Koo Ja-cheol

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Koo Ja-cheol
Rus-SK2017 (17) (cropped2).jpg
Koo with South Korea in 2017
Personal information
Full name Koo Ja-cheol
Date of birth (1989-02-27) 27 February 1989 (age 32)
Place of birth Nonsan, Chungnam, South Korea
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Al-Khor
Number 16
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2011 Jeju United 70 (7)
2011–2014 VfL Wolfsburg 32 (0)
2012–2013 → FC Augsburg (loan) 36 (8)
2014–2015 Mainz 05 39 (6)
2015–2019 FC Augsburg 104 (14)
2019–2021 Al-Gharafa 38 (6)
2021- Al-Khor 0 (0)
National team‡
2007–2009 South Korea U20 16 (5)
2009–2012 South Korea U23 16 (5)
2008–2019 South Korea 76 (19)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  South Korea
AFC Asian Cup
Silver medal – second place 2015 Australia Team
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Qatar Team
EAFF Championship
Gold medal – first place 2008 China Team
Silver medal – second place 2010 Japan Team
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London Team
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Guangzhou Team
AFC U-19 Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Saudi Arabia Team
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 August 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 January 2019
Koo Ja-cheol
Hangul
구자철
Hanja
具滋哲
Revised RomanizationGu Ja-cheol
McCune–ReischauerKu Cha-ch'ŏl
Also spelled Gu Ja-chul or Ku Ja-chul
In this Korean name, the family name is Koo.

Koo Ja-cheol (Korean: 구자철; Korean pronunciation: [ku.dʑa.tɕʰʌl] or [ku] [tɕa.tɕʰʌl]; born 27 February 1989) is a South Korean footballer who plays for Al-Khor as a midfielder. Koo is one of the three most successful South Korean players with careers in the German Bundesliga, alongside Cha Bum-kun and Son Heung-min.[2] He played for VfL Wolfsburg, FC Augsburg and Mainz 05 with 211 Bundesliga appearances.[3] He also captained the South Korea national team in the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and won a bronze medal in the Summer Olympics.

Early life[]

Koo started football at age ten when a nearby elementary school opened its football club. During his early youth career, he mostly played as a defender, often taking sweeper role. However, he wasn't particularly outstanding and the fact he suffered from anemia also hindered him from gaining attention. In 2006, as a member of Boin High School, Koo participated in the Baekrok High School Football Competition that is annually held in Jeju Island. Leading Boin High School to a runner-up place with an outstanding performance, he grabbed the attention of Jung Hae-seong, who was then the manager of Jeju United.

Club career[]

Jeju United[]

In 2007, Koo was selected by Jeju United in the K League draft. He failed to make an impression in his first two years at Jeju due to numerous injuries. However, he slowly broke into the first team, mostly playing as a defensive midfielder. In January 2010, he was reportedly invited by Blackburn Rovers for a trial, but the move didn't happen.[4] He spent a great season in 2010 at Jeju instead, driving his club to an unprecedented runner-up position. His contribution also enabled him to gain personal honors such as the Top Assists Award, the FANtastic Player Award, and the Best XI.

VfL Wolfsburg[]

On 30 January 2011, Koo successfully moved to VfL Wolfsburg during the winter transfer window, signing a three-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee.[5] On 12 February 2011, Koo made his Wolfsburg debut against Hamburger SV, coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute in the 1–0 home defeat.[6] However, he had difficulty competing for places in the starting line-up during a year.

Loan to FC Augsburg[]

On 31 January 2012, he moved on loan to the league rivals FC Augsburg.[7][8] On 18 February 2012, he scored the equaliser with a non-stop shot outside the penalty area, but Augsburg lost 4–1 to Bayer Leverkusen.[9] On 17 March 2012, he scored the equaliser with a lob outside the penalty area, and his goal contributed to a 2–1 victory against Mainz 05.[10] On 24 March 2012, he assisted the equaliser, leading team's 1–1 draw against Werder Bremen.[11] On 31 March 2012, he scored the opening goal with a low shot outside the penalty area, contributing to a 2–1 victory against 1. FC Köln.[12] On 7 April 2012, he scored the equaliser through Manuel Neuer's legs, but his goal couldn't prevent a 2–1 loss to Bayern Munich.[13] On 5 May 2012, he scored the winning goal with a header, leading a 1–0 victory against Hamburger SV.[14] During his loan period, he scored five goals and provided two assists in 15 appearances, becoming Augsburg's top goalscorer, though he played only half a season for them.[15] He performed a significant part in helping Augsburg to escape relegation in their maiden season in the Bundesliga.[16]

In his second season at Augsburg, Koo was plagued by injuries, but he still helped his club survive relegation in the limited games he played in. In a DFB-Pokal match, he was involved in an altercation with Bayern Munich's midfielder Franck Ribéry. After a disputed free kick he confronted Ribéry and touched his face, in response Ribéry slapped Koo.[17] Referee Thorsten Kinhöfer gave Koo a yellow card and sent off Ribéry. Bayern Munich director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge demanded that the ejection be overturned, while Bayern's coach Jupp Heynckes blamed both Koo and Ribéry, stating that although Koo had provoked Ribéry the latter should learn to not react under pressure.[18]

