2006 in Korean football

2006 in Korean football

Overview

SK, the owners of a K-League team based in Bucheon (Bucheon SK), surprised many when, with little warning, they moved the whole club to the island of Jeju, renaming the club Jeju United FC. The club based itself in Seogwipo where it took over the vacant Jeju World Cup Stadium.

Gyeongnam FC from the city of Changwon, joined the K-league, increasing the number of clubs to fourteen.

Events

* March 12 – The 2006 season of the K-League kicks off.
* April 7 – Goyang Kookmin Bank beats Incheon Korail 3-1 as the second division, the N-League gets underway.
* May 10 – Stage 1 of the K-League concludes with Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma as the winners.
* June 13 – Second-half goals from Lee Chun-Soo and Ahn Jung-Hwan help Korea recover from 1-0 down, to beat Togo at the World Cup.
* June 18 – A late goal from Park Ji-Sung allows Korea to draw 1-1 with France at the World Cup.
* June 23 – Korea’s World Cup campaign comes to an end after a 2-0 loss to Switzerland.
* June 26 - Pim Verbeek is announced as the new head coach of Korean national football team, replacing Dick Advocaat who left to take up a position with FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia.
* July 8 - Choi Jin-Cheul retires from all football following the Jeonbuk v Incheon United Hauzen Cup match.
* July 8 – Stage 1 of the N-League concludes with Goyang Kookmin Bank as the winners.
* July 26 - The Korean Football Association retains Afshin Ghotbi and Hong Myung-Bo as assistant coaches to new national team coach Pim Verbeek.
* July 26 - FC Seoul win the Hauzen Cup 2006 (K-League off-season cup) with one match spare, after drawing 1-1 away to Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
* July 28 - Changwon City beat Ulsan Mipo 2-1 in the final of the N-League Cup final (off-season cup tournament).
* August 23 – Stage 2 of the K-League to commence

National team

League tables

K-League

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (as Stage 1 winners) and Suwon Samsung Bluewings (as Stage 2 winners) qualify for the championship play-offs, along with the next best two teams in the above table, Pohang Steelers and FC Seoul.

Championship Play-offs:

Semi-finals

* Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 1-0 FC Seoul
* Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1-0 Pohang Steelers

Final

* Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 1-0, 2-1 Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Transfer deals

ummer transfer window

Korean players
* Baek Ji-Hoon from FC Seoul to Suwon Samsung Bluewings
* Choi Sung-Yong from Suwon Samsung Bluewings to Yokohama FC
* Jin Kyung-Sun from Ulsan Mipo to Daegu FC
* Kim Dong-Jin from FC Seoul to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
* Lee Eul-Yong from Trabzonspor to FC Seoul
* Lee Ho from Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
* Lee Kwan-Woo from Daejeon Citizen to Suwon Samsung Bluewings, $1.5m
* Lee Sang-Tae from Suwon Samsung Bluewings to Gyeongnam FC
* Moon Min-Kwi from Gyeongnam FC to Suwon Samsung Bluewings
* Seo Dong-Won from Incheon United to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma

Bosnian players
* Nikola Vasiljevic from Bosnia's FK Modriča Maxima to Jeju United FC

Brazilian players
* Dudu from Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma to FC Seoul
* Gabriel Lima from Daegu FC to ?
* Itamar Batista da Silva from Suwon Samsung Bluewings to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
* Jefferson Gama Rodrigues from FC Artmedia Bratislava to Daegu FC
* Ricardo from Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma to Busan I'Park
* Sandro Cardoso dos Santos from Suwon Samsung Bluewings to Chunnam Dragons (loan)
* Selmir from Incheon United to Chunnam Dragons
* Silva from Corinthians Alagoano to Suwon Samsung Bluewings
* A Brazilian player from the Mexican league to Daejeon Citizen

Colombian players

* Milton Fabian Rodriguez from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to Newcastle United Jets (?)

Croatian players
* Jasmin Agic from Incheon United to Dinamo Zagreb

Macedonian players
* Blaze Ilioski from FK Rabotnicki to Incheon United

Romanian players
* Adrian Neaga from Chunnam Dragons to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, $1.1m

Serbian players
* Dragan Mladenović from Red Star Belgrade to Incheon United

Uruguayan players
* Juan Manuel Olivera from Danubio F.C. to Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Retirements

* Choi Yong-Soo, August 5