 Hong in 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1969-02-12)12 February 1969 (age 56) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Seoul, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Sweeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | South Korea (manager) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1983[1] | Kwanghee Middle School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1986[1] | Dongbuk High School [ko] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | Korea University [ko] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Sangmu FC (draft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1997 | Pohang Steelers | 110 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Bellmare Hiratsuka | 42 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Kashiwa Reysol | 72 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Pohang Steelers | 19 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | LA Galaxy | 38 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 281 | (21) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | South Korea U23 | 1[α] | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | South Korea B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2002 | South Korea | 136 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | South Korea (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | South Korea U20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | South Korea U23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Anzhi Makhachkala (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Hangzhou Greentown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2024 | Ulsan HD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hong Myung-bo | |
| Hangul | 홍명보 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 洪明甫 |
| RR | Hong Myeongbo |
| MR | Hong Myŏngbo |
Hong Myung-bo (Korean:홍명보,Hanja: 洪明甫;Korean pronunciation:[hoŋmjʌŋbo]; born 12 February 1969) is a South Korean football manager and formerfootballer who played as asweeper. Hong is often considered one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time.[3] He is currently the manager of theSouth Korea national team.
Hong was a member of the South Korean national team in fourFIFA World Cups, and was the first Asian player to play in four consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments. He is also the first Asian player ever to receive the Bronze Ball at the FIFA World Cup.[4] He gained attention after showing his outstanding ability in the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup competitions. He received some votes in elections for theFIFA World Player of the Year, finishing 21st in1996 and 17th in2002.[5][6] Furthermore, he was also selected for theFIFA 100,Pelé's selection about the 125 greatest living footballers in the world.[7]
Hong was named inSouth Korea's squad for the1990 FIFA World Cup just four months after his international debut.[8] The youngest South Korean player to participate in the tournament, Hong played all of the three matches in the group stage and received the most praise in South Korea despite losing all group matches.[9][10]
Hong was selected as a member ofSouth Korean Universiade team in1991.[2] He stabilized South Korea's defense, helping them advance to the final.[11] He scored South Korea's first penalty in the shoot-out after South Korea drew the final with the Netherlands without a goal during 120 minutes. Hong and South Korea won a gold medal by defeating the Netherlands on penalties.[12]
Hong's talent began to receive attention in earnest since the1994 FIFA World Cup. When South Korea had only five minutes to catch upSpain, which was leading the match with the score of 2–0, he scored South Korea's first goal outside the penalty area, and assisted his teammateSeo Jung-won to score the equaliser shortly after his goal.[13] While South Korea was losing to defending championsGermany by conceding three goals in the first half, Hong scored one of South Korea's two goals in the second half with a long-range shot.[14][15]
Hong participated in the1994 Asian Games after the World Cup, but he injured his knee during the quarter-final match againstJapan.[16] South Korea lost toUzbekistan in the semi-finals after he quit the tournament.
WhilePark Jong-hwan managed South Korean national team, Hong was in conflict with Park who had a coercive disposition, and was criticized for forming his faction in the team.[17] He was also doubted whether he played the game lazily after South Korea lost 6–2 toIran in the quarter-finals of the1996 AFC Asian Cup.[18]
Under the next managerCha Bum-kun, South Korea recorded one draw and two defeats including a 5–0 loss to theNetherlands in the group stage of the1998 FIFA World Cup. Hong also failed to prevent South Korea's elimination in the group stage.[19]
Hong was going to be selected as an over-aged player ofSouth Korean under-23 team for the2000 Summer Olympics, but he was injured just before the tournament.[20]
In the2000 AFC Asian Cup, Hong was selected for the All-Star Team, although South Korea failed to win the title by losing the semi-final match againstSaudi Arabia.
Hong captained South Korea to a historic fourth-place finish in the2002 FIFA World Cup. He scored the winning penalty to secure a 5–3 shoot-out victory after a goalless draw in the quarter-final match against Spain. The Technical Study Group voted Hong as the third best player of the tournament, giving the Bronze Ball to him. He became the first-ever Asian player to be named one of the top three players in a World Cup.
In that year, Hong ended his international career after a friendly match against World Cup championsBrazil as the all-time leader in appearances forSouth Korean national team.[21]
Hong didn't have rapid pace, untiring stamina or outstanding ability inman-to-man defense, but he possessed a wide field of vision as well as great leadership skills with which he marshalled his defensive partners.[22][23][24] An offensivesweeper, he was noted for his accurate long-range passing skills which greatly contributed to South Korea's attack.[25] He was nicknamed the "Eternal Libero" by the South Korean media, and became a preeminent icon of South Korean football during his era.[26]
On 26 September 2005, after his retirement as a player, Hong returned to the national team as assistant coach. Helping the managerDick Advocaat, Hong took part in the2006 FIFA World Cup, and worked with the next managerPim Verbeek in the2007 AFC Asian Cup. After the resignation of Verbeek, he was one of the candidates to become the next manager.
TheKorean FA announced that it had appointed Hong as the manager of theSouth Korea under-20 team, on 19 February 2009. Under his guidance the team reached the quarter-finals of the2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but were eliminated due to a 3–2 defeat toGhana, the eventual champions.
