Newly promoted Gwangju FC extend head coach

▲ In this file photo from Oct. 24, 2022, Gwangju FC head coach Lee Jung-hyo gives an acceptance speech after being named the K League 2 Coach of the Year during the K League Awards ceremony in Seoul. (Yonhap)

▲ In this file photo from June 11, 2022, Gwangju FC head coach Lee Jung-hyo directs his players during a K League 2 match against FC Anyang at Gwangju Football Stadium in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)

football club-coach

Newly promoted Gwangju FC extend head coach

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Yonhap) -- Gwangju FC, newly promoted to the top South Korean football league, announced Wednesday they have extended head coach Lee Jung-hyo to 2024.

Lee, 47, guided Gwangju to the K League 2 title in his first season on the job in 2022, as they earned an automatic promotion to the top-flight K League 1 for this year.

Gwangju clinched the K League 2 title with four matches to spare, becoming the fastest team to secure the second division crown. They finished with 86 points from 25 wins, 11 draws and four losses, and set K League 2 records for most wins and most points in a season.

They also set a record for the longest home winning streak with 10 and became the first K League 2 team to beat every opponent on home field.

Lee, 47, was voted the K League 2 Coach of the Year for 2022.

"Gwangju trusted in me, and I want to be with our supporters for a long time," Lee said. "The 2023 season will present a new set of challenges, but we're ready to demonstrate what we are all about."

Gwangju FC set up their offseason training camp in Thailand. They will return home on Jan. 31 and open the second phase of training camp on Feb. 3 on Jeju Island.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved