Korean Choi to coach Tianjin Quanjian
▶ New manager has reportedly signed 3-year deal worth $22 million
South Korean Choi Kang-hee will take over as head coach of Tianjin Quanjian at the end of the season, the Chinese Super League (CSL) side announced Saturday.
The former Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors manager has long been linked with a move to Tianjin, and his assistant at Jeonbuk, Park Choong-kyun, was named interim coach at Quanjian after the sacking of Portuguese Paulo Sousa in October.
Jeonbuk announced last month that Choi would leave the South Korean club after leading them to win the 2018 K League title.
The former defender played in the 1988 Olympic Games and 1990 World Cup with South Korea.
He was appointed manager of Jeonbuk from 2005 to 2011, and then took the reins of his country in 2011.
In 2013, after successfully leading the Taegeuk Warriors to the 2014 World Cup finals, Choi chose to leave and return to Jeonbuk.
In his two stints, the 59-year-old led Jeonbuk to six K League titles and two Asian Champions League crowns. He was named best coach in the K League five times and awarded Asia’s best coach by the Asian Football Confederation in 2006 and 2016.
“Mr Choi Kang-hee is undoubtedly the most successful Asian coach in recent years,” Quanjian said in the statement to announce the signing.
Quanjian did not reveal the details of Choi’s contract, but reports said he has been offered a three-year deal with total earnings of 150 million yuan ($22 million).
Quanjian have spent big in recent years and gained promotion to the CSL after winning the 2016 League One under the guidance of Fabio Cannavaro.
In their debut season in the CSL, Quanjian finished third in the 16-team league and qualified for the 2018 Asian Champions League.
After Cannavaro left Quanjian for Guangzhou Evergrande at the end of last season, the club hired Sousa to replace the former World Player of the Year.
Despite guiding the club into the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League, the Portuguese was sacked after a series of poor results left them fourth from last in the CSL with six rounds left in early October.
With two rounds remaining, Quanjian are now ninth in the CSL and haven’t sealed top-flight status for next season, three points above the relegation zone.
They travel to Changchun Yatai, who are just one point behind them, on Wednesday in the penultimate round.
On the closing day of the season on November 11, they will play at home to Shanghai SIPG who could have already sealed the CSL title.
SIPG extended their lead over second-paced Evergrande to five points after winning a 5-4 thriller on Saturday at Guangzhou’s Tianhe Stadium.
One draw in the final two games will be enough for them to deny Evergrande an eighth straight CSL title.