Hong also served an assistant coach forSouth Korea under-23 team underPark Sung-hwa. In October 2009, he took over the coaching duties at under-23 team. He led his team into third place in the2010 Asian Games. On 10 August 2012, Hong Myung-bo coached the men's Olympic team to a 2–0 win overJapan to secure the bronze medal at the2012 Summer Olympics, which set up a record by obtaining the first medal ever for South Korea in Olympic football as well as being the first Asian team in 44 years to win a medal at that event.[27]
Choi Kang-hee, the previous manager ofSouth Korea, resigned from his position at the end of the2014 FIFA World Cup qualification. After working as assistant coach toGuus Hiddink atRussian Premier League clubAnzhi Makhachkala for half a year, Hong was appointed as the new manager of the team on 24 June 2013 to prepare the team for the2014 FIFA World Cup.[28] After a winless FIFA World Cup campaign, Hong resigned from his post on 10 July 2014.[29]
On 17 December 2015, Hong was appointed as the manager ofChinese Super League clubHangzhou Greentown. In his first match on 6 March 2016, he guided the team to a 2–1 win overChangchun Yatai. However, his team was relegated to the second division after the2016 season. The next year, he resigned from the club and criticised the club's owner for interfering in tactics and selection of players.[30]
On 24 December 2020, Hong was appointed as the manager ofK League 1 clubUlsan Hyundai.[31] He led the club to win two consecutive national league titles in2022 and2023.[29]
On 8 July 2024, Hong was reappointed as the manager of the South Korea national team by Korean FA's committeemen in charge of finding a new manager.[29] Korean FA presidentChung Mong-gyu, who preferred foreign managers to domestic managers, tried to interfere in the procedure, but Hong's appointment was not reversed by the support of executives and committeemen.[32] His team qualified for the2026 FIFA World Cup with six wins and four draws without a defeat despite criticism about three consecutive draws in the middle of thequalifiers.[33]
Hong married Cho Soo-mi, who was five years younger than him, in 1997. He has two sons, Hong Seong-min and Hong Jeong-min. One of them is currently attendingKorea International School.[citation needed] Hong also has two younger siblings. Hong is known for his reticence and charisma.[34]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sangmu FC (draft) | 1991 | Semipro League | [a] | [b] | — | [c] | ||||||||
| Pohang Steelers | 1992 | K League | 29 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 1 | |||
| 1993 | K League | 11 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 | ||||
| 1994 | K League | 17 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 4 | ||||
| 1995 | K League | 24 | 1 | — | 7 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 1 | ||||
| 1996 | K League | 29 | 7 | [d] | 5 | 0 | [e] | — | 34 | 7 | ||||
| 1997 | K League | 0 | 0 | [d] | 6 | 0 | [e] | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 110 | 14 | 27 | 0 | — | 137 | 14 | |||||||
| Bellmare Hiratsuka | 1997 | J1 League | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| 1998 | J1 League | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 1 | ||||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 1999 | J1 League | 28 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 37 | 9 | ||
| 2000 | J1 League | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 2 | |||
| 2001 | J1 League | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| Total | 72 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2 | — | — | 88 | 11 | ||||
| Pohang Steelers | 2002 | K League | 19 | 0 | [d] | 0 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | |||
| LA Galaxy | 2003 | Major League Soccer | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | [f] | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2004 | Major League Soccer | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 0 | ||||||
| Career total | 281 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 37 | 2 | 331 | 26 | ||||||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 1990 | 20 | 2 |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 18 | 2 | |
| 1994 | 14 | 4 | |
| 1995 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 16 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 12 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 16 | 0 | |
| Total | 136 | 10 | |
| Competition | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Friendlies | 48 | 2 |
| Minor competitions | 26 | 2 |
| CONCACAF Gold Cup | 2 | 0 |
| Asian Games | 9 | 1 |
| AFC Asian Cup qualification | 3 | 1 |
| AFC Asian Cup | 9 | 0 |
| FIFA Confederations Cup | 3 | 0 |
| FIFA World Cup qualification | 20 | 2 |
| FIFA World Cup | 16 | 2 |
| Total | 136 | 10 |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 August 1990 | Beijing, China | 10 |  China | 1–0 | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (6–5p) | 1990 Dynasty Cup |
| 2 | 23 September 1990 | Beijing, China | 13 |  Singapore | 1–0 | 7–0 | 1990 Asian Games |
| 3 | 24 August 1992 | Beijing, China | 23 |  North Korea | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1992 Dynasty Cup |
| 4 | 13 May 1993 | Beirut, Lebanon | 29 |  India | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 19 October 1993 | Doha, Qatar | 39 |  Iraq | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 5 June 1994 | Boston, United States | 46 |  Ecuador | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 7 | 17 June 1994 | Dallas, United States | 48 |  Spain | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 8 | 27 June 1994 | Dallas, United States | 50 |  Germany | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 9 | 11 September 1994 | Gangneung, South Korea | 51 |  Ukraine | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 10 | 8 August 1996 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 69 |  Chinese Taipei | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| South Korea U20 | 19 February 2009 | 9 October 2009 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 066.67 | [37] |
| South Korea U23 | 20 October 2009 | 27 June 2013 | 32 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 059.38 | [38][39][40][41] |
| South Korea | 27 June 2013 | 10 July 2014 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 026.32 | [42][43] |
| Hangzhou Greentown | 17 December 2015 | 27 May 2017 | 45 | 15 | 11 | 19 | 033.33 | [44][45][46] |
| Ulsan HD[a] | 24 December 2020 | 11 July 2024 | 175 | 99 | 42 | 34 | 056.57 | [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55] |
| South Korea | 8 July 2024 | Present | 19 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 063.16 | [56][57] |
| Total | 302 | 158 | 72 | 72 | 052.32 | |||
Sangmu FC
Pohang Steelers
Kashiwa Reysol
South Korea B
South Korea
Individual
South Korea U23
Ulsan Hyundai
South Korea
Individual
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
