News: Daejeon Citizen Appoint Lee Young-Ik as Manager

New manager Lee Young-Ik. Credit: DCFC.co.kr

Daejeon Citizen today announced that Lee Young-Ik will replace Choi Moon-Sik as first team manager.

The club wanted to act quickly following the resignation of the polarizing Coach Choi who ended his 17 month stay after the final league game of the season, moving swiftly to appoint the former LG Cheetahs defender.

The club said: "We have gentle yet strong character, so we looked to Lee Young-Ik, who is considered to be the right person to communicate well with the players, to focus on the team, and to reach the goal of winning promotion to the 2017 K League Classic season."

Following his appointment, Lee Young-Ik said, "I feel a great sense of mission. I will do my best to produce the results that can revive the expectations of the fans and the club, just as you trust me to do. Now is the most important time to prepare for and plan for next year. I will work with the club to ensure that we have the capacity to be promoted to the [K League] Classic."

Lee Young-Ik started his coaching career with Ulsan Hyundai Mipo in 1998 following his retirement as a player, where he was a defender for Lucky Goldstar/LG Cheetahs/Anyang LG Cheetahs (now FC Seoul).

He then moved to Daejeon Citizen in 2004, spending four years as part of Choi Yoon-Gyeom's backroom staff before starting a five year spell coaching FC Seoul's under 18 team.

In 2013 Coach Lee was appointed as assistant manager to Park Hang-Seo at Sangju Sangmu where he spent to years then, at the beginning of the 2016 season Lee became Kim Jong-Boo's right hand man at Gyeongnam FC.