Park says he will retire from national squad after 2011 Asian Cup

PAJU, South Korea, June 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean football star Park Ji-sung of
Manchester United said Monday he will retire from the national squad after the
2011 Asian Cup tournament in Qatar.
"I have an aspiration to win the Asian Cup trophy, since the South Korean team
reached the semifinals in the World Cup in 2002," said Park, training with his
teammates ahead of South Korea's last World Cup qualifying match against Iran on
Wednesday. "After the 2011 Asian Cup, I'm planning to retire from the national
squad."
Park, 28, selected for South Korea's national team in 2000, missed winning Asia's
biggest football tournament three consecutive times. South Korea ranked third in
2000 and was stopped in the quarterfinals in 2004. Park missed the 2007
tournament due to an injury.
During his nine-year career with the national team, Park scored 10 goals in 80
international games, including the Sydney Olympics, the 2002 Korea-Japan World
Cup, and the 2006 Germany World Cup.
He said earlier that next year's World Cup in South Africa will be his last World
Cup appearance.
"I expect that more competitive players will replace me in the 2014 Brazil World
Cup," said Park, who will be 33 in 2014. "I won't have the strength then. I will
hand over my position in the national team to younger players."
His outstanding performance in the 2002 World Cup led him to move to the
Netherlands' PSV Eindhoven in late 2002 from Japan's Kyoto Purple and to
Manchester United in 2005.
brk@yna.co.kr
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