Hwang In-beom (28) proved himself the reason for Feyenoord’s choice with his performance since his debut in Feyenoord.
Feyenoord lost 0-4 to Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the first round of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League phase at Stadion Feyenoord in Rotterdam, Netherlands on the 20th (Korea time).
Hwang In-beom, who celebrated his birthday on the day, made his debut as a starter in his first game after transferring to Feyenoord. He played as one of the center midfielders in the 4-3-3 formation, wearing the uniform number 4.
The team lost by four goals on the day, so the influence on the field was not great, but it was evaluated as the most outstanding performance in the team.
According to soccer statistics company Footmob, Hwang In-beom played full time and recorded an 82% pass success rate with three shots.
In defense, he contributed to the team in offense and defense with five defensive actions, five recoveries, five successful ball contests, and 100% (2/2) successful aerial ball contests.
Foot mob gave Hwang a 6.7 point rating, which is the highest among Feyenoord players who started the game. He showed at the match that he does not need a long adjustment period as he is a midfielder who is considered smart.
On the other hand, Feyenoord realized the difference in power against the Bundesliga’s winning team last season.
He scored the first goal in the fifth minute of the first half and lost the game at half-time with consecutive runs in the 30th, 36th and 45th minutes.
For Bayer Leverkusen, Florian Birz scored multiple goals and Alejandro Grimaldo added one. The other goal is an own goal from Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Belenoyer.
Belenoyer, who failed to block four goals along with his own goal, was criticized with a 3.1 GPA. Among the starting players at Feyenoord, the performance was so poor that two players got four points and two five points. The main player, Santiago Jimenez, also scored a 6.0 GPA.
On the other hand, Birtz was evaluated as the best in the game with a 9.2 rating. Grimaldo will follow with an 8.4 rating.
Hwang signed a four-year contract with Feyenoord in the Netherlands early this month. While playing in the Serbian league, he received a love call for Feyenoord just before the closing of the summer transfer window. As negotiations accelerated, Hwang finished the transfer by generating 8.5 million euros (10.25 billion won) in transfer fee.
Hwang In-beom, who signed a contract for a total of four seasons until 2028, has been assigned the number 4, which means he will be the starting member. Feyenoord has strong trust in Hwang In-beom enough to make investments equivalent to the club’s highest transfer fee and even provide key uniform numbers.
Feyenoord highly appreciates Hwang In-beom’s ability to grow up by taking steps calmly. Feyenoord, who called him a player with the spirit of sacrifice, noted his career as he grew up in various leagues around the world, starting with the K-League. “Hwang In-beom, who is born in Daejeon, Korea, started playing soccer with Daejeon Hana Citizen Youth. He debuted with Daejeon Hana Citizen in 2015 at the age of 18, and became the youngest scorer in history two months later,” the club said.
“Hwang joined the prestigious Olympiakos in Greece in 2022 after playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps (U.S.) and Rubin Kazan (Russia). Thanks to his performance in his debut season, he became the best player in the Greek league,” Hwang said. “He also played 60 games as a member of the Korean national soccer team. Until recently, he was considered a versatile midfielder in Zvezda and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Serbian League.”
Feyenoord is hoping for such a step-up. He has already ordered various roles. Hwang joined the Korean national soccer team during the A-match in September and discussed the process of Feyenoord’s transfer. At the meeting where the CEO, manager, and agent of the team were present, Feyenoord said, “I have witnessed many scenes in which positions No. 6, No. 8 or No. 10 are played as desired. They asked me which position I am comfortable with,” adding, “I also appealed that I am confident that I can play anywhere if the position I want is clear and the system is clear.”
While experiencing the Champions League in Zvezda, Hwang gave priority to whether he would play in his dream event when choosing his destination this summer. “Playing in the Champions League last season made me realize what an honor and precious competition it is,” Hwang said. “Of course, I experienced the Europa League, but the weight itself is different. As his condition is different, he has more to improve as a player.”
Feyenoord will face very strong teams in this season’s Champions League. Leverkusen, the first team to face off, is the champion of the German Bundesliga. The team will also meet Manchester City, the absolute powerhouse of the English Premier League, Bayern Munich, which foretells a Korean derby with Kim Min-jae, Girona, who jumped from Spain’s Primera Liga to become an ambush, and Benfica, a traditional Portuguese master.
To be able to face them, Hwang In-beom made Feyenoord’s Champions League Squad A list. 먹튀검증
Feyenoord qualified for this season’s UEFA Champions League as second place in Eredivisie last season.
The Champions League has changed its course since this season. First, the number of teams participating in the finals has increased from 32 to 36, and the teams are competing in place of the previous group stages.
The 36 teams that made it to the finals of the Champions League will play eight matches per team to determine the rankings from first to 36th place. The teams from first to eighth place will automatically advance to the round of 16 tournaments, and the remaining eight spots will be decided through the playoffs from ninth to 24th place.
