Ko Jong-soo
Ko Jong-soo is a South Korean football coach and former player.
Early life
Born in Yeosu, Jeonnam, Ko graduated from Yeosu West Elementary School, Yeosu Gubong Middle School and Kumho High School.While playing as a youth footballer for Kumho High School, Ko led his team to the title in the, one of national high school football competitions in South Korea, and was nicknamed the "Enfant terrible". His talent received attention early from South Korea's senior professional clubs, and he joined Suwon Samsung Bluewings just before his graduation.
Playing career
After joining Suwon Samsung Bluewings as a founding member in December 1995, Ko showed remarkable dribbles, passes and shots which led Suwon's prime. During his era, Suwon won 13 titles including two Asian Club Championships and two K Leagues. Especially, he was named the K League Most Valuable Player after contributing to his club's first-ever league title in 1998.Ko was also noted for his free kicks and the front and right of the penalty arc were called "Ko Jong-soo Zones" in South Korea. He scored with a memorable free kick against José Luis Chilavert when he participated in FIFA's all-star game before the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Ko was evaluated as the best Korean technician at the time, and his left foot is considered one of the greatest feet of all time in South Korea. He was expected to play for the national team in the 2002 World Cup, hosted by his country. However, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in the 2001 season, and failed to recover his condition before the World Cup. This injury was also fatal to his playing career, and he could not show his former talent.
Managerial career
Ko spent his coaching career in Suwon Samsung Bluewings from 2011 to 2017. In November 2017, Ko was appointed Daejeon Citizen manager by Kim Ho, the Daejeon Citizen president at the time and his manager during his playing career. However, he was convicted of corruption for improperly selecting an acquaintance's son for the team after the 2018 season. He received a suspended six-month prison sentence.Career statistics
International
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 25 January 1997 | Sydney, Australia | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1997 Opus Tournament | |
| 2 | 29 January 1998 | Bangkok, Thailand | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1998 King's Cup | |
| 3 | 5 June 1999 | Seoul, South Korea | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 4 | 24 January 2001 | Hong Kong | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2001 Lunar New Year Cup | |
| 5 | 27 January 2001 | Hong Kong | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2001 Lunar New Year Cup | |
| 6 | 11 February 2001 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2001 Dubai Tournament |
Honours
Player
Suwon Samsung Bluewings- K League 1: 1998, 1999, 2004
- Korean FA Cup: 2002
- Korean League Cup: 1999, 1999+, 2000, 2001
- Korean Super Cup: 1999, 2000
- Asian Club Championship: 2000–01, 2001–02
- Asian Super Cup: 2001, 2002
- Korean League Cup top assist provider: 1997
- K League All-Star: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005
- K League 1 Most Valuable Player: 1998
- K League 1 Best XI: 1998, 1999
- Korean League Cup top goalscorer: 2000
- AFC Goal of the Month: February 2001
- AFC Player of the Month: March 2001
Manager
Individual- K League Manager of the Month: August 2018, September 2018