"Told to 'Go,' and He Really Went: Lee Imsang Appointed Technical Director at Cambodian Club"

Appointed as Technical Director of Cambodia’s Nagaworld FC
Mixed Reactions from Football Community and Fans over Overseas Move

Lee Imsang, the former technical director of the Korea Football Association (KFA) who played a key role in the appointment process of former national team head coach Hong Myungbo, has been appointed as the technical director of Cambodia professional football club Nagaworld FC. This news comes right after former coach Hong stepped down following South Korea’s elimination in the group stage of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, drawing significant attention both inside and outside the football community.

Nagaworld FC, a professional football club in Cambodia, announced on the 6th through its official social media channels that it has appointed former director Lee Imseng as the club's technical director. The club introduced that Lee will lead the overall technical aspects of the team and contribute to player development and setting the direction for club operations. SNS

Nagaworld FC, a professional football club in Cambodia, announced on July 6 through its official social network service (SNS) that former director Lee Imsang has been appointed as the club's technical director. The club stated that Lee will oversee the entire technical division, contributing to the development of the players and assisting in setting the operational direction of the club. This marks Lee’s return to a professional club setting for the first time in about five years since stepping down as manager of Suwon Samsung in 2020. Nagaworld FC also highlighted Lee’s experience as an AFC Pro Coaching Instructor, his coaching background in Korea, Singapore, and China, as well as his appearance at the 1998 France World Cup.

However, domestic fans have shown mixed reactions. This is because Lee was at the center of the controversy surrounding the appointment of former coach Hong Myungbo in 2024. After Jung Haeseong, then chairman of the National Team Strengthening Committee, resigned, Lee took over the coach appointment process and was criticized for effectively leading the selection of Hong as head coach.

At the time, foreign candidates such as Jesse Marsch, head coach of the Canadian national team; Gus Poyet, former Jeonbuk Hyundai manager; and David Wagner all went through official interviews. However, it is known that Hong was asked to accept the head coach position directly by Lee without a separate formal interview. This led to procedural legitimacy controversies regarding whether Lee actually had the authority to appoint the head coach and whether the established procedures of the Strengthening Committee were properly followed.

Lee explained at the time that “all authority had been delegated to me by Chairman Chung Monggyu,” and added, “I made the decision based on my own judgment.” However, with Hong’s team failing to advance beyond the group stage at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, questions regarding responsibility for the appointment process have resurfaced. Coincidentally, former coach Hong left for the United States to join his family just two days after returning to Korea, and Lee has also joined the Cambodian club. With the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee currently preparing a hearing on the Korea Football Association, the key figures in the coach appointment controversy have now gone abroad.

Lee Imsaeng, former Technical Director of the Korea Football Association, attending the current issue hearing on the Korea Football Association held at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee regarding the appointment of former coach Hong Myung-bo. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Online reactions to their moves have been heated. After Nagaworld FC’s official announcement, social media was flooded with sarcastic comments about the club name “Nagaworld,” such as “He really went to Naga FC because he was told to go,” and “Even the team name is Nagaworld.” Former national team goalkeeper Kim Youngkwang also drew attention from fans by commenting on a related post, “Lee Seungchul is singing ~ Going outside~.” Some netizens have said, “There should be an explanation of responsibility first,” and, “It doesn’t look good for them to leave the country before the hearing.” On the other hand, others commented, “You can’t stop someone from getting a new job,” and, “From the perspective of the Cambodian club, they have recruited someone with a lot of experience.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.