Gwangju FC→'3rd Victim' Suwon Samsung, which was in a hurry to hold 'ACLE Yongin', is all because of 'the turf'
Oct 07, 2024
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Gwangju FC, led by head coach Lee Jung-hyo, will play the third round of the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) league stage in the 2024-2025 season against Johor Darlle Takjim (Malaysia) at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 22nd.
The match was originally scheduled to be held at Gwangju World Cup Stadium. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has put the brakes on. The Korea Professional Football Federation said 'AFC decided to use another stadium because it thought the grass condition of the Gwangju World Cup Stadium was at a level where it was not possible to play the game'
Gwangju clashed with Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan) at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium on the 17th of last month. At that time, it was pointed out that the grass condition was poor. Acting Yokohama coach John Hutchinson said there was a problem with the turf. It was the AFC's choice, but rather than taking responsibility for that, I feel sorry for the result."
AFC pulled the knife out. Eventually, Gwangju will play in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, about 300 kilometers away. There is a reason. An official from the Gwangju club said, "After receiving an official letter from AFC to change the stadium, we looked for alternatives. However, there was no possible stadium in Jeolla-do. The K-League 1 teams had no final round schedule, and the K-League 2 teams had already set schedules. There were not many alternatives. The club also submitted related information to the AFC on grass maintenance at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium. However, the Gwangju World Cup Stadium was excluded from the AFC early on. I ended up going to Yongin."
Director Lee commented on the current situation "It's heartbreaking. I feel bad for the player. If the performance is not good, the coach is responsible. If the grass or stadium environment is not good, the management entity is responsible. The civic club will be changed every four years. Then, after changing again, I try to get away with it for a while. 'If you do well this year, I'll change it for you next year. You can do it first and then hold the director accountable."
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Korean soccer is in chaos because of grass. Lawns are not just about performance. It is also directly related to the safety of players, that is, the risk of injury. This is why players are constantly asking for improvement of grass. K-League coaches also did not hide their frustration. FC Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong, who uses the Seoul World Cup Stadium as his home, said "It's too bad. The audience should watch the quality game. However, if there is an easy mistake or a pass mistake inside the ground, the players are also annoyed. The audience may also think 'Why can't a professional player do that?' I think it's a little disappointing that I can't play quality football because of the stadium."
Hwang Sun-hong, coach of Daejeon Hana Citizen, a Korean soccer legend, also said, `We also have many difficulties, including the training ground. The K League has improved a lot recently. The level and quality have also increased considerably. I think the players will be able to perform better only when the circumstances of the rebirth match that. I think players should think about such an environment and put a lot of effort into it so that they can play better. One of the things that I'm disappointed about is..."
epi17@sportschosun.com
