Choi Sung-kuk
Choi Sung-Kuk (born 8 February 1983) is a former South Korean footballer who played the forward position. He was banned by FIFA from all sports because of his involvement in match fixing. He was part of the South Korea 2004 Olympic football team, who finished second in Group A, making it through to the next round, before being defeated by silver medal winners Paraguay. He was also capped for South Korean U-20 team at 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. A member of Korea's squad for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, he scored a goal in  the opening match against Saudi Arabia. Club career. Born in Seoul, Republic of Korea, Choi began playing football at Bucheon Sangji Elementary School and then was scouted by Donggok Elementary School. He began his football career at Jeongmyeong High School. Choi then moved to Korea University where he spent two years there. During this time, Choi's performance earned him a nickname of 'Little Maradona', due to his comparison. In late–November, he scored three times in Korean FA Cup, scoring twice against Samick Instrument in the first round on 22 November 2002 and then two days later on 24  November 2002, scored again against World Cyber University. Ulsan. Choi joined Ulsan Hyundai, the K-League giant on 27 February 2003, which was named Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I at the time, for 300 million won. Choi scored on his debut for the club and earned the side their first win by beating Gwangju Sangmu 1–0 in the opening game of the season. Choi then scored three goals between 16 June 2003 and 21 June 2003, adding his tally to five goals he scored this season. His sixth goal came on 29 June 2003, in a 2–1 win against Anyang LG  Cheetahs. Since making his debut for the club, Choi quickly became a first team regular and helped Ulsan place second in the league that season. At the end of the 2003 season, Choi went on to make twenty–seven appearances and scoring seven times in all competitions; his performance earned him a nomination for Rookie of the Year Award but lost out to Jung Jo-gook. In the 2004 season, Choi continued to be in a first team regular for the side. It wasn't until on 3 November 2004 when he scored his first goal of the season, in  a 3–1 win against Daejeon Hana Citizen and eventually helped the side qualify for the Championship playoffs by finishing first place. However, the club failed to win the league after losing 1–0 against Pohang Steelers in the semi–finals. Following this, Choi scored three goals between the Round of 16 and semi–finals of the Korean FA Cup, scoring against Incheon Korea National Railroad, Gimpo Hallelujah and Busan I'cons. At the end of the 2004 season, he went on to make twenty–four appearances and scoring four times in all competitions. Ahead of the 2005 season, Choi was loaned out  to J1 League side Kashiwa Reysol for five months. Despite making twelve appearances for the club, his time at Kashiwa Reysol was a 5-month disappointing spell and he returned to Ulsan. After returning from Japan, Choi made sixteen appearances and scoring once, as he helped Ulsan win the league that year. Following a 5–1 win against Incheon United in the Final of the Championship play-offs, Choi's goal in the second proves to be an important despite losing 2–1 but nevertheless won 6–3 on aggregate, winning the league as a result. At the start of the 2006 season , Choi scored his first AFC Champions League goal, in a 2–0 win against Tokyo Verdy 1869. Four days later on 12 March 2006, his first league goal of the season came in the opening game of the season, in a 1–0 win against Gwangju Sangmu Bulsajo. He scored first Korean League Cup match on 24 May 2006, in a 1–0 win against Suwon Samsung Bluewings and went on to become the top scorer for the Hauzen Cup, which is the Korean League Cup. After the end of the Hauzen Cup tournament, Choi scored a brace in the AFC Champions League , in a 6–0 win against Al-Shabab in the first leg of the quarter–finals tournament. At the end of the 2006 season, he went on to make forty appearances and scoring thirteen times in all competitions. It seemed definite that Choi would become Ulsan's icon, but he moved to Seongnam, which made many Ulsan supporters extremely angry at the board. Seongnam/Gwangju Sangm. Choi made his Seongnam debut in the opening game of the season, in a 1–1 draw against Chunnam Dragons. He then scored two AFC Champions League goals against Adelaide United and Gach Dong Tam Long  An between 25 April 2007 and 9 May 2007. Choi then played in both legs of the AFC Champions League semi–finals against Urawa Red Diamonds, scoring in the second leg and the results ended with the