Song Chong-gug facts for kids
Song with Suwon Samsung Bluewings in 2008.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Song Chong-gug | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 February 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Danyang, Chungbuk, South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right-back, defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | Yonsei University | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Busan I'Cons | 34 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Feyenoord | 53 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 95 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Al-Shabab | 7 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Ulsan Hyundai | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Tianjin Teda | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 216 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | South Korea U20 | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | South Korea U23 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2007 | South Korea | 60 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Song Chong-gug | |
| Hangul |
송종국
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| Hanja |
宋鐘國
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| Revised Romanization | Song Jong-guk |
| McCune–Reischauer | Song Chongguk |
Song Chong-gug is a famous retired South Korean football player. He was born on February 20, 1979. Song played as a defender or a midfielder during his career. He played for football clubs in different countries like the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and China. Song also proudly played for the South Korea national football team in two big tournaments: the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Song Chong-gug's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Song Chong-gug began his international football journey in June 2000. He played his first game for the national team against Macedonia while still a university student. In 2001, Song started his professional career with a K League club called Busan I'Cons. He quickly became a star, winning the K League Rookie of the Year award in his first season.
The manager of the South Korean national team, Guus Hiddink, soon picked Song for the World Cup team. Song played in many different positions, both in midfield and defense. He eventually became the team's main right-back.
2002 FIFA World Cup Hero
South Korea finished in an amazing fourth place at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Song Chong-gug was a key player in this success. He was the only player on the team (besides the goalkeeper) to play every minute of all seven matches.
One of his most memorable moments was in the game against Portugal. He did an excellent job of stopping the famous player Luís Figo. Song blocked all twelve of Figo's dribbles, which helped South Korea win the match. He often talks about this special game when he appears on TV in South Korea.
Playing in Europe: Feyenoord
After the 2002 World Cup, big European clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal wanted to sign Song. However, his club, Busan I'Cons, made it difficult for him to leave. Song really wanted to play in Europe. He eventually joined Feyenoord, a club in the Netherlands.
He played 56 games for Feyenoord over two seasons, including matches in the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, he had some ankle injuries, which affected his performance. When the team got a new manager, Song lost his regular spot in the squad.
Back to South Korea: Suwon Samsung Bluewings
In January 2005, Song returned to South Korea to play for Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Later that year, he injured his ankle again and needed surgery. He came back to play after five months, but his skills were not quite as sharp as before.
Even with concerns about his fitness, Song was chosen for the national team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played in the first group match against Togo. He successfully stopped the opposing player, Emmanuel Adebayor, and helped South Korea score the winning goal. Even though he played better than expected, the manager did not pick him for the next games.
After the 2006 World Cup, Song became a very important player for Suwon. He even became the team captain in 2008. He scored the winning goal in the 2008 K League Championship final, helping his team win the league title.
Retirement from Football
After leaving Suwon in 2010, Song played for a few more clubs. These included Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia, Ulsan Hyundai in South Korea, and Tianjin Teda in China. He left Tianjin at the end of the 2011 season. In March 2012, Song Chong-gug officially announced that he was retiring from professional football.
Song Chong-gug's Life Off the Field
Song Chong-gug has been married twice. In 2003, he married Kim Jung-ah. They later divorced three years later. On December 17, 2006, he married actress and model Park Yun-soo. They had a child together. However, in October 2015, Song and Park also divorced.
In September 2021, Song signed with DH Entertainment, a company that manages celebrities.
Honours and Awards
Song Chong-gug won many awards and championships during his football career.
Team Honours
- Busan I'Cons
- Korean League Cup runner-up: 2001
- Feyenoord
- KNVB Cup runner-up: 2002–03
- Suwon Samsung Bluewings
- Pan-Pacific Championship: 2009
- A3 Champions Cup: 2005
- K League 1: 2008
- Korean FA Cup: 2009
- Korean League Cup: 2005, 2008
- Korean Super Cup: 2005
- Tianjin Teda
- Chinese FA Cup: 2011
- South Korea U20
- AFC Youth Championship: 1998
- South Korea National Team
- AFC Asian Cup third place: 2007
Individual Awards
- K League All-Star: 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007
- AFC Player of the Month: November 2001
- K League Rookie of the Year: 2001
- K League 1 Best XI: 2001
- AFC Opta All-time XI at the FIFA World Cup: 2020
Images for kids
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Song with Suwon Samsung Bluewings in 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Song Chong-gug para niños
