Interview: Han Ka-ram on being FC Anyang's vice captain, adjusting to K League, and 'zombie football'

Interview: Han Ka-ram on being FC Anyang's vice captain, adjusting to K League, and 'zombie football' FC Anyang midfielder and vice captain Han Ka-ram talks to K League United about what it was like adjusting to life back in Korea, life as a vice captain, and what he believes 'zombie football' means. Anyone who has lived abroad for long periods of time, especially in places where daily life can be very different, might tell you about reverse culture shock or finding it difficult to adapt. But Han Ka-ram says that this wasn't the case thanks to the Korean community in Germany. "Even while I was in Germany, I spent a lot of time around Korean people. Especially when I was younger, I lived in shared housing with other Koreans and senior players, so adapting back to Korea wasn’t too difficult. "Korea also has a strong senior-junior culture based on age, but because I’d already lived together with older Korean players when I was young, I think adapting was easier for me compared to people who lived abroad for a long time completely separated from Korean culture." Adapting to K League, though, was something that needed time. "It wasn’t easy. I think any young player from Europe or from any country needs time to adapt when they come to the K League. Not just me - lots of players go through that. For me, I was in Korea, then Germany, then back to Korea. When I first went from Korea to Germany, I got scolded for doing things the Korean way. But after adapting to Germany, when I came back to Korea and played the German way, I got scolded again. "So I think I needed time to adjust. For example, defensively, in Germany they want you to challenge aggressively and win the ball immediately through contact. In Korea, a lot of coaches don’t really like defending that way. That was one of the biggest differences." Now in his third season with FC Anyang, Han is part of the leadership group for the Violets having been named vice captain. This new role, he says, has been an eye-opener. "At first I didn’t realise it. There are so many players, coaches, support staff and others in the club, and someone has to pay attention to all the little details. Before, I just thought things naturally worked smoothly. But now I realise that in 2024, when we won the title, things worked well because of those leaders and that leadership. "Helping people with small things, disciplining teammates when needed, trying to lead everyone together - I’ve realised how much effort that takes. It’s not easy at all, and you have to think about so many things. Because of that, I’ve come to respect the manager and our captain (Lee) Chang-yong even more." Anyang are in their second season in K League 1 and with no automatic relegation this season, it means that the Violets are more or less guaranteed to have at least a third season in the top flight. So, without the threat of automatic relegation, and only one potential relegation playoff spot, does that mean the pressure is off? Han says it isn't something that is given too much thought. "Of course, psychologically there might be a bit of relief somewhere in the back of your mind, but I don’t think it’s that significant. Every team has its own goals. Our goal is to do better than last season, and last year we finished eighth. So our focus is on finishing higher than that. There may be some sense of relief, but I don’t think it changes things dramatically." Anyang's survival last year and all-round impressive first season in the top flight was helped by manager Ryu Byeong-hoon's so-called "zombie football." What do the Anyang players see as "zombie football?" "In the media, people call his football “zombie football,” but that’s obviously more of an abstract phrase. From an actual football perspective, I think what people mean is this: When we hear players from other teams talk about us, they often say we’re very solid and tightly connected as a team. Hearing that makes us realise that what we’re doing is working. "Last year, after getting promoted to K League 1, there were a lot of difficult moments. We had losing streaks and long periods without winning streaks. But even when we got knocked down, we kept getting back up quickly — like zombies. I think that’s what coach Ryu Byeong-hoon’s football is about." The passionate FC Anyang fanbase has also helped the Violets reach new heights. "I think football - and sports in general - obviously exist for the club’s own goals, but ultimately a huge percentage of it exists for the fans. Maybe this sounds like I’m crossing a line a bit, but I honestly think our fans are the strongest in the world. And I don’t mean strong in a loud or aggressive way - I mean strong in their hearts. "Because we have fans like that behind us, I truly believe Anyang’s potential is much higher than where we are now."