Mainz 05[]

In the 2013–14 season, he returned to Wolfsburg, and played as a central midfielder or winger. However, he wanted more appearances, and preferred playing as an attacking midfielder like when he played for Augsburg.[19][20] On 18 January 2014, it was announced that Koo penned a four-and-a-half year deal with Mainz 05.[21] On 1 February 2014, he scored his first goal for Mainz in a 2–0 victory over SC Freiburg.[22] In the 2014–15 season, however, he was used as a winger again to replace Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Nicolai Müller, who left Mainz 05.[23] On 31 July 2014, he contributed to a 1–0 victory by assisting the winning goal against Asteras Tripoli in the third qualifying round of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League.[24] On 7 August 2014, he scored his first Europa League goal, but Mainz 05 were eliminated from the tournament by losing the second leg 3–1 to Asteras Tripoli.[25] He recorded five goals and two assists in 23 games of the 2014–15 Bundesliga.[26]

Return to FC Augsburg[]

On 31 August 2015, Koo rejoined Augsburg, so Augsburg spent a season with three South Korean players, including Ji Dong-won and Hong Jeong-ho.[27] On 12 September 2015, he assisted the opening goal with a backheel pass in the first half, but Augsburg lost 2–1 to Bayern Munich after conceding two goals in the second half.[28] On 23 September 2015, he won a penalty against Granit Xhaka, but it was insufficient to reverse the result, and Augsburg lost 4–2 to Borussia Mönchengladbach.[29] On 21 February 2016, he scored a solo goal against Hannover 96 and it became the winning goal.[30] On 6 March 2016, he scored the first-ever Bundesliga hat-trick of Augsburg,[31] but Augsburg drew 3–3 with Bayer Leverkusen, failing to protect their 3–0 lead.[32] He recorded eight goals and four assists with 29 appearances in the 2015–16 Bundesliga.[33] He also participated in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, the first UEFA competition in Augsburg's history.[34] Augsburg recorded three wins and three losses in the group stage, and succeeded in advancing to the knockout stage,[35] but they lost 1–0 on aggregate to Liverpool in the round of 32.[36] After the 2015–16 season, he was ranked fifth in the attacking midfielder rankings of the German sports magazine kicker.[37]

On 3 February 2020, he achieved his 200th Bundesliga appearance against Mainz 05. He left Augsburg by turning down a contract extension with the club after the 2018–19 season.[38][39] He wanted to contract with one of the top teams of the Bundesliga,[40] but finally joined Qatar Stars League side Al-Gharafa in August 2019.[41]

International career[]

Koo played a central role in helping South Korea finish third in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, with five goals and three assists over the tournament, finishing as the tournament's top scorer.[42]

During the 2012 Summer Olympics, Koo played as a central midfielder in the South Korea under-23 team. He appeared in every game in the tournament, and scored the second goal during the second half of the bronze medal match against Japan, securing a 2–0 victory for Korea. The South Korean team won the bronze medal in football for the first time in its Olympics history and in doing so, became the second Asian team in the Olympics men's football to reach the semi-finals.[43]

He was named captain of the national team ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and scored in a 4–2 defeat to Algeria in the team's second group match.[44] He was selected for the 2015 Asian Cup and played a decisive role in South Korea's opening match, a 1–0 victory over Oman, and was named man of the match.[45] In the match against Australia, Ja-cheol suffered an injury and missed the remainder of the tournament.

On 25 January 2019, Koo announced his retirement from international duty after South Korea lost in the quarter-finals of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.[46]

Style of play[]

Koo showed his best performance when playing as an attacking midfielder, though he originally deployed as a defensive midfielder. He sometimes played as a central midfielder, second striker, or winger if necessary.[19][47] He was praised for his techniques, especially the talent for getting out of opponents' pressure while keeping the ball.[48] He also had an ability to find the back of the net, often displaying a knack to charge into the opposition penalty box unsighted.[49] However, he was occasionally criticized that his individual ability slowed down his team's tempo.[48]

Personal life[]

