four days
Korea Football Association
official (relating a government office)
It was announced that the Korean national team will hold four warm-up matches in June, and the opponents for three events have been confirmed: Brazil (June 2nd), Chile (June 6th) and Paraguay (June 10th). The opponents for June 14 are still under negotiation.
② Cooperation between the two national football associations to reduce costs
Observing the arrangements for the opponents of the warm-up matches between the national teams of the two countries, it can be found that they often choose the same opponents, only that the time of the matches is different, which is actually a trick in commercial operation. For example, the Japanese Football Association (JFA) invited the Brazilian national team to play in Japan on June 6, paying a fee of 300 million yen (about 15.23 million yuan). The Brazilian FA promised in the contract that the main players, including top star Neymar, would participate. The price is already a 50-50 deal, as Brazil will first play the South Korean national team on June 2nd. The JFA would have had to bear a higher cost if they had only flown to Japan to play the Japanese team, but by playing two matches in both South Korea and Japan, the cost shared between the Korean and Japanese football associations has been drastically reduced.
The reason for this is therefore revealed in June, when the national teams of South Korea and Japan held warm-up matches at their respective home grounds against essentially the same opponents. From a marketing perspective, it is more expensive for an association to invite a team to play in its home country on its own; however, the cost can be dramatically reduced when the two national associations work together. Paraguay travels to South Korea after playing Japan on June 2 and then warms up with the South Korean national team on June 10; Brazil travels to Japan after playing South Korea on June 2 and then plays Japan again on June 6th. After the match, Brazil will also fly to Melbourne, Australia for a warm-up match against Argentina.
Chile will first fly to South Korea, where they will play on June 6, and then travel to Japan for the Kirin Cup afterward. Tunisia will fly directly to Japan for the Kirin Cup due to their modest appearance fee. The KFA is also looking for an opponent for their final warm-up match on June 14th.
Organizing national team warm-up matches is not only about inviting opponents, but also involves commercial operation, and the cost of organizing matches is a key factor. If the Chinese national team can organize normal matches during the June window, it can also invite Chile, Paraguay and even Tunisia to play in China, not only to prepare for the 2023 Asian Cup, but also to save on the cost of organizing matches. This may be the best way to join forces and "integrate" the business operations of the so-called China, Japan and South Korea Football Associations.
