Kim Nam-Il
Encyclopedia
Kim Nam-il or Kim Namil is a South Korean footballer. Kim is a defensive midfielder for Tom Tomsk in the Russian Premier League
. He was virtually unknown before he became a superstar for his impressive defensive displays in the 2002 FIFA World Cup
.
Formerly an unimpressive attacking midfielder, Guus Hiddink
converted Kim into an international-class holding midfielder by utilising his defensive talents, being named to the best XI of the 2002 Gold Cup under his tutelage.
's popularity. Kim, a former unknown to the public, then became highly desirable by numerous endorsement companies that were eager to pay high amounts of money. Many TV programs had asked, or pressured at times for, Kim to appear, but Kim rejected their offers, and appeared only on interviews instead.
He also became notorious for his frank and eccentric personality. Quotes of Kim during the Interviews surfaced on the internet, such as "Hey, Myung Bo, let's eat," (명보야 밥먹자) referring to Hong Myung Bo who is eight years his senior.
used to play for at the time. Unfortunately, Kim's contract expired before he could make a strong impression, and had no choice but to come back to Korea to play for Chunnam Dragons
, where he used to play for before 2002 Football World Cup.
Kim's transfer to Suwon Bluewings in 2005 caused quite a controversy when traded for not one, but two athletes. One of the athletes who were traded for Kim was Ko Jong-Soo
who was once a star player of the team for a very long time.
.
In 2006, he said that he had given up his hope of playing for a football club in Europe, and wants to be "a legend of K-League who will be remembered by his fans forever."
In August 2006, he was chosen as the captain of the Korean national football team inheriting the title from Lee Woon-Jae
.
to play for J. League
side Vissel Kobe
. He played 31 league games and scored 1 goal in his first season in Japan. His team finished in 10th place.
After the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, he was advised by his agent to leave Russia for Saudi Arabia
and join Al-Shabab Riyadh, but later Kim Nam-Il was declined and had to stay in Tomsk.
.
Since 2006, there had been rumours about his relationship with anchorwoman Kim Bo-Min eventually leading to the possibility of his marriage. The question was raised once again when a netizen
posted a picture of a woman whom he claimed was Kim Bo-Min at Suwon World Cup Stadium. The woman was wearing a hat and a light green scarf that covered about half of her face.
Both Kim Bo-Min and Kim Nam-Il neither confirmed nor denied the allegation. In an interview with a women's magazine, the footballer's parents have stated that they have heard from their son that they are romantically involved, but did not hear about marriage. In June 2007, the couple secretly became engaged and revealed that they had met three years ago.
|2000
||rowspan="3"|Chunnam Dragons
||rowspan="3"|K-League
||20||0||?||?||10||1||colspan="2"|-||||
|-
|2001
||25||0||?||?||0||0||colspan="2"|-||||
|-
|2002
||14||0||?||?||1||0||colspan="2"|-||||
|-
|2002-03
||Excelsior||Eredivisie
||8||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||||
|-
|2003
||rowspan="2"|Chunnam Dragons
||rowspan="5"|K-League
||23||6||0||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||23||6
|-
|2004
||10||1||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||12||1
|-
|2005
||rowspan="3"|Suwon Bluewings||2||0||3||2||4||0||?||?||||
|-
|2006
||23||0||4||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||30||0
|-
|2007
||20||0||1||0||8||0||colspan="2"|-||29||0
|-
|2008
||rowspan="2"|Vissel Kobe
||rowspan="2"|J. League Division 1
||31||1||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||33||1
|-
|2009
||23||0||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||26||0
137||7||||||26||1||||||||
8||0||||||||||colspan="2"|-||||
54||1||2||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||59||1
199||8||||||||||||||||
|}
|1998||2||0
|-
|1999||0||0
|-
|2000||3||0
|-
|2001||7||1
|-
|2002||17||0
|-
|2003||11||0
|-
|2004||12||1
|-
|2005||6||0
|-
|2006||14||0
|-
|2007||2||0
|-
|2008||12||0
|-
|2009||4||0
|-
|2010||7||0
|-
!Total||97||2
|}
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
. He was virtually unknown before he became a superstar for his impressive defensive displays in the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
.
Pre-fame
Kim Nam-Il began playing soccer in 3rd grade in grade school. His decision to play soccer was initially met with opposition from his parents because of his impressive academic performance.Formerly an unimpressive attacking midfielder, Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
converted Kim into an international-class holding midfielder by utilising his defensive talents, being named to the best XI of the 2002 Gold Cup under his tutelage.
