the modern game, but would struggle in other areas in which Hiddink and Ferguson excelled.

"Tactics and strategy are important, but you need to be a strong leader to deal with the players on a psychological level," Park said. "The best coaches have strong charisma to motivate the whole team while managing the relationship with the media, which can be tense."

Park, now a Manchester United ambassador, is also not interested in working as a media pundit, and prefers to help South Korean and Asian football in other ways.

"When I played in Europe," the former PSV Eindhoven and QPR player said, "I received a lot of support, and I want to help football here develop."

The 36 year-old completed his FIFA Master Course earlier this year. In July, he became the first Korean to be appointed to the advisory panel to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), football's law-making body.

Park has indicated he would be interested in working in football administration, citing the example of former Manchester United teammate Edwin van der Sar who is now CEO of Ajax.

"I have to think about whether to start at a club level, the Korea FA or maybe at an Asian level. There are many possibilities," Park said.

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