After graduating from Yeungnam University, Shin spent 12 seasons playing for Ilhwa Chunma. He won the K League Young Player of the Year Award in 1992, the first year of his professional career.[4] He was a key player for Ilhwa Chunma when they won the K League for three consecutive years from 1993 to 1995.[4] Especially in 1995, he became the Most Valuable Player of the K League, and also won the Asian Club Championship in the end of the year.[4] Afterwards, Ilhwa Chunma faltered for a while, but they succeeded in conquering the league again under Shin's contribution. They once again won the league for three consecutive years from 2001 to 2003, and he also won his second MVP Award in 2001.[4] He scored 99 goals and provided 68 assists in 401 matches in the K League, as well as the Korean League Cup.[4] Shin is regarded as one of the greatest K League players of all time, and was selected for the K League 30th Anniversary Best XI in 2013.[5]
He could have become a one-club man, but finished his playing career in Australia with the Queensland Roar in the A-League.[4] Shin retired in September 2005 due to an ongoing ankle issue that would have required surgery.[4] He accepted an assistant coaching role at the club, assisting Miron Bleiberg primarily with technical skills.[6][7]
As a player, he was an attacking midfielder. He earned the nickname "Fox of the Ground" by clearly distinguishing when passing and dribbling with sensual and intelligent play.[4]
Managerial career
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
In 2009, Shin became the caretaker manager of Seongnam, leading the team to second place in both the 2009 K League and the 2009 Korean FA Cup, though suffered from a lack of funds.[8] He signed a permanent contract the next year and immediately brought success, winning the 2010 AFC Champions League and the 2011 Korean FA Cup.[8] He became the first man to win the AFC Champions League as both player and manager. However, the team's performance declined in the 2012 season, aggravated by the death of Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church which owned the club, in the middle of the season.[8] He eventually resigned from Seongnam after finishing the season.[8]
In August 2014, he became the assistant coach of the South Korea national team. Under Shin, South Korea reached the Asian Cup final for the first time in 27 years.[9] South Korea's manager at that time was Uli Stielike, but the actual coaching role was performed by Shin, who took charge of the tactics and training of the team.[10]
On 22 November 2016, Shin was appointed manager of the South Korea under-20 team to prepare for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup on home soil. Therefore, he left the senior team to concentrate on the under-20 team. At the World Cup, South Korea finished second in their group with 6 points and advanced to the knockout stage, but lost to Portugal in the round of 16.[13]
After Shin left the South Korean senior team, Stielike made poor results in qualifiers of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and was eventually fired by the Korea Football Association. On 4 July 2017, Shin became the manager of the senior team to replace Stielike.[14] In December, he won the 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, beating arch-rivalsJapan in the final fixture 4–1.[15] Despite two goalless draws, South Korea under Shin also obtained qualification to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. They were drawn in the same group against Sweden, Mexico and defending champions Germany. South Korea lost 1–0 to Sweden and 2–1 to Mexico, but surprised everyone by defeating Germany 2–0.[16]
Shin's start in Indonesia was not good with Indonesia losing 4–0 and 5–0 to Vietnam and United Arab Emirates, respectively, in the second round of 2022 World Cup qualification. After the World Cup qualifiers, he led Indonesia with an average squad age of 23.8 years to the final of the 2020 AFF Championship.[19] In June 2022, he led Indonesia to qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, ending Indonesia's 16-year absence from the competition, following a 2–1 win against Kuwait and a thumping 7–0 victory against Nepal on the final matchday to clinch qualification.[20]
Prior to 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup which scheduled to be held in March 2023, Shin's request to take a number of Persija Jakarta and Persib Bandung players was rejected by their managers, Thomas Doll and Luis Milla.[21][22] The players were called up to attend a training camp to prepare for the second appearance of the national team in the tournament. Shin was absent from a virtual meeting with the Persija management, which was regretted by Thomas Doll.[22] Nine of Thomas Doll's players were called and declined since they were competing for the league title.[23]
