*This content was translated by AI.
Daejeon Hana Citizen of the K-League 1 has hired former coach Shinji Otsuka (51, Japan), who also served as a coach on the stage of the J2 League of Japanese professional football, as a coach.
The Daejeon club said on the 7th, "We have appointed coach Otsuka as a new coach," adding, "We expect to fill the vacancy of former coach Tatsuma Yoshida, and at the same time, it will be a great help to coach Hwang Sun-hong's tactics completion with his abundant knowledge based on his long leadership experience."
Otsuka is a former midfielder who played in 342 games in the J-League from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s, including Jeff United, Kawasaki Frontale, Omiya Ardiza, Monte di Yamagata, and Consadore Sapporo in Japan's J-League as players.
After retiring as a player, he started as a youth coach, followed by a youth coach and a first-team head coach, and since 2022, he has been promoted to a formal coach since the summer of 2024 after being appointed as the head coach of Banpo Re Gofu.
Banore Gofu, who he led, ranked 14th in the J2 League in the last 2024 season and 13th last season, respectively. After completing the 2025 season, he was accompanied by Gohu Ban-re and headed to the Korean stage after receiving a love call from Daejeon led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong. This is the first time he has lived abroad, including when he was a player and leader.
Earlier, Daejeon coach Hwang Sun-hong wanted to appoint a Japanese coach after taking the helm of Daejeon in 2024, and Machida appointed former Tokushima Bortis as a coach. At that time, coach Yoshida assisted Hwang in the role of tactical coach for Daejeon, and after completing a year and a half of accompanying him, he was appointed as the head coach of Kyoto Sanga FC in Japan last month.
Meanwhile, Daejeon has completed the formation of the coaching staff for the 2026 season with the addition of coach Otsuka. Coach Hwang Sun-hong, head coach Myung Jae-yong, goalkeeper coach Kim Il-jin, coaches Bae Hyo-sung and Kim Chang-soo, and physical coaches Park Sung-kyun and Hong Deok-ki joined. Daejeon finished second in the K League 1 last season.
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*This content was translated by AI.
