"Korea Mourinho." Is it the fate of someone who has risen from minor to major?

In 2022, upon taking over in Gwangju, coach Lee Jung-hyo immediately led the team to victory in the K League 2. Riding that momentum, Gwangju continued to make waves by finishing 3rd in the K League 1 in 2023. As a municipal club, Gwangju has made it to the AFC Champions League.

The Lee Jung-hyo phenomenon is not over. This season, he has brought Gwangju to the elite quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League. With champions Ulsan and the historically strong Pohang eliminated, Gwangju has become the first municipal club to reach the top 8. At this point, Gwangju is the only surviving Korean club competing against Asia's strongest teams.

Gwangju's opponent in the quarterfinals is the prestigious Saudi club Al Hilal. Last season, this club paid Neymar an astounding annual salary of 283.8 billion won. One player from Al Hilal surpasses the entire scale of Gwangju FC, which until last season didn't even have proper training facilities.

In a way, the growth story of coach Lee Jung-hyo and the municipal club itself is remarkable. Especially considering that coach Lee is relatively a minority in the Korean football scene, it is even more inspiring. Among Korean leaders, having a strong career during active duty is very important.

Coach Lee Jung-hyo's active career was quite remarkable as well. As a full-back, he excelled as a legend for Busan Daewoo Royals, passing through Ajou University. However, the ending was not good. In 2008, he was appointed captain under manager Hwang Sun-hong but had to retire due to injuries.

He is also a one-club man who played 222 matches in the K League and the League Cup, experiencing all phases with Busan Daewoo, Icons, and I-Park. However, his coaching career began not at Busan, where he was a one-club player, but at his alma mater, Ajou University, starting as a head coach and showing good results.

In the professional leagues, he coaching for the Dragons, consistently leaving achievements as a member of Nam Ki-il's team. Taking over as K League head coach was not easy. After coach Park Jin-seob left in 2020, Lee Jung-hyo was mentioned as a candidate but faced setbacks.

However, after Gwangju was relegated and the top candidate was not appointed, Lee Jung-hyo, who had experience as a head coach under former manager Nam Ki-il, took charge. True to being someone who has not only followed the elite route, he had a small episode that reflects this. In the documentary "Yellow Spirit 2024," which reveals Gwangju's behind-the-scenes, anecdotes about Lee Jung-hyo are shared.

Last year, on Aug. 25, before the match against Ulsan, coach Lee Jung-hyo told the players in the locker room, "I became a coach after being a coach. I have grown, and my position has risen, so the title (that the opponent calls me) should change, right? But (the opposing coach) said, 'The one who used to place cones under me has grown up a lot.'"

This implies that a current coach openly disrespected Lee Jung-hyo by referencing his past experiences. Regardless of experience and age, it is not respectful toward a current K League 1 coach. Recently, there is no manager in the Korean football scene who has achieved more than coach Lee Jung-hyo. Coach Lee responded, "Why do I have to hear such things?"

Coach Lee Jung-hyo explained the reason he respects manager Kim Pan-gon, stating, "No matter how much I am a disciple, the teacher recognizes me as a coach. He is a truly great person and a genuine manager. That’s why I respect him." Manager Kim Pan-gon acknowledged Lee Jung-hyo as a leader on equal terms, regardless of past experiences and age.

This anecdote about Lee Jung-hyo recalls the past of José Mourinho, the former manager of Fenerbahçe. Mourinho, who had no more notable presence during his playing days than Lee Jung-hyo, retired at the age of 24. He started as a physical education teacher and had to work as a scout and coach in lower leagues.

Then, when the former top manager in England, Bobby Robson, took over at Sporting, Mourinho began working as his interpreter and accompanied him to Porto and FC Barcelona. When Louis van Gaal became Robson's successor, Mourinho assisted him as a head coach and began his career while crafting a legend.

Because of this background, Mourinho, just like Lee Jung-hyo, also faced a lot of criticism regarding his career during his active days. During his time at Chelsea, he was even attacked by a Spanish journalist, saying, "Why are you so rude as just a mere interpreter?"

At that time, the hottest coach in Europe, Mourinho rebutted, "There I am an interpreter, but here I am a coach. While I was growing like this, what were you doing?" This situation reflects a story similar to that of Lee Jung-hyo.

Gwangju will participate in the ACLE quarterfinal tournament held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, starting on the 25th. From the quarterfinals to the final, held on May 4, it will be a single-elimination format. If Gwangju wins, the prize money will be a staggering $10 million (approximately 14.5 billion won). It will be interesting to see if Lee Jung-hyo, who has already achieved a lot, can rise to a higher stage.

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