“Out, out, out!”
Before the 27th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 between FC Seoul and Daegu FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the afternoon of Sept. 19, all eyes were on the grass. This is because the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree was disrupted on the 11th, and after the closing ceremony, the K-POP concert had to be moved from the Saemangeum campground to Jeonju World Cup Stadium and then up to Seoul.토토사이트
Normally, when non-soccer events such as concerts are held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, some of the east side stands are moved inside and a stage is set up in the space. In order to prevent damage to the turf due to increased awareness, the stage is set up inside the stands, and the audience tends to enjoy themselves in the stands unless there is a special occasion.
This time, however, was different. The stage was set up in the area around the goalposts in the south stands, and chairs were placed all over the grass. The stage was dismantled immediately after the concert and the new turf was seeded, but the lack of ventilation during the hot, humid summer made it uneven from a distance. The bumpy surface caused the ball to bounce irregularly when dribbling.
“I didn’t want to look at the grass,” says Ahn Ik-soo, head coach of Seoul, “I felt really bad. I don’t think the people involved in sports understand how sports affect society. As a person who works in sports, if I knew how sports leads society, what messages it sends, and what role it plays in the process of leading a country,” he said, expressing his sincere regret for the government agencies that implement policies.
This is especially impressive coming from the head of a club that pays big bucks to lease and use stadiums, and is usually cautious and focused on future value. It was a warning to the developed world that they were ignoring the industrial role of soccer in favor of more advanced sports. “That’s a lot of words,” Seoul officials said.
As it turned out, Ahn’s blunt comments were made after the game, when he had made up his mind to hang up his boots. Although Han Seung-kyu escaped with an own goal from goalkeeper Oh Seung-hoon, the fans were tired of the repetition of conceding an equalizer and then conceding an equalizer again, and booed the players as they were greeted, even after the 2-2 draw moved them up to fourth place. Coach Ahn Ik-soo, who was near the bench, became somewhat agitated at the chants of “Get out!” and was calmed down by Coach Kim Jin-gyu.
FC Seoul will need to appoint a new coach once Ahn Ik-soo officially confirms his resignation. For the time being, head coach Kim Jin-gyu is expected to lead the team. The timing of Ahn’s resignation is ambiguous. ⓒKorea Professional Football Association
FC Seoul will have to appoint a new coach once Ahn Ik-soo officially confirms his resignation. For the time being, head coach Kim Jin-gyu is expected to lead the team. The timing of Ahn’s resignation is unclear. ⓒKorea Professional Football Association
FC Seoul will have to appoint a new coach once Ahn Ik-soo officially confirms his resignation. For the time being, head coach Kim Jin-gyu is expected to lead the team. The timing of Ahn’s resignation is unclear. ⓒKorea Professional Football Association
FC Seoul will have to appoint a new coach once Ahn Ik-soo officially confirms his resignation. For the time being, head coach Kim Jin-gyu is expected to lead the team. The timing of Ahn’s resignation is unclear. ⓒKorea Professional Football Association
At the post-match press conference, Ahn calmly explained the problems and improvements, but at the end, he took out his tablet PC and announced his resignation, saying, “I have prepared the stool of resignation.” “I believe that change is necessary for Seoul to develop further, and I believe it is necessary at this time. “I have done my best to fulfill my promise to the fans and my heart’s desire, but I have not been able to achieve what I had hoped for and I am stepping down. This is the end of my role,” he said, declaring that he could no longer march with the team.
As Ahn’s resignation was announced, the Seoul front office was caught off guard by the unexpected words. The press was also taken aback by the suddenness of the announcement, and when Ahn returned to the players’ dugout and asked the front desk if it had been agreed upon in advance, he said, “I had no idea, there was no discussion.” It seems that Ahn was the only one who prepared for his resignation.
Ahn, a former head coach of Seoul and a former university coach, emerged as a savior from relegation in 2021, leading the club to a seventh-place finish, and, although they fell short of that last year, finishing ninth to build on that and prepare for this season, which began with a fourth-place finish, although they were winless in five games before this match.
Rival Suwon Samsung, also hovering around the bottom, parted ways with coach Lee Byung-geun and called in Kim Byung-soo, while Gangwon FC also dumped Choi Yong-soo and rushed to bring in Yoon Jung-hwan. Shock therapy to avoid relegation is an understandable choice. Jeonbuk, a perennial championship contender, was also controversial, but the rationale was logical, as fans clamored for the resignation of former coach Kim Sang-sik after an extremely poor start to the year.
Seoul, on the other hand, had six games left before entering the Final Round. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Ahn take the blame and resign if they didn’t make it to Final A (1-6). This is especially true with a tight seven-point gap between third-place Jeonbuk (41 points) and ninth-place Jeju United (34 points). Fans pressured the players with “prove it if you’re desperate” and shouted “resign” at Ahn. Ahn took charge, and now all that’s left is for the team to fail to qualify for Final A and play in B (7th-12th place). The criticism that Ahn threw the burden too irresponsibly is not valid. The remaining six games are a collective effort.
Seoul will talk to Ahn before making a decision. Both CEO Yeo Eun-ju and head coach Yoo Seong-sung said they were surprised to learn of Ahn’s resignation in an article after the Daegu game. In any case, both sides needed to negotiate. Ahn’s contract with Seoul expires at the end of this year. There had to be some sort of conclusion, whether it was a re-signing or a resignation to make way for a new coach. That’s why it doesn’t sound strange when club officials say, “There is no official position from the club yet.”
This year, Ahn has had several incidents where he protested the referees during games and was sent off, leaving a void that was filled by head coach Kim Jin-gyu. If Ahn’s resignation is finalized, Kim will have to show leadership in the interim. The coaching staff also appeared to be aware of the news after Ahn came to the players’ dressing room after the press conference and made the relevant comments. Han packed up his things and headed to the team bus, only to be confronted by a reporter who told him the news.
Daegu’s Edgar and Lee Geun-ho, who had scored goals for the opposing team, were also stunned for a while when they heard about Ahn’s resignation from reporters. It was an understandable reaction, given that the resignation came as a result of their own performance. The Seoul players didn’t come out until long after Ahn’s departure. Na Sang-ho, who had missed a goal, was in tears, Kim Joo-sung sobbed, and Lee Tae-seok wiped away tears in front of the bus.
Seoul will play two matches before the A-Match break, a home match against Ulsan on Nov. 27 and an away supermatch against Suwon. After that, Gwangju FC (home), Jeju United (away), Suwon FC (away), and Jeonbuk (home) will wrap up the regular season. Considering the nature of the matches, the relationships, and the flow, there is not a single team that is easy to beat. If Ahn “officially confirms” his resignation, a replacement needs to be found quickly. Ahn’s words, “It’s time for a change,” need to be lived up to. Even with persuasion, it seems unlikely that Ahn will be able to change his mind once he has made up his mind and spoken out. With Ahn’s strong choice, Seoul is in for a period of turmoil.