Vietnam Football Federation extends contract with goalkeeping coach Lee Woon-jae
On the morning of April 6, at the headquarters of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), a contract extension signing ceremony was held between the VFF and goalkeeping coach Lee Woon-jae. Attending the ceremony, on behalf of the VFF, were General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu, along with representatives from the National Teams Department and other relevant functional departments.
13/04/2026 14:32:40
According to the agreement, the contract extension with coach Lee Woon-jae is valid until 2027, reaffirming the VFF’s trust in the Korean expert in his role as goalkeeping coach for the national team and the U23 team.
On behalf of the VFF leadership, General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu acknowledged and highly appreciated the contributions of coach Lee Woon-jae to the impressive achievements of the national team and the U23 team in recent years. Notably, these include winning the ASEAN Cup 2024, securing qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 finals, winning the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, and claiming the bronze medal at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu expressed his confidence that coach Lee Woon-jae will continue to maximize his professional expertise and make meaningful contributions to the coaching work, aiming toward the teams’ key objectives in the coming period.
Speaking at the ceremony, coach Lee Woon-jae expressed his gratitude for the trust shown by the VFF leadership, affirming that he will continue to give his utmost effort in his work and closely coordinate with head coach Kim Sang-sik and the coaching staff to achieve the set objectives.
Born in 1973, Lee Woon-jae is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in South Korean football history. He was a teammate of coach Kim Sang-sik in the national team from 2000 to 2007 and holds the record of 133 international caps. During his international career, he participated in four FIFA World Cups (1994, 2002, 2006, 2010), with a highlight being a fourth-place finish at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, along with two third-place finishes at the AFC Asian Cup in 2000 and 2007.
At club level, he spent most of his career with Suwon Samsung Bluewings (1996–2010) and Jeonnam Dragons (2011–2012), making a total of 451 appearances. During this period, Lee Woon-jae won numerous titles, including the AFC Champions League (2001–2002), four K-League 1 championships, and three Korean FA Cups. He also earned several notable individual honors, such as being named in the Asian All-Star Team at the 2002 World Cup, winning the K-League MVP award in 2008, being selected four times in the K-League Best XI, and inclusion in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 Best XI.
Coach Lee Woon-jae began working with the Vietnam national team coaching staff during the preparation phase for the ASEAN Cup 2024. Following the success at the tournament, he officially signed a contract with the VFF in March 2025 and has continued to accompany the team ever since.
