Ahn Jung-hwan (Hangul: 안정환; Hanja: 安貞桓; Korean pronunciation: [an.dʑʌŋ.ɦwan] or [an] [tɕʌŋ.ɦwan]; born 27 January 1976) is a South Korean former football player and television personality. Ahn played for South Korea as a second striker and scored a total of three goals in two FIFA World Cups, including a golden goal against Italy. After his retirement as a footballer, he became an entertainer and a football commentator.[3]
Ahn with Dalian Shide in 2009 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ahn Jung-hwan | ||
Date of birth | (1976-01-27) 27 January 1976 (age 46) | ||
Place of birth | Paju, Gyeonggi, South Korea | ||
Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, striker | ||
Youth career | |||
?–1990 | Namseoul Middle School | ||
1991–1993 | Seoul Technical High School | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1994–1997 | Ajou University | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1998–2002 | Busan Daewoo Royals | 54 | (27) |
2000–2002 | → Perugia (loan) | 30 | (5) |
2002–2003 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 38 | (14) |
2004–2005 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 34 | (16) |
2005–2006 | Metz | 16 | (2) |
2006 | MSV Duisburg | 12 | (2) |
2007 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 15 | (0) |
2008 | Busan IPark | 19 | (4) |
2009–2011 | Dalian Shide | 65 | (18) |
Total | 283 | (88) | |
National team | |||
1994 | South Korea U20 | 4 | (2) |
1997 | South Korea B | ||
1997–2010 | South Korea | 71 | (17) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Ahn Jung-hwan | |
Hangul | 안정환 |
---|---|
Hanja | 安貞桓 |
Revised Romanization | An Jeonghwan |
McCune–Reischauer | An Chŏnghwan |
Ahn was selected for South Korean under-20 team for the 1994 AFC Youth Championship. Three years later, he also played the 1997 Summer Universiade for South Korean Universiade team, winning a silver medal.[1]
In 1998, Ahn started his professional career in a K League club Busan Daewoo Royals. He was selected as one of the K League Best XI in that year after showing great performance as soon as he went there.[4] The next year, in 1999, he was named the K League Most Valuable Player by leading his team to finish as a runner-up in the K League.[5]
In 2000, Ahn joined Perugia on loan, becoming the first South Korean footballer to play in Italy's Serie A. However, he was ostracised by the team's captain Marco Materazzi and teammates.[6] He made 30 appearances (including 13 starts) and five goals for two Serie A seasons in a racist environment.[7] Afterwards, he was named in South Korean squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted by his country.
In a group match against the United States, Ahn imitated a speed skater during his goal celebration after scoring the equaliser in order to protest the controversial disqualification of Korean short track speed skater Kim Dong-sung in the 1500 metres at the 2002 Winter Olympics, which allowed American Apolo Ohno to win the gold medal. During the round of 16 against Italy, Ahn missed a penalty, but later scored a golden goal in extra-time from a header that sent the South Koreans through to the quarter-finals.[8]
The next day, Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci cancelled his contract and was quoted as saying, "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football" due to the fact of the controversial and arguable win of the South Korean side. Gaucci stated that his decision was not due to the goal, alleging comments by Ahn about the Italian nation.[9] However, Gaucci later took back what he had said, and approved the £1.2 million option to sign Ahn on a permanent basis. Ahn rejected the offer of a three-year contract and refused to turn up for pre-season training despite Perugia claiming ownership of his registration, saying "I will no longer discuss my transfer to Perugia, who attacked my character instead of congratulating me for a goal in the World Cup." Busan Daewoo Royals also claimed that they had not been paid by Perugia.[10] A number of European clubs were interested in Ahn, but gave up on him due to his conflict with Perugia. Finally, FIFA raised Perugia's hand by concluding Ahn had to pay Perugia $3.5 million to compensate for their damage in the transfer market, and so he contracted with a Japanese entertainment company, the Professional Management (PM), to pay off his debts. He spent his important period as a J1 League player and an entertainer for three years.[11]
After successful spell in Japan, Ahn returned to Europe to play for a French Ligue 1 team Metz in July 2005, and scored two goals in 16 outings. In January 2006, Ahn was invited to train with Blackburn Rovers but twice failed to show up, one of the dates being his birthday. In February, he secured a 17-month deal with a Bundesliga club MSV Duisburg to adapt to the environment of Germany, the host of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[12]
Ahn scored two goals in 12 outings, and his club was relegated from the Bundesliga. He was interested in a move to Heart of Midlothian of the Scottish Premier League, but it fell through.[13]
Ahn was selected for the South Korean squad for the 2006 World Cup. He scored the winning goal, after coming off the bench during second half in South Korean opening match, where they won Togo 2–1. Thus, he became the Asian all-time scoring leader at the World Cup with three goals. He was released by Duisburg after the World Cup, and returned to South Korea by joining Suwon Samsung Bluewings on a one-year deal in January 2007.
