Disappointed...Jeonbuk will play in Yongin, not Jeonju, against Sydney in the quarterfinals of ALC2
Feb 27, 2025
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Jeonbuk Hyundai will play the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League 2 (ACL2) against Sydney FC in Yongin, not the home week.
Jeonbuk announced in a press release on the 27th that it will move the first leg of the ACL2 quarterfinals scheduled for March 6 to Yongin Mir Stadium. The club explained, "'We were asked to hold the match against Sydney at an alternative stadium on the 24th due to the deterioration of the grass condition on the ground at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 24th.'" He explained, "'We discussed with the Jeonju Facilities Management Corporation to hold the home game, repair and replace the lawn, and announced our position with future improvement plans, but it was finally disallowed.'
Jeonbuk announced that it would sell tickets by lowering the price of tickets, saying, `As we have to play home games in a region other than Jeonju, we will minimize the inconvenience of fans and come up with measures to soothe their disappointment.' It also said that you can apply for and use a cheering bus from Jeonju, Iksan, and Gunsan to return to Yongin.
Jeonbuk's general manager Lee Do-hyun appealed to the fans for support, saying, `We apologize for the unfortunate news and inconvenience caused to the fans due to the sudden change in the home stadium,' `As the players play home games in unfamiliar places, it will be a more desperate time for the fans.'
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The decision left a big dent in Jeonbuk's reputation, which has been considered the leading club in the K-League.
Jeonbuk is a club that has won the most K-League titles and won the Asian Champions League twice. Despite this, he couldn't manage his home turf properly, so he ended up playing a neutral game in an area where he didn't have any connection. Not only Jeonbuk, but also Jeonju City, the headquarters and stadium management entity, cannot avoid responsibility. It is an unconvincing situation for Jeonbuk fans.
It is also a decision to lose steam for coach Gus Foyet and his players. He played three of the four games in ACL2 and K League 1 at Jeonju Castle, and was undefeated. I personally experienced how much power the shouts and support of home fans exert. Coach Foye has been giving a thumbs-up to Jeonbuk fans' support, calling it `fantastic.' From his long experience in Europe, the reality of playing in the third region due to poor home stadium ground management deserves to be considered a difficult problem to understand.
Fans have also come to bear a lot of inconvenience. Yongin Mir Stadium was previously used by Suwon Samsung and Gwangju FC due to home stadium problems, respectively. However, it is a general playground, not a dedicated stadium, and not only has poor viewing, but it is a place where the problem of narrow parking spaces has been continuously raised. In addition to performance, Jeonbuk has emphasized its leap into a leading club in terms of marketing, so the situation remains a bigger regret.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
