football club-player
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| ▲ South Korean football player Lee Seung-woo poses in his Suwon FC kit after signing with the K League 1 club on Dec. 3, 2021, in this photo provided by Suwon FC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this file photo from June 15, 2021, Lee Seung-woo of the South Korean men's under-23 football team (L) dribbles past Jonah Attuquaye of Ghana during a friendly match at Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ South Korean football player Lee Seung-woo poses in his Suwon FC kit after signing with the K League 1 club on Dec. 3, 2021, in this photo provided by Suwon FC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
football club-player
Ex-Barca youth player Lee Seung-woo joins K League's Suwon FC
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- Former FC Barcelona youth product Lee Seung-woo signed with his hometown club Suwon FC on Friday, ending a European career mostly marred by disappointments.
The K League 1 club announced they have acquired the 23-year-old midfielder, without disclosing financial details. Industry sources have indicated it was a multiyear deal.
Lee, a native of Suwon, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul, joined FC Barcelona's famous youth academy in 2011 at 13. He scored 39 goals in 29 matches in his first season there, breaking a record once held by Lionel Messi.
Lee's promising career hit a rough patch in 2014, when he was banned from playing competitive games until his 18th birthday in 2016 because FIFA ruled that his signing with Barca had breached its transfer regulations.
Lee made his senior debut for Barcelona's B team in 2016, but he never reached the big club, instead bouncing around a few teams across Europe over the next handful of years. He went on to play for Hellas Verona in Italy's Serie A from 2017 to 2019 and then joined Sint-Truiden in Belgium.
Sint-Truiden loaned him to Portimonense in Portugal, but Lee's original deal with Sint-Truiden expired last month.
Along the way, Lee never quite lived up to his considerable potential, and, with Sint-Truiden, barely got into matches.
Internationally, Lee has represented South Korea across junior and senior levels. He played at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the Asian Games, and the 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.
Lee has 11 caps for the senior team, but none since June 2019. He also missed the cut for this year's Tokyo Olympics.
"I can't wait to meet K League fans for the first time as a member of Suwon FC," Lee said in a statement released by the team. "I am eager for a fresh start. I'll do my best to help elevate Suwon FC to the ranks of elite clubs."
With one match left this K League 1 season, Suwon FC are sitting in fifth place among 12 clubs on 48 points, two ahead of their in-town rivals, Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
In Lee, Suwon FC have landed one of the most popular South Korean football players, a brash, free-spirited attacker who plays with an edge and no shortage of flair.
"He will bring experience and youthful energy to our team," Suwon FC said in a statement. "We're looking forward to upgrading our offense next season."
Suwon FC have scored 51 goals in 37 matches so far this year, fourth most in the league.
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