Jeonbuk Hyundai Manager Chung Jung-yong delivered a special gift to Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan), with whom he reunited in Team K League.

Team K League, led by Manager Chung, will face English Premier League (EPL) powerhouse Manchester City (Man City) at 8:00 PM today (August 5) at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Manager Chung, striker Mugosa (Incheon), and Lee Dong-gyeong attended the Team K League press conference held yesterday at the Bucheon Stadium.

Last season, Manager Chung achieved a strong third-place finish together with "senior sergeant" Lee Dong-gyeong at Gimcheon Sangmu.

Afterward, Manager Chung took the helm at Jeonbuk, while Lee Dong-gyeong returned to Ulsan upon completing his military service.

Now, Manager Chung and Lee Dong-gyeong are "rivals" on the K League pitches, but this time they are joining forces as one team to face Man City.

Manager Chung said, "There are many players in Team K League who have passed through my former team. As they are the best players, I hope they bring joy to the fans."

Manager Chung reportedly handed over a fan gift to Lee Dong-gyeong that he had kept for a year.

When at Gimcheon, a fan gave Manager Chung a silver "MVP" commemorative item intended for Lee Dong-gyeong.

Joking, Manager Chung remarked, "It's made of 'original silver' (pure silver). If it had been gold, I wouldn't have given it to him."

Lee Dong-gyeong also openly expressed his delight at reuniting with his former mentor.

He said, "I wondered if I should give a 'loyalty' salute, but since I am a civilian now, I just greeted him warmly and happily," adding, "I learned a lot from the manager at Gimcheon."

He added, "While we will compete fiercely in K League matches, since we met in Team K League this time, I will try to make great memories."

Lee Dong-gyeong also shared his calm sentiments regarding the falling through of his summer European transfer attempt.

His transfer to Stoke City (England) was reportedly near completion, but he failed to secure a work permit, leading him to continue playing for Ulsan.

It was known that the transfer could have materialized if he had played just one match at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.

Lee Dong-gyeong stated, "Personally, I am not dwelling on it with regret."

He continued, "I am glad to be able to play against such a great club as Man City this time," and added, "Every time I play in the Coupang Play Series matches, playing against such great players lets me see what kind of play I can deliver and how competitive I can be in front of them."

Man City has won the EPL six times in the past 10 years, and finished as runners-up behind Arsenal last season.

Although key players who advanced to the quarterfinals or beyond at the North and Central America World Cup, such as Erling Haaland and Rodri, were left off the touring squad, top-tier resources in both offense and defense such as Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, and Rayan Ait-Nouri abound.

However, Team K League will also counter with players representing the league.

Yago (Ulsan), who leads the scoring race with 10 goals, and league offensive point leader Lee Dong-gyeong (14 points: 9 goals and 5 assists) will step up as attackers.

The midfield features Matheus (Anyang) and Ki Sung-yueng (Pohang), while the defense includes Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), and Yazan (Seoul) to block Man City's strong offensive drives.

Mugosa said, "It is a true honor to be selected for Team K League for the first time," adding, "I will do my best with a sense of responsibility representing the K League and South Korea."

(Photo: Yonhap News)