"I am very glad and happy for the players. In my opinion, JDT played very, very well, very intense, very dynamic, defensively very compact. I am very happy with my entire squad," said Bidoglio.

"JDT have a philosophy. JDT are a possession (based) team, we like to play on the opponents' side of the pitch and our philosophy is not only to have the ball but also keep the ball. When we lose the ball, we try to recover it within five seconds."

The tactician said his players are reaping rewards for their sacrifices.

"It is very difficult to play the way we play but I am very happy for the players as every game, they put in a lot of sacrifices.

"JDT are a big team, we are showing our football. I am proud of my entire squad and not just several players."

A crestfallen Kim Pan-gon apologised to the Ulsan HD fans for the result, with the Korea Republic champions not only still seeking their first point but also first continental goal of the season.

"I am very disappointed as we still haven't earned a point or scored a goal. I am very sorry for the Ulsan fans.

"It was tough for the players too as we had to endure a long journey after a tough match (in the K League 1) and it took a toll on the players," said the Ulsan HD head coach.

Having won the K League 1 title for the third season in a row, Ulsan were expected to go at JDT with guns blazing but instead produced a below par performance which left them firmly rooted bottom of the East Zone standings.

"We cannot find excuses. Today we lost, we have to look forward to next game as we mustn't give up trying to qualify for the Round of 16."