2002 FIFA World Cup
Kim became a star in 2002 because of his performance in 2002 FIFA World Cup. Kim was nicknamed the "The Vacuum Cleaner" from his peers for his clean tackling and aggressiveness to 'sweep' his zone of any balls.Kim Nam-Il Syndrome
The term "Kim Nam-Il Syndrome" began to be coined by tabloids to describe Kim's superstardom status. During the 2002 World Cup, he gained an unusually large female fan base, led to sold-out matches and goodies, and caused a sudden increase in Chunnam DragonsChunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons is a football club founded in 1995 in the Korean city of Gwangyang, which joined the K-League for the 1995 season at the same time as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, their Jeolla province rivals.-History:...
's popularity. Kim, a former unknown to the public, then became highly desirable by numerous endorsement companies that were eager to pay high amounts of money. Many TV programs had asked, or pressured at times for, Kim to appear, but Kim rejected their offers, and appeared only on interviews instead.
He also became notorious for his frank and eccentric personality. Quotes of Kim during the Interviews surfaced on the internet, such as "Hey, Myung Bo, let's eat," (명보야 밥먹자) referring to Hong Myung Bo who is eight years his senior.
Post-2002 World Cup
After the World Cup, Kim briefly played on loan for Excelsior, a Dutch football club, hoping he would get an opportunity to play for Feyenoord, where Song Chong-GugSong Chong-Gug
Song Chong-Gug is a Korean football player who currently plays for Tianjin Teda F.C. in the Chinese Super League.- Career :...
used to play for at the time. Unfortunately, Kim's contract expired before he could make a strong impression, and had no choice but to come back to Korea to play for Chunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons is a football club founded in 1995 in the Korean city of Gwangyang, which joined the K-League for the 1995 season at the same time as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, their Jeolla province rivals.-History:...
, where he used to play for before 2002 Football World Cup.
Kim's transfer to Suwon Bluewings in 2005 caused quite a controversy when traded for not one, but two athletes. One of the athletes who were traded for Kim was Ko Jong-Soo
Ko Jong-Soo
Ko Jong-Su is a football coach and former Korean football player.-Career:He rose to stardom during the 1998 World Cup, along with Lee Dong-Gook, and Ahn Jung-Hwan. He was once called "the greatest technician in Korea," for his pace, skillful free kicks, and his left foot. He can operate in central...
who was once a star player of the team for a very long time.
2006 World Cup
Overcoming an injury in his right foot, Kim made a comeback in late 2005 and quickly re-established his position in the national team and consequently won a place in the South Korean squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
In 2006, he said that he had given up his hope of playing for a football club in Europe, and wants to be "a legend of K-League who will be remembered by his fans forever."
In August 2006, he was chosen as the captain of the Korean national football team inheriting the title from Lee Woon-Jae
Lee Woon-Jae
Lee Woon-Jae is a South Korean football goalkeeper, who plays for Chunnam Dragons in the South Korean K-League. He was part of Korea's 1994, 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cup campaigns...
.
2007
In March 2007, Kim recently suffered a neck injury during a match against Busan I'Park. Suwon Samsung won the match 1-0 and set a record for 200 wins in the least number of games.Move to Japan
In 2008 he moved to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to play for J. League
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
side Vissel Kobe
Vissel Kobe
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team is located in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The home stadium is Kobe Wing Stadium, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku.-History:The club was...
. He played 31 league games and scored 1 goal in his first season in Japan. His team finished in 10th place.
Fresh start in Russia
In 2009, he moved to Russian club FC Tom Tomsk. For the time being, he has secured a starting spot as a defensive midfielder, providing staunch control of the midfield.After the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, he was advised by his agent to leave Russia for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and join Al-Shabab Riyadh, but later Kim Nam-Il was declined and had to stay in Tomsk.
Personal life
Kim is the youngest of the three brothers in his family, and is a close friend of Lee Kwan-Woo and Lee Dong-GookLee Dong-Gook
Lee Dong-Gook is a South Korean football striker, who plays for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in K-League.-Early career:Lee started playing football for Pohang Steelers, where due to his outstanding performance in his first season, he managed to make his debut for the South Korean national team making...
.
Since 2006, there had been rumours about his relationship with anchorwoman Kim Bo-Min eventually leading to the possibility of his marriage. The question was raised once again when a netizen
Netizen
The term Netizen is a portmanteau of the English words internet and citizen. It is defined as an entity or person actively involved in online communities and a user of the internet, especially an avid one. The term can also imply an interest in improving the internet, especially in regard to open...
posted a picture of a woman whom he claimed was Kim Bo-Min at Suwon World Cup Stadium. The woman was wearing a hat and a light green scarf that covered about half of her face.
Both Kim Bo-Min and Kim Nam-Il neither confirmed nor denied the allegation. In an interview with a women's magazine, the footballer's parents have stated that they have heard from their son that they are romantically involved, but did not hear about marriage. In June 2007, the couple secretly became engaged and revealed that they had met three years ago.
