Heungkuk Life Insurance coach Marcello Abondanza’s V5 achievement scenario shook Kim Yeon-kyung of the world.
Heungkuk Life Insurance issued a press release on the 16th. It was the news of Kim Yeon-kyung’s stay. Heungkuk Life Insurance said, “We signed a one-year contract with Kim Yeon-kyung for a total compensation of 775 million won (annual salary of 475 million won, an option of 300 million won).”
Kim Yeon-kyung, who was once rumored to retire last season, said after the awards ceremony on the 10th, “I am going to extend my active career. He is also talking with other teams, including Heungkuk Life Insurance,” he said.
Kim Yeon-kyung is the best star in the V-League. Kim Yeon-kyung played 34 games in the 2022-23 season and scored 669 points, an attack success rate of 45.76%, a receiving efficiency of 46.8%, and 3.713 digs per set. He was named in most indicators of offense and defense, ranking 1st in attack success rate, 5th in scoring, 8th in receiving, and 10th in dig-defense.
In addition, Kim Yeon-kyung succeeded in winning the 5th MVP award in three consecutive seasons, 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08, following the 2020-21 season. She is the most awarded in men’s and women’s divisions in V-League history. The unanimous MVP is the second ever after Lee Jae-young in the 2018-19 season. She also received round MVP four times.
There were two reasons why Kim Yeon-kyung chose to extend her active service rather than her retirement. It was her goal to reciprocate the love she had for her fans, and to top her V-League, where she hadn’t been since the 2008-09 season. In the 2022-23 season, she dreamed of winning the championship, but was unable to smile due to the miracle of road construction in the championship game.
So, she said, Kim Yeon-kyung said, “Even if the conditions are lowered, it is possible as long as she can win. Personally, if I can go to the championship team even if I lower it, I can endure it,” she said, showing her will to win.
Hyundai E&C actively approached Kim Yeon-kyung. She has Kim Yeon-kyung and Yang Hyo-jin who are close friends, and there are many promising players such as Lee Da-hyun, Jeong Ji-yoon, and Kim Da-in. It’s because of the injury of Yasmin Bedart (registered name Yasmin) last season, but if it wasn’t for that, I don’t know how the 2022-23 season winning game would have been.
However, on the 12th, Kim Yeon-kyung’s thoughts changed. After talking with director Abondanza, there was a change in Kim Yeon-kyung’s mind. Coach Abondanza sincerely approached Kim Yeon-kyung, talking about the upcoming season and free agent recruiting plans on the spot. He hoped that Kim Yeon-kyung would remain, talking about recruiting overseas coaching staff and recruiting Kim Su-ji as a free agent.
After the championship match, coach Abondanza said, “I hope Kim Yeon-kyung continues his career as a player, and I hope he will do it at Heungkuk Life Insurance. The team has a lot of potential players. He said directly, “You can develop that player only if you have a player named Yeonkyung.” In the end, Kim Yeon-kyung was also moved by his sincerity.
Through the club, Kim Yeon-kyung said, “I had a lot of thoughts about being the first free agent in my life. The coach’s plan for the season was a big reason why I made up my mind. I want to lift the trophy that I unfortunately missed this time next season.”
Manager Abondanza also said, “As a volleyball player, I think Kim Yeon-kyung is a player who has a good influence on the team in many areas, including not only technology but also mental aspects. He said, “I am happy to be able to work with such a player in the future.”
Kim Yeon-kyung and coach Abondanza worked together at Fenerbahce in the Turkiye League from 2013 to 2017. At the time, I was with Fenerbahce in its heyday. In the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons, they won the league, and in the 2015-16 season, they won the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) Champions League. In the 2013-14 season, he also lifted the CEV Cup championship cup. 스포츠토토