opposition team winning 5–3 on penalties after 4–4 aggregate score, which Choi, himself, missing the penalty. In his first season at Seongnam, he helped the club finish first place in the league, but lost 4–1 to Pohang Steelers on aggregate in the final of the Championship play–offs. At the end of the 2007 season, Choi made thirty–six appearances and scoring six  times in all competitions. Shortly after, he went on a trial at Championship side Sheffield United. After the match, the club decided against signing him. In his second season, Choi continued to regain his first team place for the side and impressing with his goal scoring form. Throughout the 2008 season, he helped the side qualify for the K League Championship. However, after his disappointing 2008 season following a failure to win the league once again, Choi went on to make twenty–eight appearances and scoring seven times in all competitions. Choi announced he would join the army in 2009 , which angered many Seongnam fans. He moved to Gwangju Sangmu, the army team at the beginning of the 2009 season. Choi scored twice on his debut for the club, in a 3–0 win against Daejeon Hana Citizen in the opening game of the season. Since making his debut for Gwangju Sangmu, his partnership with Kim Myung-Joong was the core of Gwangju's surprising performance. He added three league goals throughout May, scoring against Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Daegu and FC Seoul. Choi later added two more goals throughout October, scoring against Seongnam Ilhwa Cheonma and Pohang Steelers. At the end  of the 2009 season, Choi went on to make twenty–eight appearances and scoring nine times in all competitions. At the start of the 2010 season, Choi made a great start for the side when he scored twice, in a 2–1 win against Daegu in the opening game of the season. For his performance, Choi was named Best Eleven of Matchday 1. However, he received a straight red card in the 50th minute, in a 2–0 loss against Busan IPark on 21 March 2010. After serving a two match suspension, Choi scored on his return, in a 3–2 win against  Chunnam Dragons on 10 April 2010. It wasn't until on 18 August 2010 when he scored in a 2–1 loss against Chunnam Dragons in the quarter–finals of the Korean FA Cup. A month later on 26 September 2010, Choi scored again, in a 1–1 draw against Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Following his performance, his name was once named placed for the Best Eleven. By the time he departed Gwanju, he made twenty–seven appearances and scoring five times in all competitions. By late–October, Choi returned to Seongnam and was registered to the first team. He made his first  Seongnam's appearance for the side came on 2 November 2010, in a 2–1 loss against FC Seoul. Choi participated in the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup and scored in the quarterfinal against United Arab Emirates side Al-Wahda, as Seongnam won 4–1. He played in the next round against Inter Milan in the semi–finals, losing 3–0. At the end of the 2010 season, Choi made seven appearances and scoring once for the side. Suwon. Choi moved to Suwon Samsung Bluewings prior to the 2011 season, signing a three–year contract. Shortly after, he was announced as the new  captain for the side. Choi made his Suwon Samsung Bluewings debut in the opening game of the season against FC Seoul and set up the club's second goal of the game, in a 2–0 win. His first goal for the club came on 15 April 2011, as well as, setting up the club's first goal of the game, in a 2–0 win against Gangwon. In the third round of the Korean FA Cup, Choi scored his second goal for the club, in a 3–1 win against Pocheon Citizen. However, during a 3–2 loss against Jeju United on 10  June 2011, he suffered ankle injury and was substituted in the 36th minute, in what turns out to be his last appearance in professional football. Up until that match, Choi was a first team regular for the side, resulting in making nineteen appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. Rabotnički. On 16 January 2012, it was announced that Choi would join Macedonian side FK Rabotnički. It was to be his first club in Europe of his career. However, his move fell through after the Football Federation of Macedonia rejected the player's registration after K-League revealed Choi had  been banned from playing professional football in any league by FIFA, ending his football career permanently. Following this, FIFA reduced his ban to five years, although it was reported in the Korea media that it's unlikely for Choi to resume playing football when he will be in his thirties. However, Korea Football Association responded to the news, stating that FIFA has not