Kim Do-hoon accused of headbutting rival coach in pitch-side fracas

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Kim Do-hoon accused of headbutting rival coach in pitch-side fracas

Published: 27 Jul. 2022, 15:27

A still from the official match report video shared by the Singapore Premier League on YouTube appears to show Lion City Sailors manager Kim Do-hoon, bottom left in black, headbutting Tampines Rovers assistant coach Mustafic Fahrudin on the sidelines of a game on Sunday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Former Incheon United and Ulsan Hyundai manager Kim Do-hoon has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association of Singapore after appearing to headbutt a rival coach during a pitch-side fracas while managing Singaporean club Lion City Sailors during a league game against the Tampines Rovers.

Kim, who is currently in his second season managing the Lion City Sailors, appeared to get involved in an argument with Tampines Rovers assistant coach Mustafic Fahrudin in the 87th minute of the game at Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on Sunday.

Footage from the game shows Fahrudin grab Kim by the arm first, as if to push him away, with the two then squaring up in the technical area on the side of the pitch. Kim appears to lower his forehead into Fahrudin's face in what appears to be a headbutt, with Fahrudin then clutching his face and moving away from Kim.

Players watch on as Lion City Sailors manager Kim Do-hoon, bottom left in black, appears to headbutt Tampines Rovers assistant coach Mustafic Fahrudin on the sidelines of a game on Sunday in a still from the official match report video shared by the Singapore Premier League on YouTube. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Kim's Lion City Sailors went on to with the match 2-1 with an injury time goal, with more fights reportedly breaking out after the final whistle. The second brawl was not included in footage released after the game, but one photograph shared by Singaporean midfielder shows Tampines Rovers midfielder Zehrudin Mehmedovic being physically restrained as he tries to hit Kim.

Both Kim and Fahrudin have been charged by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) with violent conduct, with a disciplinary hearing scheduled to be held on Thursday. The two clubs have also been handed FAS charges for the conduct of their players, and the Lion City Sailors have been handed an additional charge for the conduct of their fans.

Singaporean police also confirmed Monday that a report has been lodged that they are currently investigated. Whether that report involves Kim is unclear.

"As a club, we are already taking steps to ensure that such scenes are not repeated, and that we continue to match the high standards that our fans expect of us both on and off the field," Lion City Sailors CEO Chew Chun-Liang told Channel News Asia on Tuesday.

Kim Do-hoon manages Ulsan Hyundai during a game in June 2020. [YONHAP]

Kim was a versatile forward active in the 1990s, both in the K League, Japan's J League and the Korean national team. He picked up 72 caps for Korea between 1994 and 2003, scoring 30 goals.

As a manager, Kim was assistant coach of the Korean U-20 squad in 2014 before going on to manage Incheon United from 2015 to 2016, Ulsan Hyundai from 2017 to 2021 and Lion City Sailors.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]