Birmingham City has surpassed 100 points. The 'Korean national team duo' Seung-ho Baek (28) and Myung-jae Lee (32) were also part of this historic moment. In particular, Myung-jae Lee made his starting debut in Europe for the first time, making it a doubly meaningful occasion.

On the 25th, Birmingham won against Stevenage 1-0 with a late goal by Alex Cochran in the 30th minute of the second half during the away match of the 44th round of the 2024-2025 England League 1 (third division) held at the Lamex Stadium in Stevenage, England.

With this, Birmingham achieved 102 points for the season (31 wins, 9 draws, 3 losses), surpassing 100 points in a single season for the first time in club history. This is also the 17th record in the history of professional football in England.

Birmingham, boasting such overwhelming performance, has confirmed promotion to the Championship (second division) early. They secured early victory after 40 matches, and will be playing in the second tier next season.

Birmingham is enjoying its best period since its founding in 1875. They have already recorded 41 wins across all competitions, breaking the club's record for most wins in a single season, and are aiming for a new League 1 record. With three league matches remaining, securing just one more win will break the all-time League 1 points record of 103 set by Wolverhampton in the 2013-2014 season, tying the most wins record of 32 set by Aston Villa.

On that day, Seung-ho Baek and Myung-jae Lee both started. They contributed to the team's victory, with Baek in the central midfield and Lee in the left-back position.

Seung-ho Baek played a full 90 minutes, acting as a crucial link between defense and attack. According to football statistics outlet 'Footmob', he recorded a passing accuracy of 90% (46/51), created one opportunity, made one successful tackle, and one successful cross, showcasing his presence in midfield. His rating was 7.6, the second highest after goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.

Myung-jae Lee was on the pitch for about 72 minutes before being substituted for Cochran in the 27th minute of the second half. He showcased stable performance with a passing accuracy of 86% (54/63), made four recoveries, one successful dribble, and cleared the ball nine times. His rating was 7.5, placing him among the top performers.

After the match, Chris Davis, the Birmingham manager, noted, "Achieving 199 points in a season is an incredible achievement thanks to the enormous efforts of the players. We still have three matches remaining, but if we can achieve our goals, it would be quite special. I’m really looking forward to it. The next match against Mansfield will be a very special day in my life, and many players will feel the same way."

It was particularly an unforgettable day for Myung-jae Lee. He donned the Birmingham jersey at the end of the last winter transfer market. The short-term contract is only valid until the end of this season. After his contract expired with his former team Ulsan Hyundai, he could have transferred under much better conditions but chose to make his debut in Europe for the first time in his career.

It was a challenge decided in pursuit of a dream. Myung-jae Lee established himself as a top-level left-back in the K League. He played a key role as a member of Ulsan's three consecutive K League 1 championships from the 2022 season until last year, and successfully made his debut in international matches last March. Once Myung-jae Lee’s former coach, Myung-bo Hong, took charge of the national team, he became a solid starter.

However, things were different at Birmingham. Since Myung-jae Lee moved to Europe during the off-season, he focused on conditioning and even appeared in the under-21 (U-21) team. At first, it seemed like a simple adjustment, but the atmosphere changed over time. By March, Myung-jae Lee not only missed being on the Birmingham first team bench but also disappeared from U-21 matches. This led some to sarcastically suggest it was a disastrous choice.

However, an opportunity arose after Birmingham confirmed its league championship. Myung-jae Lee made his European debut as a substitute in the 25th minute of the second half against Crawley Town on the 18th. Even in a short time, he made a positive impression and received a passing score, and in this match against Stevenage, he managed to complete his first starting appearance, showcasing the potential of a 'late-blooming European player.'

Meanwhile, Seung-ho Baek, who has been playing for Birmingham since the second half of last season, has been active as a 'fixed starter.' He participated in 39 league matches this season, starting in 35 of those. Thanks to that, Birmingham overcame the pain of relegation for the first time since the 1991-1992 season and successfully returned to the Championship after just one season.

This season, Birmingham did not spare any expenditure in their quest for promotion. They made a record League 1 transfer fee of 20 million pounds (approximately 37.7 billion won) in the transfer market, acquiring Fulham prospect Jay Stansfield. In addition, they spent nearly 35 million euros (approximately 55.8 billion won) by also bringing in Emil Hansson, Tomoki Iwata, and Kristopher Klaar.

They also succeeded in retaining Seung-ho Baek. Birmingham rejected offers from several teams, including Leeds, Stoke City, Sunderland, and Sheffield United. In October last year, Baek re-signed with Birmingham for four years, stating, "Now that the new season has started, I truly believe we can accomplish something great. We are on a good path, and I think staying here is good for my career."

Although there were many concerns, Seung-ho Baek proved himself with results. He established himself as a key midfielder for the team and became one of the leading figures in securing the championship trophy. Now Baek and Birmingham are aiming higher. With an overwhelming victory in League 1, they are expected to challenge for promotion to the Premier League.

[Photo] Birmingham City, PFA social media.

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