Jeonbuk coach Choi the man with the Midas touch
By Peter Rutherford
SEOUL, Nov 10 (Reuters) - For many South Korean soccer fans, Choi Kang-hee will be forever remembered as the glum-looking national team coach who pushed the limping Koreans over the line in a dire 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
To fans of K-League club Jeonbuk Motors, however, Choi is the man with the Midas touch, an iconic figure who has led them to three Korean titles in the last six years, their latest success sealed with a 3-0 away win over Jeju on Saturday.
Jeonbuk's dominance saw them lose just five league games all season and they closed out the title with three games to spare, with nearest challengers Suwon a massive 13 points adrift.
Choi, who also led Jeonbuk to the Korean title in 2009 and 2011, said this season's crown took on extra significance.
"We began this season with a special, resolute determination as it is the team's 20th anniversary this year," local media quoted Choi as saying.
Jeonbuk's stellar season means they will enter next season's Asian Champions League as one of the favourites.
The side from North Jeolla province, in the country's southwest, won Asia's top club competition in 2006 and finished runner-up in 2011 -- both times with Choi at the helm.
When Cho Kwang-rae was sacked as national team coach in December 2011, the Korea Football Association turned to Choi but the 55-year-old was reluctant to leave Jeonbuk.
With the country's World Cup campaign hanging in the balance, he finally agreed to take over the top job but insisted his contract expire after qualification and that someone else should lead South Korea in Brazil.
JEONBUK RETURN
Choi's arrival did little to improve the national team's fortunes and they only secured automatic qualification on goal difference after a 1-0 loss to Iran in their last group game.
Choi immediately signalled his intention to step down, though after a lacklustre 18 months in charge there were few fans demanding he stay on.
There was only ever one place for Choi to go and his return to Jeonbuk in 2013 convinced fans the good times were just around the corner.
A year later, they are celebrating their third championship.
"I want to thank the fans for waiting for me while I was away as a coach of the national team, and for their ardent support when I came back," Choi added.
"At the beginning of the season, we had our ups and downs. But after the World Cup we concentrated on the league and our organisation improved, which raised the players' confidence too.
"I think Jeonbuk have the potential to go on and win more titles now, and this year's victory means more to me than the previous ones." (Additional reporting by Kahyun Yang; Editing by John O'Brien)
