Breaking: Daejeon Citizen Appoint Lee Heungsil as New Manager

Crisis-struck Daejeon Citizen have appointed Lee Heungsil as the Club's new manager. Lee, who won the 2016 K League Challenge title with Ansan Mugunghwa, replaced Park Chul who had been placed in caretaker charge following the dismissal of Ko Jongsoo in May.


Last Saturday Daejeon Citizen fell to yet another defeat, the eighth loss in the club's last 10 matches. The run, however, precedes caretaker manager Park Chul who has overseen the last five matches, four of which have ended in defeat.

To stem the tide, newly appointed Daejeon Citizen CEO Choi Yonggyu has moved for former Ansan Mugunghwa and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors manager Lee Heungsil as the club looks to bounce back from a poor first half of the season.

It is believed that Daejeon opted for Lee in favour of Bae Myoungho from Hong Kong Premier League side Kitchee SC, former Jeju United manager Cho Sunghwan, as well as Lee Jangkwan from Yongin University.

Lee began his professional coaching career with Jeonbuk in 2005 where he spent six years as an assistant coach. For the 2012 season Lee was placed in caretaker charge and guided Jeonbuk to the runners up spot, finishing second to FC Seoul.

In 2014 the former Posco Atoms midfielder moved to Gyeongnam FC as assistant coach before taking over at police side Ansan Mugunghwa where he guided the Gyeonggi Province side to the second tier title. That season, Ansan finished top of the division on 70 points having won 21 games, drawing 7 and losing 12 giving him a 52.5% win percentage.

Lee oversaw the transition from police team to a citizen club, which prevented Mugunghwa from playing in the to flight, when Ansan Mugunghwa became Ansan Greeners but after a difficult first two seasons, departed the club.

In 2019 the Changwon-born former K League MVP moved to Vietnam and was in charge of Viettel FC who won promotion to the top flight before Lee resigned.

Daejeon find themselves second bottom of K League 2 having won just three matches all season and losing 10.

Lee's first order of business is the trip to an in-form FC Anyang on Monday night.