‘Transfer crisis’ over… ‘Dramatic signing’ Hwang Inbeom’s Zvezda to face ‘defending champions’ Man City in UCL

The move worked out in the end. South Korea international Hwang In-beom (27) has saved his season.

Serbian side Zvezda announced the signing of Hwang In-bum through their official channel on May 5 (KST). According to the club, Hwang signed a four-year contract.

Another new challenge. After playing for the K League 1 Daejeon Citizen (now Daejeon Hana Citizen), Hwang made his first overseas move in 2019 to Vancouver, Canada. As he continued to improve, including earning a spot on the national team, Hwang’s expectations grew as he headed to Russian big club Rubin Kazan in 2020.

Unforeseen circumstances intervened. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine early last year led to the expulsion of Russian teams, including Rubin Kazan, from FIFA and UEFA. The Russian economy was also destabilized. It was hard to focus on soccer. Hwang In-beom quickly looked for a new team. He signed a short-term loan deal with FC Seoul in the K League 1.

The level of the national team starter was different. In his brief return to the domestic scene, Hwang proved his class by showing off his excellent game coordination. In July, Hwang moved to Olympiakos in Greece.

The Greek stage was narrow for Hwang In-beom. He quickly adapted to the league and emerged as a top midfielder. In the 2022-23 season, he played in 40 games, scoring five goals and providing four assists, making him a key member of the midfield. He was recognized for his efforts by being named Olympiacos Player of the Year.

However, things didn’t end well with Olympiacos. During the transfer process, Hwang and the club had a falling out. Big league clubs from Germany and Italy were interested in signing him, but Olympiakos rejected their offers.

According to local media in Greece, Hwang signed a 1+2 year contract with Olympiakos. Therefore, it was argued that Hwang’s buyout was worth 3 million euros (about 4.5 billion won). However, Olympiacos reportedly only wanted a transfer fee of more than €10 million (approx. KRW14.5 billion) because he signed an initial three-year contract.

The complicated situation meant that Hwang didn’t even play in the preseason tour. Olympiacos fans took to social media to criticize the player.

The transfer saga is over. Hwang In-Beom has joined Serbian side Zvezda for a new challenge.

He’ll be looking to compete in Europe. Zvezda is in Group G of the UEFA Champions League for the 2023-24 season. It will face defending champions Manchester City (England), RB Leipzig (Germany), and Young Boys (Switzerland) for a spot in the round of 16. As a talent sought after by Italian and German clubs, Hwang’s chances of making it to the UCL are high.

For now, Hwang has moved to England to join the South Korean national team. His new club, Zvezda, will play 카지노 their first Champions League match against Man City on May 20.