Cha Bum-Kun

Cha Bum-kun
차범근

Cha Bum-kun, in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth	(1953-05-22) 22 May 1953 (age 63)
Place of birth	Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Forward/Winger
Youth career
1972–1975	Korea University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1976	Seoul Trust Bank FC (semi-professional)
1976–1979	Air Force FC (military service)
1978–1979	SV Darmstadt 98	1	(0)
1979–1983	Eintracht Frankfurt	122	(46)
1983–1989	Bayer Leverkusen	185	(52)
Total		308	(98)
National team
1970–1972	South Korea U-20
1972–1986	South Korea	135	(58)
Teams managed
1991–1994	Hyundai Horangi
1997–1998	South Korea
1998–1999	Shenzhen Ping'an
2004–2010	Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Honours Representing  South Korea Men's football Asian Games 1978 Bangkok Team
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Cha Bum-kun (Hangul: 차범근; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰabʌmɡɯn]; born 22 May 1953) is a South Korean football manager and former player, nicknamed Tscha Bum in Germany ("Cha Boom") because of his name and his thunderous ball striking ability. The nickname was first used by the German Kicker Magazine, which also named Cha as one of the greatest footballers of the 1980s. Cha was born in Hwaseong in the South Korean province of Gyeonggi. By 1972 he had been capped by the Korean national team as the youngest player in history called up to the squad. After developing into the top player in his country, Cha wanted to play in Germany's Bundesliga. Cha promised to learn skills in Germany and help Korea advance in football. He eventually rose to international stardom and fulfilled his promise by coming back to South Korea after his retirement and starting youth football clinics. He coached the national team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and also Ulsan Hyundai and Suwon Samsung Bluewings of the K League. In South Korea, Cha is greatly respected for his accomplishments in the Bundesliga and the South Korean national team. During his career, Cha has played for SV Darmstadt 98, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and represented his national side 135 times, scoring 58 goals. He was given the title Asia's Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for the South Korean national team.