There once roamed the fields of Old Trafford a man whose lungs seemed endless, a tireless warrior who could outrun, outlast, and outthink the best. Ji-Sung Park, known as “Three-Lung Park,” was more than just a footballer—he was Manchester United‘s unsung hero, the relentless engine that never seemed to tire.
Renowned for his unmatched lung capacity and boundless stamina, Park was very fundamental to the Manchester United side then, especially in the UCL winning season of 2007-08. The South Korean, at his peak, was a 4-time Premier League champion and already a UCL winner, among other domestic honors.
Sir Alex Ferguson, a literal reckoning of God himself in the city of Manchester, has always heaped praise throughout the course of time on the South Korean. In an interview with SPORTbible and former legend Gary Nevile, Ferguson referenced the UCL final vs. Barcelona at Wembley in 2011 and mentioned one of his biggest mistakes in his career.
He said, “One of my biggest mistakes was not bringing on Ji Sung Park at halftime in the UCL final vs. Barcelona. I think if I played him, I think we would’ve won that final.”. United lost that final 3-1 on fulltime to Barcelona.
Manchester United fans have been in love with the South Korean engine throughout his time at the club and beyond. But they should hope to look forward to the future, as there might be a small re-union on the hands, with the popular legend linking up with his old United teammates, especially from the UCL winning side of 2007-08.
Today, we know a bit more about this special reunion and the context behind it!
Rio Ferdinand’s post shares a teaser on the Manchester United reunion
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, has had an interesting week. A few days ago, he interviewed another United hero, David Beckham, on his YouTube channel, covering a number of topics from both of their time at the club. However, he was seen yesterday linking up with a few of his other Manchester United buddies as well.
He posted a picture wherein it can be seen; he is standing in the frame with his former teammates like Serbian warrior Nemanja Vidic, the Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov, and of course 3-Lung Park. He captioned this post “Yes Jii” with a South Korean flag, suggesting all of them are meeting up in Seoul, South Korea.
Ferdinand has also posted the reunion over his Facebook profile, captioning the posts as “Yesss Ji… getting us back together in his hometown!” which further substantiates this fact. Ferdinand has further posted images and videos of his time in Seoul with the United Band back together, especially with other United teammates like Edwin Van Der Sar, from the 2007-08 season, as well. This has excited many Manchester United fans who look to decipher the real reason behind this.
But what is the purpose of this sudden re-union, and how are other stars from the 2007-08 UCL final, like Didier Drogba, also involved in this? Let’s dive deep into that, as well.
Nexon’s Icon Match Exhibition at Seoul, South Korea
It’s just not Rio Ferdinand and few of his mates from Manchester who have linked up in Seoul. Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, along with other legends like former Milan and Real Madrid legend “Kaka,” were also seen in the spotlight. Former United player “Maroune Fellaini” was also captured and seen along with them.
The reality is that Nexon Games, a company within the Nexon group, in collaboration with the EA Sports FC Mobile and EA Sports FC Online, have organized an Icon Exhibition match wherein icons and legends of the game we love will take part in a one-off match in Seoul.
The idea of this event is to have two teams, the Spears and the Shields. The Spears team, being self-explanatory by its name, will consist of forwards and attacking players, including the likes of Didier Drogba, who is captaining the side, Ricardo Kaka, Luis Figo, Dimitar Berbatov, Eden Hazard and many more! The team will be managed by Arsenal legend “Thiery Henry,” and Ji Sung Park will be playing the role of assistant manager.
The Shields team, as the name suggests, will consist of legendary defenders and defensive midfielders, with Rio Ferdinand captaining the side and with players like Carlos Puyol, Yaya Toure, and many more!
When is this game being played and where can I watch it?
This event is being facilitated and broadcasted live by SOOP on their platform, who are Korea’s largest global livestream platform in areas like gaming, esports, K-pop, travel, sports, etc. The exhibition will be played on 20 October 2024 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, at 2am PT and 5am ET.
What started as an epic reunion for Manchester United fans and players might now look like a spectacle to be enjoyed by global football fans all over the world. With legends from all areas of the world and all the positions on the pitch, this event surely looks to be a fascinating watch.
