Champions League-winning manager suspended for 'violent conduct' takes Korea caretaker role

Kim Do-hoon, the former Lion City Sailors manager accused of headbutting a rival coach in 2022, has been appointed as interim manager of the Korean national football team for two upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Kim Do-hoon [NEWS1]

Kim Do-hoon, the former Lion City Sailors manager accused of headbutting a rival coach in 2022, has been appointed as interim manager of the Korean national football team for two upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Kim, 53, will take the helm of the manager-less Taeguk Warriors for games against Singapore on June 6 and China on June 11, the Korea Football Association announced Monday.

A former striker with 72 appearances and 30 goals for the Korean national team, Kim has worked as a coach since retiring in 2005.

In 2014 he joined the U20 national team as an assistant manager, before taking the helm at Incheon United from 2015 to 2016 and Ulsan Hyundai from 2016 to 2020. He led Ulsan to the 2020 AFC Champions League title.

Former Ulsan Hyundai manager Kim Do-hoon poses with the AFC Champions League trophy after beating Persepolis in the final on Dec. 19, 2020. [AFC]

In 2021, Kim was appointed as manager Singaporean side Lion City Sailors, going on to win the Singapore Premier League title and record the best finish to date by a Singaporean side at the Champions League. His career was cut short the following year, when he resigned after being suspended for three games following an altercation during a game against Tampines Rovers.

During that game on July 24, Kim appeared to get into an argument with Tampines Rovers assistant coach Mustafic Fahrudin in the 87th minute at Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.

Footage from the game showed Fahrudin grab Kim by the arm first, as if to push him away, with the two then squaring up in the technical area on the side of the pitch. Kim appears to lower his forehead into Fahrudin's face in what appears to be a headbutt, with Fahrudin then clutching his face and moving away from Kim.

A still from the official match report video shared by the Singapore Premier League on YouTube appears to show Lion City Sailors manager Kim Do-hoon, bottom left in black, headbutting Tampines Rovers assistant coach Mustafic Fahrudin on the sidelines of a game on Sunday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A second brawl happened after the game, but was not caught on camera. Both Kim and Fahrudin were later charged by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) with "violent conduct," with both handed a three-match suspension. Kim was fined 2,000 Singaporean dollars ($1,500) and Fahrudin was fined 3,000. Kim resigned on Aug. 11.

The Korean national team manager post has been vacant since the KFA sacked Jurgen Klinsmann in February after his turbulent one-year spell during which he faced criticism for a perceived lack of tactical awareness and failing to win the AFC Asian Cup, where Korea exited with a semifinal loss.

The KFA did not immediately hire a new permanent manager but instead appointed U-23 team manager Hwang Sun-hong on Feb. 27 as interim manager to take charge of two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Thailand in March.

A new manager was supposed to be appointed in May, but the appointment of Kim suggests that decision has been delayed.

BY JIM BULLEY AND PAIK JI-HWAN [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]