Gangwon FC appoint ex-national team star Choi Yong-soo as new coach

South Korean football club Gangwon FC announced Tuesday they've hired former national team striker Choi Yong-soo as new head coach.

Choi, 48, is taking over a team in danger of relegation from the top-flight K League 1.

With two matches remaining this season, Gangwon FC are in 11th place, second from last, with 39 points, only three ahead of Gwangju FC. The last-place club in the K League 1 will be automatically relegated to the K League 2 for next year. The 11th-place team will face a K League 2 playoff winner in the promotion-relegation playoff.

Gangwon sacked Kim Byung-soo from the bench on Nov. 4, a day after losing to Pohang Steelers 4-0.

Following an international break, Gangwon FC will return to action on Nov. 28 against FC Seoul.

Choi will be coaching his second K League club. He managed FC Seoul to the K League championship in 2012 and then to the FA Cup title in 2015, while also finishing runners-up at the 2013 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League.

Choi also had a stint in China and had a second tour of duty with FC Seoul in 2018 to save the team from relegation.

He resigned in July last year and had been working as a television commentator.

The former striker won the 2000 K League MVP and represented South Korea at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. He had 27 goals in 69 international matches. (Yonhap)

This image provided on Tuesday, shows the K League 1 club's new head coach, Choi Yong-soo. (Gangwon FC)