Lee Chun-soo

Club

International

Results list South Korea's goal tally first.

Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i

Lee signed a five-year contract with Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in February 2002, with the club agreeing to support a future move abroad. He scored on his professional debut against Suwon Samsung Bluewings on 10 July 2002. Lee recorded seven goals and nine assists in 18 appearances during the 2002 K League season. He helped Ulsan win their final eight matches and finish as runners-up. He won the league's top assist provider award and was selected for the Best XI. He was also named Rookie of the Year, receiving 73 of 74 votes. In May 2003, Lee was named the Asian Football Confederation's Young Player of the Year for 2002. He recorded eight goals and six assists in 18 league appearances for Ulsan in 2003 before joining Real Sociedad in July.

Real Sociedad

In July 2003, Lee joined Real Sociedad for a transfer fee of US$3.5 million, signing a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. He became the first South Korean to join a La Liga club. Lee made his competitive debut against Espanyol on 30 August 2003. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with Darko Kovačević scoring Sociedad's equaliser by finishing Lee's chip over the goalkeeper. Lee was credited with an assist. That September, he told Korean reporters that he hoped to move to Barcelona within two years and join Real Madrid two years later. Lee made 21 competitive appearances during the 2003–04 season, including 13 in La Liga and six in the UEFA Champions League, without scoring.…

Early career and 2002 World Cup

Lee represented South Korea's under-18 team at the 1999 Bangabandhu Cup in Bangladesh, finishing as the tournament's leading scorer. Lee made his debut for the senior national team on 5 April 2000 in Asian Cup qualifying against Laos, scoring in a 9–0 victory. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Lee scored the only goal against Morocco, converting the rebound after Tarik El Jarmouni had saved his penalty. However, Lee was sent off early in the final group match against Chile; South Korea won 1–0 but were eliminated on goal difference despite winning two of their three matches. He missed the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, due to the four-match suspension following his dismissal at the Olympics and a left ankle injury. Lee joined Guus Hiddink's squad during its European training camp in August 2001 and established himself as an option on the wing. Lee appeared in all seven of South Korea's matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. While playing the first five matches as a substitute, he became famous for kicking Paolo Maldini's head in the round of 16 against Italy. In the semi-finals against Germany, where Lee was in the starting line-up for the first time, he had a shot saved by Oliver Kahn in the eighth minute, but drew criticism for carrying the ball rather than passing to an unmarked Ahn Jung-hwan during a second-half counterattack. The move ended when Michael Ballack fouled Lee in the 71st minute, receiving the booking that ruled him out of the final.…

Lee played as a winger and attacking midfielder. He combined pace and dribbling ability with considerable stamina. A contemporary assessment of his performances at the 2002 World Cup praised these qualities but identified inaccurate crossing and a tendency to pursue individual opportunities at the expense of combination play as weaknesses. Reviewing his career at retirement, The Hankyoreh also highlighted his vision and intelligent play. Lee was also a free-kick specialist, scoring 12 goals directly from free kicks during his K League career. Although right-footed, he was effective from either side of the penalty area. He developed his technique by imitating David Beckham during extra practice after team training.

Lee was born in Incheon and began playing football in the fourth grade at Bupyeong Elementary School. He then attended Bupyeongdong Middle School and Bupyeong High School. Lee's family experienced financial difficulties after his father's employer went bankrupt while Lee was in middle school, and he frequently struggled to pay his football team's boarding fees during high school. Lee initially was not a starter for his high school because of his small stature but trained at night to improve his fitness. He and his school teammates Choi Tae-uk and Park Yong-ho were known as the "Bupyeong trio"; all three later represented South Korea at senior level. Lee first attracted attention in 1998, when he helped Bupyeong win the autumn high-school football federation tournament, finishing as its top scorer with eight goals. He then helped the school win three titles in 1999, and professional clubs sought to recruit him later that year. Lee entered Korea University in 2000, turning down professional offers on the understanding that he could pursue a move abroad. That March, he helped the university win the President's Cup. His performances in 2000 earned him the nickname "Millennium Express" (밀레니엄 특급). Lee left university after his second year and joined Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in February 2002.

Player

Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i

K League 1: 2005 Korean League Cup: 2007 Korean Super Cup: 2006 A3 Champions Cup: 2006 Feyenoord

KNVB Cup: 2007–08 Suwon Samsung Bluewings

K League 1: 2008 Korean League Cup: 2008 Incheon United

Korean FA Cup runner-up: 2015 South Korea U23

Asian Games bronze medal: 2002 South Korea

AFC Asian Cup third place: 2007 Individual

K League All-Star: 2002, 2006, 2007, 2013 K League 1 top assist provider: 2002 K League Rookie of the Year: 2002 K League 1 Best XI: 2002, 2005 AFC Youth Player of the Year: 2002 K League 1 Most Valuable Player: 2005 A3 Champions Cup Most Valuable Player: 2006 A3 Champions Cup top goalscorer: 2006 AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2007 Korean FA Goal of the Year: 2007

Television personality