Ahn scored a hat-trick in a game of the 2007 Korean League Cup against Daejeon Citizen. However, his poor performance became longer, and he was left out of the national team for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.[14]
In 2008, Ahn returned to Busan IPark, formerly Busan Daewoo Royals. He steadily improved his game and overall performances and, for the first time in 22 months, was recalled to the national team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifications match against Jordan.[15]
In March 2009, Ahn signed a three-month contract with Chinese Super League side Dalian Shide. He became the key player in the club and extended his contract to December 2010 with Dalian Shide in June, though J2 League club Oita Trinita had an intention to sign him. He was promoted to Dalian's captain in the 2010 season.
Ahn officially announced his retirement on 30 January 2012.[16][17]
Ahn is sometimes called "The Lord of the Ring" by Korean fans. He married former Miss Korea Lee Hye-won in 2001 and got this nickname by kissing her ring after every goal he scores.[18]
Other than football, Ahn is noted for his model-like looks and has appeared in numerous make-up ads. The Korean media often states the similar facial appearance between the footballer and actor Cha In-pyo. Both view the statement as a compliment.[19]
Ahn was one of the carriers of the Olympic flame at the opening of the 2018 Winter Olympics.[20]
On 15 November 2021, Ahn founded the Matched Project (MCP) agency with Kim Young-man, Kim Sung-joo, and Jung Hyung-don.[21]
Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Busan Daewoo Royals | 1998 | K League | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 33 | 13 | ||
1999 | K League | 24 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 35 | 21 | |||
2000 | K League | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | — | 20 | 10 | ||
Total | 54 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 17 | 88 | 44 | ||||
Perugia | 2000–01 | Serie A | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 4 | ||
2001–02 | Serie A | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 1 | |||
Total | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 5 | ||||
Shimizu S-Pulse | 2002 | J1 League | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 7 |
2003 | J1 League | 28 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 39 | 19 | |
Total | 38 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 54 | 26 | ||
Yokohama F. Marinos | 2004 | J1 League | 25 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 31 | 16 |
2005 | J1 League | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 7 | |
Total | 34 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 43 | 23 | ||
Metz | 2005–06 | Ligue 1 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 16 | 2 | |
MSV Duisburg | 2005–06 | Bundesliga | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | |||
2006–07 | 2. Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
Total | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | |||||
Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2007 | K League | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 5 | — | 26 | 5 | |
Busan IPark | 2008 | K League | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | — | 28 | 6 | |
Dalian Shide | 2009 | Chinese Super League | 26 | 6 | — | — | — | 26 | 6 | |||
2010 | Chinese Super League | 24 | 10 | — | — | — | 24 | 10 | ||||
2011 | Chinese Super League | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 2 | |||
Total | 65 | 18 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 65 | 18 | ||||
Career total | 283 | 88 | 14 | 6 | 57 | 26 | 11 | 11 | 365 | 131 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 1997 | 3 | 0 |
1999 | 4 | 1 | |
2000 | 5 | 1 | |
2001 | 4 | 0 | |
2002 | 13 | 5 | |
2003 | 7 | 2 | |
2004 | 15 | 5 | |
2005 | 6 | 1 | |
2006 | 8 | 2 | |
2008 | 3 | 0 | |
2010 | 3 | 0 | |
Career total | 71 | 17 | |
Results list South Korea's goal tally first.
