Huh Jung-moo

While Huh played for Yonsei University, he was often compared with Cha Bum-kun, who played for the rival of Yonsei, Korea University. After his graduation, he joined Korea Electric Power FC and simultaneously enlisted in the Marine Corps and the Navy FC to do mandatory military service.[3] When Huh was discharged from the military service, European clubs were interested in Asian players due to Cha Bum-kun's performance in the Bundesliga. Huh motivated by Cha also wanted to play for a European club,[3] and joined Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven in August 1980.[4] He mainly played as a defensive midfielder and showed impressive form for three years. Johan Cruyff, who was tired from Huh's active marking, broke Huh's nose with his arm, and Willem van Hanegem showed a hysteria to Huh with the racist gesture "Slant-eye". PSV finished runners-up in the 1982–83 Eredivisie, and Huh went back to South Korea after that season, because his wife felt homesick and he also didn't feel the need to continue his life overseas after hearing the news that a professional league was founded in his country.[3][5]

In 1984, Huh joined Hyundai Horang-i as an original founding member and retired from player life in 1986.

Huh was on the South Korea national team from 1974 to 1986 and won two gold medals in the Asian Games. He was a member of Korean squad in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In the match against Argentina, he left a famous photo that he appeared to be kicking Diego Maradona whose face twisted with pain. In the last group match against Italy, he scored a goal.

Huh was a versatile player and could play in multiple positions. Normally deployed as an attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder, he was capable of playing as a striker, winger and full-back. He covered great distance by utilizing his competitive spirit and stamina. Because of his tough and energetic playing style, he was nicknamed "Jindogae", the hunter dog breed originated from his hometown Jindo Island. He was also adept at man marking and often duelled with Johan Cruyff in De Topper. He didn't have rapid pace, but he could dribble the ball with intelligent movement.[3]

Huh has previously coached the South Korea national football team twice before, as well as running the Pohang Steelworks and the Jeonnam Dragons. His team won the Korean FA Cup three times.

His first term as the coach of the national team was temporary. In 1998, he was appointed for the second time. Then he picked up some nameless young players and give them important positions instead of established stars, inviting harsh criticism against him. After failures in the 2000 Summer Olympics and 1998 Asian Games, he was replaced by Guus Hiddink.

Since Hiddink's incredible success in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Korea Football Association began hiring foreign managers, including Humberto Coelho, Jo Bonfrere, Dick Advocaat, and Pim Verbeek. They failed to match Hiddink's success, however. Meanwhile, the criticized "nameless players" picked by Huh became stars. Park Ji-sung, once the most unpopular player while Huh was coach, turned into the most successful player in Asia. Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon also rose in prominence. The success of Huh's former apprentices and that of himself in Jeonnam Dragons made him revalued as a candidate for head coach. Huh was re-appointed in December 2007 after leading candidates Mick McCarthy and Gérard Houllier both rejected the job.

Huh got the team qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup without a loss in the qualification. In November 2009, Huh won the AFC Coach of the Year Award after leading the national team to 27 consecutive games without a loss. Huh's national team successed to advance to the round of 16 in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

• Huh Jung-moo – K League stats at kleague.com (in Korean)
• Huh Jung-moo – National Team Stats at KFA (in Korean)
• Huh Jung-moo – FIFA competition record
• Huh Jung-moo at National-Football-Teams.com