Koo likes to go shopping in his spare time in Germany.[50] He is currently the honorary ambassador for The Republic of Korea Air Force.[51] Koo is also a close friend with his teammate Ki Sung-yueng, and they like to display their friendly, humorous conversations on Twitter. Ki revealed on the Korean talk show Healing Camp, Aren't You Happy that Koo has a nickname called "Koogle Georim" (Korean: 구글거림) because of his sometimes goofy way of talking.[52] On 24 June 2013, Koo married a Jeju woman three years his senior at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel.[53][54]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of match played 3 May 2021[55]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Jeju United 2007 K League 10 1 1 0 6 0 — 17 1
2008 K League 9 0 0 0 5 0 — 14 0
2009 K League 22 1 2 1 6 1 — 30 3
2010 K League 29 5 4 0 1 0 — 34 5
Total 70 7 7 1 18 1 — 95 9
VfL Wolfsburg 2010–11 Bundesliga 10 0 0 0 — — 10 0
2011–12 Bundesliga 12 0 0 0 — — 12 0
2013–14 Bundesliga 10 0 2 0 — — 12 0
Total 32 0 2 0 — — 34 0
FC Augsburg (loan) 2011–12 Bundesliga 15 5 0 0 — — 15 5
2012–13 Bundesliga 21 3 1 0 — — 22 3
Total 36 8 1 0 — — 37 8
Mainz 05 2013–14 Bundesliga 14 1 0 0 — — 14 1
2014–15 Bundesliga 23 5 1 1 — 2[a] 1 26 7
2015–16 Bundesliga 2 0 0 0 — — 2 0
Total 39 6 1 1 — 2 1 42 8
FC Augsburg 2015–16 Bundesliga 27 8 1 0 — 8[a] 0 36 8
2016–17 Bundesliga 23 2 2 1 — — 25 3
2017–18 Bundesliga 28 2 1 0 — — 29 2
2018–19 Bundesliga 26 2 2 0 — — 28 2
Total 104 14 6 1 — 8 0 118 15
Al-Gharafa 2019–20 Qatar Stars League 18 1 0 0 — — 18 1
2020–21 Qatar Stars League 20 5 4 2 0 0 1 0 25 7
Total 38 6 4 2 — 9 0 43 8
Career total 319 41 21 5 18 1 11 1 369 48
  1. ^ a b Appearances in the UEFA Europa League.

International[]

As of 25 January 2019[56]
National team Year Apps Goals
South Korea U20 2007 4 3
2008 5 0
2009 7 2
Total 16 5
South Korea U23 2008 1 0
2009 1 0
2010 6 3
2012 8 2
Total 16 5
South Korea 2008 2 0
2009 0 0
2010 8 2
2011 15 7
2012 3 1
2013 6 2
2014 8 1
2015 8 3
2016 7 2
2017 8 1
2018 7 0
2019 4 0
Total 76 19
Career total 108 29

International goals[]

Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first.
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 9 January 2010 Rand Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa  Zambia 2–4 2–4 Friendly
2 7 February 2010 National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  Hong Kong 2–0 5–0 2010 EAFF Championship
3 10 January 2011 Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Bahrain 1–0 2–1 2011 AFC Asian Cup
4 2–0
5 14 January 2011 Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Australia 1–0 1–1
6 18 January 2011 Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Doha, Qatar  India 2–0 4–1
7 28 January 2011 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Uzbekistan 1–0 3–2
8 7 June 2011 Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea  Ghana 2–1 2–1 Friendly
9 15 November 2011 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon  Lebanon 1–1 1–2 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
10 12 June 2012 Goyang Sports Complex, Goyang, South Korea  Lebanon 3–0 3–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
11 6 September 2013 Sungeui Arena Park, Incheon, South Korea  Haiti 2–1 4–1 Friendly
12 15 October 2013 Cheonan Baekseok Stadium, Cheonan, South Korea  Mali 1–1 3–1
13 22 June 2014 Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil  Algeria 2–4 2–4 2014 FIFA World Cup
14 27 March 2015 Daejeon World Cup Stadium, Daejeon, South Korea  Uzbekistan 1–0 1–1 Friendly
15 8 October 2015 Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait  Kuwait 1–0 1–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
16 12 November 2015 Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, South Korea  Myanmar 2–0 4–0
17 1 September 2016 Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea  China PR 3–0 3–2 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
18 15 November 2016 Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea  Uzbekistan 2–1 2–1
19 14 November 2017 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea  Serbia 1–1 1–1 Friendly

Honours[]

South Korea U23

South Korea

Individual

References[]

  1. ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup: List of players" (PDF). FIFA. 8 July 2018. p. 16.
  2. ^ "Ja-Cheol Koo, Heung-Min Son and Bum-Kun Cha: The top 3 South Koreans in Bundesliga history". Bundesliga. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Ja-Cheol Koo" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Koo Ja-cheol to Have Blackburn Trial". The Korea Times. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  5. ^ 구자철, VfL 볼프스부르크 이적 (in Korean). Jeju United. 31 January 2011. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  6. ^ "Neustart missglückt: 0:1-Heimniederlage gegen den HSV" (in German). VfL Wolfsburg. 12 February 2011. Archived from the original on 15 February 2011.
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  8. ^ "Augsburg sign Koo Ja-Cheol" (in German). Bundesliga. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
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  28. ^ [분데스리가 4R 9/12] 구자철, 이적 첫 경기서 뮌헨 상대로 어시스트 기록. YouTube.com (in Korean). JTBC Golf&Sports. 12 September 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
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  40. ^ [KOO 오피셜]독일을 떠나면서 꼭 하고 싶었던 말들. YouTube.com (in Korean). ShootingStar. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
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External links[]

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