Club career statistics
|-|2000
K-League 2000
-League table:Point system : W - 3 points, WP - 1 point. no extra time-See also:* 2000 K-League Championship* 2000 K-League Cup* 2000 K-League Cup * 2000 Korean FA Cup...
||rowspan="3"|Chunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons is a football club founded in 1995 in the Korean city of Gwangyang, which joined the K-League for the 1995 season at the same time as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, their Jeolla province rivals.-History:...
||rowspan="3"|K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
||20||0||?||?||10||1||colspan="2"|-||||
|-
|2001
K-League 2001
-League table:-Top scorers:...
||25||0||?||?||0||0||colspan="2"|-||||
|-
|2002
K-League 2002
-League table:-Top scorers:...
||14||0||?||?||1||0||colspan="2"|-||||
|-
|2002-03
Eredivisie 2002-03
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 2002/2003 season was contested by 18 teams. PSV won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 FC Zwolle remained in the eredivisie after winning their promotion/relegation play-offs...
||Excelsior||Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||8||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||||
|-
|2003
K-League 2003
The 2003 season of the K-League kicked off on March 23.-League table:-Top scorers:...
||rowspan="2"|Chunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons is a football club founded in 1995 in the Korean city of Gwangyang, which joined the K-League for the 1995 season at the same time as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, their Jeolla province rivals.-History:...
||rowspan="5"|K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
||23||6||0||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||23||6
|-
|2004
K-League 2004
The 2004 season of the K-League kicked off on April 3. The league's previous single-season format was replaced by a separated twice 12-game split-season schedule. Each team will play 12 matches consisting of a home or away fixture against every other team in each stage...
||10||1||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||12||1
|-
|2005
K-League 2005
The 2005 season of the K-League kicked off on May 15. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2004 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in late November and early December....
||rowspan="3"|Suwon Bluewings||2||0||3||2||4||0||?||?||||
|-
|2006
K-League 2006
The 2006 season of the K-League kicked off on March 12. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2005 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in early November, with the Final being played on two legs in late November....
||23||0||4||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||30||0
|-
|2007
K-League 2007
The 2007 season of the K-League kicked off on March 3. The league's previous split-season format was replaced by a combined 26-game single-season schedule. Each team will play 26 matches consisting of a home and away fixture against every other team. After all games have been played, the top 6...
||20||0||1||0||8||0||colspan="2"|-||29||0
|-
|2008
J. League 2008
The 2008 J. League Division 1 season is the 44th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 16th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 8 and ended on December 6....
||rowspan="2"|Vissel Kobe
Vissel Kobe
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team is located in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The home stadium is Kobe Wing Stadium, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku.-History:The club was...
||rowspan="2"|J. League Division 1
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
||31||1||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||33||1
|-
|2009
J. League 2009
The 2009 J. League Division 1 season is the 45th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 17th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season started on March 7, 2009 and ended on December 5, 2009....
||23||0||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||26||0
137||7||||||26||1||||||||
8||0||||||||||colspan="2"|-||||
54||1||2||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||59||1
199||8||||||||||||||||
|}
International career statistics
|-|1998||2||0
|-
|1999||0||0
|-
|2000||3||0
|-
|2001||7||1
|-
|2002||17||0
|-
|2003||11||0
|-
|2004||12||1
|-
|2005||6||0
|-
|2006||14||0
|-
|2007||2||0
|-
|2008||12||0
|-
|2009||4||0
|-
|2010||7||0
|-
!Total||97||2
|}
International goals
- Results list South Korea's goal tally first.
Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition November 10, 2001 
SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
1 goal 2-0 Friendly match July 31, 2004 
JinanJinanJinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
1 goal 3-4 2004 AFC Asian Cup 2004 AFC Asian CupThe 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....
Individual
- CONCACAF Gold CupCONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
Best 11: 2002 - K-LeagueK-LeagueThe Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
Best 11: 2003 - East Asian Football Championship MVP: 2008
Club
Suwon Bluewings- K-League CupK-League CupThe K-League Cup or Korean League Cup is a Korean professional football competition.The origin competition is the Professional Football Championship.This tournament played in 1986 can be seen as a forerunner of this competition....
(1): 2005 - Korean Super CupKorean Super CupThe Super Cup was a traditional curtain-raiser to the Korean football season since its inception in 1999. Played between the K-League champions and Korean FA Cup holders, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are the only non-champions to have lifted the Super Cup trophy....
(1): 2005 - A3 Champions CupA3 Champions CupA3 Champions Cup was an annual football tournament sanctioned by the East Asian Football Federation. It began in 2003, involving the league champions of China, Japan and South Korea. The host nation also invited an additional team, making this a four team tournament. South Korea was the most...
(1): 2005