South Korean football club Daegu FC said Wednesday they've signed Australian defender Ivan Franjic.The K League Classic club said they acquired Franjic from Australian A-League club Melbourne City FC. He will wear the No. 77 jersey.This photo provided by Daegu FC on July 19, 2017, shows Australian defender Ivan Franjic holding a Daegu FC scarf for a photo. (Yonhap)Franjic made his A-League debut with Brisbane Roar in 2009 and became one of the best full backs in the league. He won three champion

Former national football team head coach Uli Stielike has left South Korea and returned to his home country, officials in Seoul said Wednesday.The Korea Football Association said Stielike departed for Germany on Saturday, one month after he was sacked as the men's national football team boss.The KFA said Stielike had a luncheon with his former backroom staff, including assistant coaches Jung Hae-sung and Seol Ki-hyeon, before leaving South Korea.The KFA said Stielike didn't leave a message for S

South Korean city Yongin said Tuesday that nothing has been confirmed on hosting a pro football club in its region, denying rumors that it has contacted Jeju United in the top domestic league.Yongin, a city in Gyeonggi Province located 50 kilometers south of Seoul, will complete the construction of a multi-sport stadium with 37,155 seats in November. To make the stadium sustainable, it was suspected the city would host a sports franchise and it was rumored to be talking with Jeju United.But a ci

South Korean winger Hwang Il-su said Tuesday he believes he can still earn a call-up to the national football team despite his move to a Chinese club.Hwang joined Chinese Super League outfit Yanbian Funde from South Korean side Jeju United last week. The 29-year-old said even though he is away from home, he will try to catch the eyes of the new national football team head coach Shin Tae-yong for upcoming World Cup qualifiers."If I can play regularly in the Chinese league and perform well, I thin

South Korean midfielder Lee Chung-yong has been dropped from his English Premier League club's preseason tour in Hong Kong due to injury.Lee will not join Crystal Palace at the Premier League Asia Trophy friendly tournament, which also features Liverpool, Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion, according to London-based newspaper the Croydon Advertiser on Tuesday (Seoul time). It reported that Lee and his teammate James McArthur are not with the team in Hong Kong because they have picked up inj

South Korea on Monday announced new rules for the national school football leagues that include strict academic requirements for university student-athletes.The Korea Football Association said only the schools that adopt the so-called "C grade system" will be allowed to compete in the U League, a KFA-organized circuit for university football clubs, starting from 2018. Under the C grade system, students who earned an average grade of C or below for two consecutive semesters will not be able to co

The national football governing body said Monday the kickoff time for South Korea's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Iran has been changed.The Korea Football Association announced that the match between South Korea and Iran will start at 9 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Aug. 31, 30 minutes later than originally scheduled. The two teams are in Group A in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In this file photo taken on March 28, 2017, South Korean football

The number of registered footballers in South Korea has surpassed the 100,000 mark, the sport's national governing body said Monday.The Korea Football Association said the 100,000th player -- an elementary school student -- was registered in its database last Friday, and there are now more than 100,000 footballers -- including both pro and amateur -- in the country.The number of registered footballers has more than tripled from a year earlier. Such a rapid hike is due to last year's merger with

FC Barcelona's South Korean prospect Lee Seung-woo is mulling over multiple options as he's met with the Catalan club to discuss his future, an official here said Monday.Lee, who departed for Spain on June 26, recently met with Barcelona officials to negotiate his future contract, a person close to Lee told Yonhap News Agency. The 19-year-old forward has been playing with Juvenil A of the La Liga club, which is the final team in the club's youth academy. In this file photo taken on June 26, 2017

The South Korean men's national football team will depart for Uzbekistan for a crucial World Cup qualifier earlier than scheduled to ensure thorough preparation, the sport's national federation said Friday.South Korea will take on Uzbekistan on Sept. 5 at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent. The Korea Football Association said the national team had been set to depart for Uzbekistan on Sept. 3, but it decided to fly out on Sept. 1 instead. The match will be the final one for both nations in the current

South Korean footballer Son Heung-min on Thursday departed for London to prepare for a new English Premier League season with Tottenham Hotspur.Son stayed in his homeland about 70 days after having a successful season with Tottenham. He netted 21 goals in all competitions during the 2016-2017 season, breaking the single-season scoring record for a South Korean in Europe. The mark was previously held by Cha Bum-kun, who had 19 goals for the German outfit Bayer Leverkusen in the 1985-1986 season.T

Reigning South Korean pro football champions FC Seoul said Thursday they've signed Croatian forward Ivan Kovacec.Seoul didn't release details of the contract but said Kovacec will boost their attack with his K League Classic experience and his dribbling skills.In this file photo taken Oct. 26, 2016, Croatian forward Ivan Kovacec takes a penalty during the FA Cup match between Ulsan Hyundai and Suwon Samsung Bluewings at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan. (Yonhap)Kovacec spent most of his career in

South Korean defender Jang Hyun-soo has re-joined his old Japanese club FC Tokyo, the footballer's agency said Wednesday.Inspokorea said Jang signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the J. League outfit after a medical test, and officially ended his spell with Chinese side Guangzhou R&F.Jang made his pro debut with FC Tokyo in 2012 and scored four goals in 40 matches in two seasons before moving to Guangzhou. The 25-year-old had been a regular member with the Chinese Super League club, but lost h

South Korea's football governing body on Wednesday announced the new coaches for the men's national team, with two stars from the 2002 FIFA World Cup joining head coach Shin Tae-yong's staff.The Korea Football Association said it has hired Jeon Kyung-jun, Kim Nam-il, Cha Du-ri, Kim Hae-woon and Lee Jae-hong as backroom staff for the national team following Shin's request. The KFA earlier said Shin, who was named the new national team boss last week, had all the rights to form his staff.This phot

South Korea women's football coach Yoon Duk-yeo is set to sign a new contract that will take him through the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, officials in Seoul said Wednesday.Yoon will negotiate the contract terms with the Korea Football Association following the technical committee's recommendation. Yoon's two-year contract ended last month, but the KFA is reportedly ready to offer another two-year contract to the 56-year-old, who will be tasked with leading the team to the 2019 World Cup in Franc