Portugal’s Novo breaks through K League barrier as first foreign goalkeeper in 28 years
Korea has lifted the ban on its clubs signing foreign shot-stoppers, and Yongin FC have taken full advantage, signing 33-year-old Emanuel Novo
Emanuel Novo has become the Korea Professional Football League’s first foreign goalkeeper in 28 years, a milestone that signals a growing openness in a role long closed to non-Korean players.
Yongin FC, named after its home city in Gyeonggi Province and set to enter the second-tier K League 2 this season, announced on Saturday that it had signed the Portuguese goalkeeper.
The 33-year-old is the K League’s first foreign goalkeeper since the league lifted its long-standing ban on foreign registrations at the position last June, a change that took effect this season.
Previously, Novo played in Portugal’s first and second divisions and has also competed in Romania and Saudi Arabia. Yongin FC cited his command of the air – aided by his 192-centimetre frame – as well as his strong communication with defenders.
“As the first goalkeeper to join the K League since the ban on foreign goalkeepers was lifted, I want to live up to that responsibility,” Novo said.
In 1999, after years of gradual curbs, the league barred the registration of foreign goalkeepers to nurture domestic players and ensure more playing time for Korean nationals.