It’s November 2001 and Daejeon Citizen have just won the FA Cup. It’s a miracle. Daejeon spent 2001 propping up the K League table but challenged all the odds to win the FA Cup, which at the time was played separately after the conclusion of the K League season. Kim Eun-jung scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Pohang Steelers.
Being the first team to win a trophy at Seoul World Cup Stadium – a fact which could be the subject of decent pub quiz question – Daejeon then qualified for the AFC Champions League. These days it’s a given that continental qualification follows a cup win, but it wasn’t like that in 2001.
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“Actually, I didn’t know that we had qualified for the Champions League,” says Kim Eun-jung, a Daejeon club legend, even without the FA Cup-winning goal. “I think the joy of winning the trophy was even greater because it was Daejeon’s first-ever trophy since the club was founded.”
The path to the group stage wasn’t easy; there was what Kim described as a “physically exhausting” away trip to India in a second round of qualification before a hub-style group stage of three matches played in Thailand.
“In the matches held in Thailand, we played Kashima Antlers from Japan, Shanghai Shenhua from China, and the Thai team (BEC-Tero Sasana),” recalls Kim. “We finished second in the group with two wins and one defeat. The Thai team, who were the home side, finished first, so only they advanced to the knockout stage.”
Winning two of the three matches and still not advancing to the knockouts was incredibly unlucky. But, as well as scoring the winning goal in the cup final, Kim Eun-jung also has his name in the history books as a Champions League match-winner, scoring the second goal in a 2-1 win over Shanghai Shenhua.
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But when asked about that goal, Kim still seems more disappointed that Citizen didn’t make it out of the group.
“It was the match against Shanghai Shenhua, which we won 2–1, and I scored the winning goal. It was disappointing that we finished second in the group with two wins and one defeat and didn’t advance to the knockout stage.
“I think we achieved a fairly good result in our first appearance in the Champions League, but it was disappointing because, under the format at the time, only the group winners advanced to the knockout stage.”
That selflessness is evident when asked about what it was like to score such a meaningful goal for the club, instead pointing to how it was a collective achievement.
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“The club was financially struggling at the time, but the club, the players and the fans were all passionate. In particular, the atmosphere within the squad was like a family. We all came together, supported one another and gave our best in every match.”
In 2001, Daejeon had been in existence for four years. It was a difficult start to life as a K League club, finishing either bottom, second-bottom, or third-bottom in the first six seasons, which is what made the FA Cup triumph an even greater achievement.
Even more so for a player who was only 22 when Daejeon won the FA Cup, and 24 by the time the Purples started the ACL group stage.
“I started with Daejeon when the club was founded, and after going through difficult times together, we achieved the great accomplishment of winning the FA Cup. It was a period when we lost more games than we won, so the FA Cup victory was a truly precious gift. It was Daejeon’s first trophy since the club was founded, and it was also my first professional trophy.”
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As for the current Daejeon side, which will feature in the AFC Champions League Elite in 2026-2027, Kim believes that the squad has enough to put their disappointing league campaign behind them and put their best foot forward in the ACL.
“Daejeon aren’t performing quite as well as expected in the league at the moment, but they have a good squad, so I think they can put in good performances and achieve good results in the Champions League.”
Five of Daejeon’s eight ACLE opponents will be J.League sides, Kyoto Sanga, Vissel Kobe, Kashiwa Reysol, Kashima Antlers, and Gamba Osaka. Kim, who had a loan spell with J1 side Vegalta Sendai in 2003, says that football has improved a lot in Japan.
“The level of the J League and Japanese players has improved a lot. However, having consistently watched J. League matches, I think K League teams have also improved considerably and are certainly capable of competing with them.”
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So what should this current crop of Daejeon players keep in mind when they take on Asia’s elite?
“International matches are more physically demanding than domestic league games, so the preparation process is important. In particular, when playing away from home, adapting to things such as the weather, food and surroundings is important. Ultimately, if they prepare thoroughly, I think they can achieve good results in every match.”
