Castrov is a name that suddenly emerged in the domestic soccer community on the 24th (Korea time), when all issues were focused on the appointment of the next head coach of the Korean national soccer team. Florian Plattenberg, a reporter for Bayern Munich, a German broadcaster "Sky," said, "The Korea Football Association is pushing to join Castrov, a talented 20-year-old midfielder from Nuremberg." "Coach Jurgen Klinsmann wanted to select Castrov for the upcoming A match in March," Plattenberg said. Andreas Köfke (former goalkeeper coach) has already contacted him. 스포츠토토
Former coach Klinsmann, who was dismissed in the middle of this month less than a year after his appointment due to his failure to advance to the semifinals of the Asian Cup and his attendance problems, has lived in the U.S. and Europe longer than in Korea, citing reasons such as "European inspection" since he was appointed as the coach of the Korean national team in February last year. He also ordered the coaches to stay in Europe and check the European wave, and it was reported through media reports that Coach Köfke, who is known to live in Nuremberg as a Nuremberg legend, checked Castrov himself in September last year.
Former coach Klinsmann, who has selected or paid attention to left-back Park Kyu-hyun (Dinamodresden), Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic), Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), and Cho Jin-ho (Novipazar), in the third and fourth Asian qualifiers for the North-China World Cup in March, seems to have tried to pick a "new face" like Castrov. When Klinsmann led the U.S. national team from 2011 to 2016, he selected German-American players such as Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Julian Green (Greuter Furt).
Korea is a team composed of only a few native Korean players in the world. Casey Pair, who competed in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, was the first mixed-race player for the Korean national soccer team, both male and female. The addition of mixed-race players to the men's team will have huge repercussions. However, with the dismissal of former coach Klinsmann, there is a possibility that Castrov's selection would never have happened. The Korea Football Association decided to appoint an interim coach and play an A-match in March after the second meeting of the power reinforcement committee on the 24th. Whether Castrov will be selected depends on the decision of the interim coach and the official coach, who is expected to be appointed sometime in May. Hwang Sun-hong, coach of the Olympic national soccer team, and Choi Yong-soo, former coach of Gangwon FC, are on the rise.
Born to a Korean mother and a German father, Kastrov is a dual citizen who joined the Cologne professional team in 2020 after playing for Düsseldorf and Cologne Youth teams. After impressive performances at the German club Nuremberg, he left on loan for the 2022-2023 season, he completely moved to the German club in June last year. He played in 17 matches for the German club in the 2023-2024 season, scoring two goals and one assist. The main force is a midfielder in the center, but he is also a multiplayer who can play both midfielders and defenders. He is recognized for his skills in Germany from the age of 16 to 20 as a representative by age group.
In an interview in 2022, Kastrov expressed his willingness to join the Korean national team. "I was born in Germany, but my mother is a Korean national. She has a strong relationship with Korea. I have visited Korea several times. Korea is a beautiful country. The people and culture there are amazing. My profile picture shows not only the German flag but also the Korean flag." Meanwhile, Kastrov injured his right leg during his team's mini-game on the day when news about the possibility of being selected for the Korean national team was reported. "After getting treatment on his shin, Kastrov limped to the locker room."