Story highlights
Ulsan Hyundai earn place at FIFA Club World Cup by winning Asian title
K-League team beats Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli 3-0 in Champions League final
Third time in four years that a Korean club has won the final
Ulsan won all nine games but battling to qualify for next season's tournament
South Korean singer Psy has conquered the world with his “Gangnam Style” hit – and his country continued its dominance of Asian club football on Saturday.
Ulsan Hyundai’s players celebrated by performing a victory dance in homage to the pop phenomenon after winning the region’s Champions League title for the first time.
Ulsan defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli 3-0 to become the third K-League team in four years to lift the trophy.
“Ulsan have had to wait for a long time to come to final so I told the players we must win the game and to do that we must play a normal game,” coach Kim Ho-gon said after goals from captain Kwak Tae-hwi, Brazilian striker Rafinha and midfielder Kim Seung-yong completed a run of nine successive wins in the competition.
“After the first group game every game felt like a final, but the final did not feel like a final as we had done so well in the semifinal.”
The victory at Ulsan’s Munsu Stadium earned the club a place at December’s Club World Cup in Japan, with a quarterfinal tie against Mexico’s Monterrey.
“I am so happy for the players,” Kim said on the Asian Football Confederation website. “They wanted to play in the FIFA Club World Cup and it is the same for me. This is the happiest day in my coaching career.”
Al Ahli had reached the final for the first time in the tournament’s present format, though the club lost in the title match of the 1986 competition when it was known as the Asian Club Championship.
“The team learned a lot this year by playing against different strong teams,” said Ahli’s Czech coach Karel Jarolim.
“Al Ahli is a very young team and these players have gained experience this season and they will work hard for next year and will try to do our best.”
His team booked a place in next year’s tournament by finishing second in the Saudi league, but Ulsan may miss out after dropping outside the K-League’s qualification places.