Abel Mourelo, a Spaniard in the Asian champion

Spain will also be represented at the Club World Cup. After passing through Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, Reus, Tokushima Vortis or Nàstic, Abel Mourelo (Lugo, 1975), a marine biologist before being a coach, received a proposal that was difficult to reject. The current champion of the Asian Champions League, Ulsan Hyundai FC, required his services as a 'tactical coach', “an innovative role that speaks highly of the club and its coach, Hong Myung-bo”. 'Mou' didn't think twice and, after a few days training with the South Korean myth, he already knows that he was right with the decision: “Hong Myung-bo is incredible. He has tremendous charisma. I am teaming up with a Korean who He has played four World Cups and won an Olympic medal for Korea -bronze in London 2012-. He is a legend and, for me, it is a real pleasure to work with him. I've only been with him for eight days and I've already learned a lot. I hope to be a sponge and exploit the experience to the fullest “, explains the Galician from Qatar, where he is concentrating for the Club World Cup.

There in Doha Mourelo begins to be aware of the dimension of the club in which he is. “When they made the proposal to me they already made it clear to me that I was going to train international footballers in a 'top' team in South Korea. Ulsan is like Barça or Madrid, but in Korea,” explains the Spaniard, for whom the pressure is not a problem: “I feel all the pressure in the world because, if I did not feel it, I would not want to be better every day. But it is nothing negative, but a stimulating element to live up to what is expected of me. in a super competitive world and tomorrow I must be better than today. ” His obligation is to add so that the team fights for everything this season. With league and Champions still on the horizon, Ulsan Hyundai will seek to surprise at the Club World Cup, in whose quarterfinals it will face the champion of the CONCACAF Champions, Tigres de la UANL. The university students start out as clear favorites, but Abel is sure that “we are going to compete as true winners.” “Tigres will have to row a lot to win the match. They will have to win it, we are not going to lose it,” he adds.

According to Transfermarkt, Tigres' squad costs 40 million euros more than Ulsan's, a difference that, Mourelo advances, will not be reflected on the pitch: “The South Korean footballer is super competitive and I am sure that we will be alive until the last minute. Money does not compete, the players play and we have a full squad of internationals of a very good level “. After just over a week training, 'Mou' was pleasantly surprised by Yoon Bit-garam, a “clever” footballer: “He identifies the space, knows when to appear and has a determining quality.” Also by Jo Hyun-woo, the goalkeeper who appeared in society during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and Won du-jae, “a midfielder with a tremendous capacity to cover the field and conditions to make the leap to Europe.” Ulsan dreams of defeating Tigres, which would measure him to Palmeiras, champion of the Libertadores, in the semifinals. 'Mou', for his part, still assimilates the opportunity that presents itself before his eyes: “From the first minute, the club has been excellent. I know this is a unique opportunity to grow as a coach and as a person. “