reduced Choi's ban to five years and that his lifetime ban has not changed. It was reported on 9 February 2012 that Choi was sentenced on probation for two years and 200 hours of social services  for ten months as a result of his actions, relating to match fixing. Seven years later after his professional football career came to an end, he spoke out in an interview about his role to match fixing. International career. Youth career. While at Jeongmyeong High School, Choi was called up to the South Korea U-17 squad and scored two times in six appearances. He was then called up to the South Korea U-19 and went to score eight times in five appearances. After making his debut for the South Korea U-20 in August 2002, Choi was called up to the  South Korea U-23 squad for the Asian Games, where he helped the side finish third place, earning a bronze medal. He then returned to South Korea U-20 squad, being called up for the AFC Youth Championship in Qatar. He started in the tournament and helped Japan reach the final. Choi started in the final against Japan U-20 and beat them 1–0 to help South Korea U-20 win the AFC Youth Championship. A year later, he was called up to the South Korea U-20 squad for the FIFA World Youth Championship despite suffering an injury that could have seen him being  dropped from the squad. Choi made two appearances in the tournament, including one against Japan in a 2–1 loss in the Round of 16. Despite making two appearances, FIFA said about his performance on the website: "Korea's outstanding number ten was the focal point for a formidable Taeguk Warriors’ attack. His brilliantly flicked goal in the Round of Sixteen match with archrivals Japan looked to have sealed a spot in the Last Eight. But a late flurry of attack from the Nipponese ended the dream. Nevertheless, Choi Sung Kuk's constantly clever creative play was a delight, and the  Ulsan Hyundai player will be one to watch in the years to come." In July 2004, Choi was called up to the South Korea U-23 squad for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where they progressed through the Group Stage. However, South Korea were eventually eliminated by Paraguay in the quarter–finals. Senior career. In March 2003, Choi was called up to the senior team for the first time and made his debut, in a 0–0 draw against Colombia on 29 March 2003. Later in 2003, he scored his first South Korea goal, in a 1–0 win against Oman in  the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification. Four years later, Choi was called up to South Korea's squad for the AFC Asian Cup. He scored a goal in the opening match against Saudi Arabia. Choi was able to help the national side finish third place in the tournament after beating Japan in the third place play–offs. After being absent for two years, he was called up to the national team for the first time in October 2010. Choi made his first South Korea's appearance, in a 0–0 draw against Japan on 10 October 2010. Four months later on  9 February 2011, he made another appearance for the national team side against Turkey and played 21 minutes, as they drew 0–0, in what turns out to be his last appearance. Lifelong ban following match fixing. Choi was implicated in match-fixing scandal while playing for the military team, Sangmu. He denied his involvement when media reports raised the allegations about throwing matches, but soon admitted it as the scandal deepened. Consequently, he was tentatively dropped from his team and stripped of his captaincy. It was officially announced in August 2011 that he would not be able to play in  the all league systems in South Korea permanently. Following investigation FIFA imposed on him a lifelong ban from all sports. Personal life. Choi is a devout Christian. In December 2005, he was married towak Seon-hye and became a first time father a year later His parents were athletes, participating in hockey and gymnastics. Choi's father, Chang-mo Choi, works as a bus driver. He once said in an interview: “If there are scandals that have forgotten the athlete's role, I will never see again”, which was successfully predicted in Choi's career. Choi has a twin sister . Following an end to his professional football career, Choi was hired to work in the hospital as a clerk. He acknowledged that since his football career ended, his family began to struggle economically and quit his job at the hospital. In January 2014, Choi was caught by police for driving under the influence. Later in the same year, Choi became a member of a baseball team. It was announced in April 2016 that Choi was hired as a commentator for Spoville. In July 2016, a man was sentenced to six years in prison for threatening both Choi and Kim Dong -hyun.