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| Source=Korea Professional Football Federation, Lopez SNS Capture |
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Lopez (34, Busan), once called the best foreigner in the K League, raises eyebrows for his lack of respect for his team.
Lopez announced his farewell to Busan on his personal social networking service (SNS) on the 1st. He said "My companion to Busan has been completed. After much thought, I thought it was time to explore new challenges and opportunities. I would like to thank the secretariat, coaches, fans, and colleagues for having a good experience during my time in Busan. I wish and support Busan's continuous success. I believe you will understand my decision."
The farewell message contained affection and support for Busan. But looking at the timing of the post, I can't feel any respect for the club. The Busan club and Lopez recently agreed to go their separate ways. The club was due to announce Lopez's departure after clearing up the internal situation. However, Lopez, who did not even write an agreement to terminate the contract, suddenly made a 'self-announcement', which is embarrassing. It is basic for players to express their determination and feelings after the club makes an official announcement on joining and leaving. When Lopez joined Busan in January, he expressed his feelings on social media the day after the club's announcement of recruitment.
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| photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
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| photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
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| photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
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Looking back on his track record over the past six months, Lopez's unexpected behavior makes sense. Busan embraced Lopez, judging that Lopez's ability and years of experience, which led Suwon FC's dramatic stay last season, would help the offense. Brazil trio Lopez, Ramas, and Pesin, who have different styles, showed extraordinary 'chemistry' at the training camp, raising expectations of fans who want to be promoted to the first division. But after the opening, expectations for Lopez quickly cooled. Lopez was given the opportunity earlier in the season, but he was consistent with overstretched shooting and individual play. Lopez found the cause of his slump elsewhere. He is known to have clouded the team's atmosphere by expressing dissatisfaction with Busan coach Park Jin-seop's tactics and management methods. Coach Park tried to use Lopez as a striker at a time when the main striker Kim Chan (Kim Chun) was injured and there was no suitable striker. At the press conference against Gimpo on the 23rd of last month, Lopez himself prefers the side. I used it as a striker in the beginning, but I'm standing on the side because I said I'm a wingerYou can see the signs of trouble in the words ". Lopez, who lost his explosive ability due to a major injury in China, did not perform much on the side again, and the team eventually lost 0-1. Lopez played in 14 games this season, including the game against Gimpo, which became a farewell match, leaving 35 shots and 0 goals, the second most after Ramas (63).
Lopez hinted at a breakup by unfollowing the Busan club's SNS early in May and deleting posts related to Busan. He suddenly followed the K League 2 promotion rival team's account and uploaded a video of winning the Asian Champions League out of the blue when he was in his prime in Jeonbuk. I recalled the past, which was more glorious than the game in front of me at a time when the team was struggling with a slump and all the players had to work together. Jeonbuk fans will consider Lopez, who has given away numerous trophies, as the `best foreigner', but Busan fans may remember him as the `worst foreigner'. Busan announced on the team's SNS on the afternoon of the 2nd that it had terminated the contract under mutual agreement with Lopez. Busan, which has learned the expensive lesson of Lopez, is looking for various resources to strengthen its offensive.
yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