Shin became the first coach that managed to lead Indonesia national teams in three age levels from senior, under-23, and under-20 to all qualify for the AFC Asian Cup in their respective levels, with the under-23 team qualifying for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup for the first time.[24]
2024 Asian Cup
In the 2023 AFC Asian Cup tournament, Shin brought up the youngest squad out of all 24 teams with an average age of 23.81 years. Indonesia first faced off against Iraq in a 3–1 loss.[25] In the second match, Indonesia faced off against Southeast Asian rivals Vietnam and defeated them 1–0, it is the first Indonesia victory against Vietnam in 7 years.[26] In the last group stage match, Indonesia lost 3–1 to Asia's top-ranked team, Japan.[27] Despite the two losses in the group stage, Indonesia managed to advance to the Round of 16 by finishing as one of the four best third-place groups. Shin was able to lead Indonesia to the knockout stage of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in their history after their first appearance in 1996 AFC Asian Cup, thanks to Oman and Kyrgyzstan drawing in group F.[28] Indonesia faced off against Australia in the Round of 16 in a 4–0 loss.[29]
2024 U-23 Asian Cup and Olympic play-off
In April 2024, Indonesia participated at the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, making their debut in the competition. Indonesia were in Group B with Asia's powerhouses, Australia, Jordan and hosts Qatar. Despite a controversial 2–0 loss to Qatar, in which the referee seemed to be friendly toward the hosts,[30] Indonesia managed to advance to the quarter-finals as group runners-up after winning 1–0 over Australia, and 4–1 over Jordan. After fulfilling the two targets set by PSSI which were to reach the knockout stages at both Asian Cup and U-23 Asian Cup, on 25 April, PSSI president Erick Thohir announced that Shin's contract was officially extended until 2027.[31] Shin also faced his native South Korea in the quarter-finals, but defeated them 11–10 on penalties after a 2–2 draw for 120 minutes.[32] He had three chances to lead Indonesia to the 2024 Summer Olympics, with the last two matches of the tournament and Afro-Asian play-off between fourth-placed teams left. However, Indonesia missed all three opportunities by losing 2–0 to Uzbekistan in the semi-finals, 2–1 to Iraq (after extra-time) in the third place match and 1–0 to Guinea in the Olympic qualifying play-off.[33][34] They were dominated by the three opponents unlike in previous matches and failed to earn their first Olympic football berth since 1956. Shin was sent off for complaining strongly about the penalty awarded to Guinea for the second time during the last match.[34]
2026 World Cup qualification
At the continuation of the second round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where Indonesia previously lost 5–1 to Iraq and drew 1–1 with the Philippines in November 2023, they beat Vietnam again twice. They earned a 1–0 home win and a 3–0 away win over Vietnam on 21 and 26 March 2024, respectively, and the latter was their first away win over Vietnam since 2004.[35] Finishing as Group G runners-up at the second round after a 2–0 loss to Iraq and a 2–0 win over the Philippines in June 2024,[36] Indonesia became the only Southeast Asian nation among 18 qualified nations at the AFC third round.[37]
Personal life
Shin has two children, Shin Jae-won and Shin Jae-hyeok.
In Indonesia, he is widely known by his initial "STY".[38]
Shin was appointed as an advertising model of Nongshim, a South Korean food company, and made a dance video to promote instant noodle "Nongshim Bulgogi" in Indonesia.[39] The song and his dance in the video became an internet meme after attracting attention in South Korea and Indonesia.[40][41][42]
Shin received a Golden Visa from the Indonesian government.[43]
Career statistics
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^"Tae-yong Shin". worldfootball.net. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
^ abcdefgh[K리그 레전드SSUL] '그라운드의 여우' 신태용편 [(K League Legend) 'Fox of the Ground' Shin Tae-yong]. YouTube.com (in Korean). K League. 28 August 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
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