차범근 車範根
Footballer who became the first Korean in the German Bundesliga; later a coach and commentator
| Life | 1953 |
| Era | 현대 |
| Clan | 연안 차씨 |
Life & career
Cha Bum-kun (b. 1953) is a retired Korean footballer, coach and commentator. A forward, in 1978 he became the first Korean to debut in Germany's professional Bundesliga, playing for Darmstadt, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. In Germany he was nicknamed 'Tscha Bum', and in Korea 'the Brown Bomber'.
As a Korea University student in 1972 he was called up as the youngest national team player and debuted against Iraq in the AFC Asian Cup. He was a regular forward until the 1986 World Cup, contributed to the 1978 Asian Games gold medal and the 1972 Asian Cup runner-up finish. With 130-plus caps and 58 goals he is cited as Korea's all-time A-match top scorer, and was Korea's first member of the century club (records have been revised over time).
In the Bundesliga he scored 98 goals in 308 matches, then the record for a foreign player, and helped win the UEFA Cup with Eintracht Frankfurt (1980) and Bayer Leverkusen (1988). He is also known for fair play, receiving only one yellow card in ten seasons. After retiring he coached Ulsan Hyundai and the national team and worked as a commentator for MBC and SBS.
Joining the Bundesliga
He debuted for Darmstadt in December 1978, but a military-service issue led to the contract being annulled and he had to return for a time. Scouted by Eintracht Frankfurt in July 1979, he began his full German career and contributed to the 1980 UEFA Cup win and the 1981 DFB-Pokal win.
National Team and Coaching
The 1986 World Cup was his first and only as a player, and in 1997 he was appointed national team manager. He is also presented as an ambassador of the Bundesliga Legends Network.
Family
His son Cha Du-ri was also a footballer in the Bundesliga and for the national team. Private life is not covered in this draft.
Grave
Not applicable, as he is a living person.
Descendants
His son Cha Du-ri is also a former footballer turned coach.