Ko Jong-soo
Ko Jong-soo | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 30, 1978 Yeosu, Jeonnam, South Korea |
| Occupation(s) | Footballer, coach |
| Years active | 1996–2008 (player), 2011–2017 (coach), 2017–2018 (manager) |
| Known for | South Korean footballer and coach, K League MVP 1998 |
Template:Family name hatnote
Template:Infobox football biography
Ko Jong-soo (Template:Korean, born on 30 October 1978) is a former South Korean footballer and current coach.
Early life
Originating from Yeosu in Jeonnam, Ko completed his education at Yeosu West Elementary, Yeosu Gubong Middle School, and Kumho High School.[1]
During his youth career at Kumho High School, Ko captained his squad to victory in the Baeklokgi Football Tournament, a prominent nationwide high school competition in South Korea, earning him the nickname "Enfant terrible".[2] His exceptional skills attracted early interest from top-tier South Korean clubs, leading to his signing with Suwon Samsung Bluewings prior to finishing high school.[3]
Playing career
Ko became a founding member of Suwon Samsung Bluewings in December 1995 and quickly distinguished himself through his exceptional dribbling, precise passing, and powerful shooting. His tenure coincided with an era in which Suwon secured thirteen trophies, including two Asian Club Championship titles and two K League championships. Notably, he earned the K League MVP following his pivotal role in Suwon’s maiden league triumph in 1998.[3]
Renowned for his expertise in free kicks, the areas directly in front and to the right of the penalty arc became popularly known as the "Ko Jong-soo Zones" within South Korean football circles. One of his most memorable moments was scoring a free kick against goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert during FIFA's all-star match preceding the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[4]
At the peak of his career, Ko was regarded as South Korea’s finest technical player,[5] with his left foot considered among the greatest ever seen in the nation’s football history.[6] Although anticipated to feature for South Korea during the home-hosted 2002 World Cup, a cruciate ligament injury sustained during the 2001 season prevented him from regaining full fitness in time.[7] This injury significantly impacted his career trajectory, limiting his ability to perform at previous levels.
Managerial career
Ko dedicated his entire coaching tenure to Suwon Samsung Bluewings, serving from 2011 until 2017. In November 2017, he was appointed as the manager of Daejeon Citizen by then-president Kim Ho, who had also been his manager during his playing days. Following the conclusion of the 2018 season, Ko faced legal repercussions after being found guilty of corruption related to the improper recruitment of a friend's son to the team. As a result, he was handed a suspended prison sentence of six months.
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 1996 | K League | 11 | 1 | ? | ? | 3 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | |
| 1997 | K League | 7 | 1 | ? | ? | 8 | 2 | ? | ? | 15 | 3 | |
| 1998 | K League | 19 | 3 | ? | ? | 1 | 0 | ? | ? | 20 | 3 | |
| 1999 | K League | 14 | 2 | ? | ? | 7 | 2 | ? | ? | 21 | 4 | |
| 2000 | K League | 8 | 4 | ? | ? | 5 | 3 | ? | ? | 13 | 7 | |
| 2001 | K League | 12 | 5 | ? | ? | 8 | 5 | ? | ? | 20 | 10 | |
| 2002 | K League | 20 | 4 | ? | ? | (0) | 0 | ? | ? | 20 | 4 | |
| 2004 | K League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| Total | 96 | 21 | ? | ? | 32 | 12 | ? | ? | 128 | 33 | ||
| Kyoto Purple Sanga (loan) | 2003 | J1 League | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 16 | 2 | |
| Jeonnam Dragons | 2005 | K League | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 16 | 2 | |
| Daejeon Citizen | 2007 | K League | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | |
| 2008 | K League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| Total | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — !28 !2 | |||||
| Career total | 144 !24 !1 !0 !43 !15 !? !? !188 !39 | |||||||||||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 1997 | 10 | 1 |
| 1998 | 16 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 3 | |
| Career total | 38 | 6 | |
- Scores list South Korea's goals first.
Player
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
- K League 1 titles secured in 1998, 1999, and 2004
- Victorious in the Korean FA Cup during the 2002 season
- Champions of the Korean League Cup in 1999, including the supplementary cup of the same year, as well as in 2000 and 2001
- Winners of the Korean Super Cup in both 1999 and 2000
- Triumphed in the Asian Club Championship for the 2000–01 and 2001–02 campaigns
- Claimed the Asian Super Cup titles in 2001 and 2002
Individual
- Leading assist provider in the Korean League Cup for the year 1997
- Selected for the K League All-Star squad consecutively in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and again in 2005
- Awarded the K League 1 Most Valuable Player accolade in 1998
- Named to the K League 1 Best XI teams of both 1998 and 1999
- Top scorer of the Korean League Cup competition in 2000
- Recipient of the AFC Goal of the Month award for February 2001
- Honored as the AFC Player of the Month in March 2001
Manager
Individual
- Recipient of K League Manager of the Month honors for August 2018 and September 2018
Notes
References
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External links
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 January 1997 | Sydney, Australia | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 3–1 | Opus Tournament#1997 Opus Tournament |
| 2 | 29 January 1998 | Bangkok, Thailand | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–0 | King's Cup (Thailand football tournament) |
| 3 | 5 June 1999 | Seoul, South Korea | Template:Fb | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly match |
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
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- 1978 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Yeosu
- Suwon Samsung Bluewings players
- Kyoto Sanga FC players
- Jeonnam Dragons players
- Daejeon Hana Citizen players
- K League 1 players
- J1 League players
- 1998 FIFA World Cup players
- 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Olympic footballers for South Korea
- Men's association football midfielders
- Expatriate men's footballers in Japan
- South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Japan
- South Korean expatriate men's footballers
- South Korea men's international footballers
- South Korean men's footballers
- Footballers from South Jeolla Province
- Daejeon Hana Citizen managers
- K League 2 managers
- South Korean football managers
- AFC Champions League Elite–winning players