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 June 1999 | Seoul, South Korea | 5 | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1999 Korea Cup |
2 | 20 December 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | 12 | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
3 | 16 May 2002 | Busan, South Korea | 20 | ![]() |
2–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
4 | 4–1 | ||||||
5 | 10 June 2002 | Daegu, South Korea | 23 | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup |
6 | 18 June 2002 | Daejeon, South Korea | 25 | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | 2002 FIFA World Cup |
7 | 20 November 2002 | Seoul, South Korea | 29 | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–3 | Friendly |
8 | 31 May 2003 | Tokyo, Japan | 32 | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
9 | 4 December 2003 | Tokyo, Japan | 34 | ![]() | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2003 EAFF Championship |
10 | 14 February 2004 | Ulsan South Korea | 37 | ![]() |
3–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
11 | 4–0 | ||||||
12 | 9 June 2004 | Daejeon, South Korea | 43 | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
13 | 23 July 2004 | Jinan, China | 46 | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2004 AFC Asian Cup |
14 | 27 July 2004 | Jinan, China | 47 | ![]() | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2004 AFC Asian Cup |
15 | 12 November 2005 | Seoul, South Korea | 56 | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
16 | 13 June 2006 | Frankfurt, Germany | 62 | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
17 | 16 August 2006 | Taipei, Republic of China | 65 | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Law of the Jungle in Himalayas | Cast member | |
2014 | World Cup Special Drawing Dream | Cast member | |
2014–2015 | Dad! Where Are We Going? | Cast member | |
2015 | Cheongchun FC Hungry Eleven | Cast member | |
2015 | Guide | Cast member | |
2015 | The Human Condition | Cast member | |
2016 | Future Diary | Cast member | |
2016–2019 | Please Take Care of My Refrigerator | Host | |
2016 | Cook Representative | Host | |
2016–2017 | My Little Television | Cast member | |
2016–2018 | Carefree Travellers | Cast member | |
2016–2017 | Flower Crew | Cast member | |
2018 | Creaking Heroes | Cast member | |
2018 | 1 Percent of Friendship | Cast member | |
2018–2019 | Cool Kids | Host | |
2020 | 4 Wheeled Restaurant (Season 4) | Cast member | |
2019–2021 | Let's Play Soccer | Host | |
2021 | Let's Play Basketball | Cast member | [23] |
2021 | National Bang Bang Cook Cook | Cast member | [24] |
2021 | Lanson Marketplace | Host | [25] |
2021 | Anda Haeng | Host | [26] |
2021 | Why Is Classical (Season2) | Host | [27] |
2021–present | Let's Play Soccer 2 | Host | [28] |
2021 | My Name Is Caddy | Cast member | [29] |
2022 | Legend Festival | Host | [30] |
2022 | Brave Detectives (Season 1–2) | Host | [31] |
2022 | Hole-in-one between Legends | Cast member | [32] |
2022 | Neighborhood Billiards | Host | [33] |
2022 | IT Live from Today | Host | [34] |
2022 | Ahn Jung-hwan's Hidden Qatar | Host | [35] |
Busan Daewoo Royals
Yokohama F. Marinos
South Korea B
South Korea
Individual
Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SBS Entertainment Awards | 2013 | Best Challenge Award | Law of the Jungle in Himalayas | Won | [42] |
MBC Entertainment Awards | 2014 | Special Award in a Variety Show | Dad! Where Are We Going? | Won | [43] |
Awards | ||
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Preceded by | K-League Most Valuable Player 1999 |
Succeeded by |
Awards | |||||||||||||
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