Lion City Sailors head coach Kim Do-hoon leaves club after 'mutual agreement to part ways'

SINGAPORE: Kim Do-hoon has left his role as Lion City Sailors head coach, the club said on Thursday (Aug 11).

“Lion City Sailors and head coach Kim Do-hoon have reached a mutual agreement to part ways,” the club said in a statement.

“We thank him for his service, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours.”

The club added that Luka Lalic, the technical director of its football academy, will take charge of the first team on an interim basis, including for their next Singapore Premier League (SPL) match against the Young Lions on Saturday.

Kim’s exit comes just a day after the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) handed him a S$2,000 fine and a three-match suspension for his role in an altercation with Tampines Rovers assistant coach Mustafic Fahrudin during an SPL match last month.

Fahrudin was also suspended for three matches and fined S$3,000.

When asked if Kim’s departure was related to the incident, the Sailors declined to comment.

A former striker who represented South Korea on more than 70 occasions, Kim arrived at the Bishan Stadium in mid-2021 after a successful stint at the helm of K League side Ulsan Hyundai.

He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Sailors just months after leading Ulsan to the AFC Champions League title.

During Kim’s tenure, the Sailors won the SPL title in only their second season since being privatised.

He also led the club on their inaugural AFC Champions League campaign earlier this year, recording wins against South Korean side Daegu FC and China’s Shandong Taishan before bowing out of the tournament.