After the match against FC Seoul (0-2 loss) on the 5th, Lee Jung-hyo, coach of Gwangju FC in professional football, said, “I am more upset than sorry. It’s embarrassing to lose to a team that plays soccer like that. It was my fault for not bringing results.”
He continued, “I hope there are no misunderstandings. It is not that I think badly of Seoul’s football and coach Ahn Ik-soo’s football.” It was interpreted as a statement embodying his confidence in his soccer, his EGO, and his regret about losing while leading the game. However, controversy arose. This is because it has become a statement that publicly ‘ignores’ the opposing team and the manager. Seoul fans were outraged, and fans also pointed out Lee Jung-hyo’s rather exaggerated remarks.
The Seoul team did not just watch. Park Dong-jin, who scored the second goal in the match against Gwangju, replied on SNS (social media), “We won by playing soccer like that.” Lim Sang-hyup also said, “I can’t play a good game every time I play for a year. Players who have endured like today are the best,” he said, leaving a bone-headed word, “Pros speak with results.”
The day after the controversy, coach Lee Jung-hyo apologized, saying it was to revive the spirit of the players who had tasted defeat. The case seems to be settled.
It is true that director Lee Jung-hyo’s remarks were a bit excessive, and it is natural that the members of Seoul expressed their unsatisfactory feelings. What is clear is that another story was written in the K-League as the two teams exchanged sharp emotions. 메이저사이트
Coach Lee, who became a ‘troublemaker’, apologized, but it is clear that the fans and players will remember this remark and burn more fighting spirit in the next confrontation. Fans will also pay attention to the next confrontation between the two teams and the words of the leaders.
It is common in foreign sports to exchange words of this level. In so-called popular sports organizations and leagues, stories are created through the comments of leaders and players. Fans go wild. After exchanging emotions, the two teams roar in the stadium and release the accumulated sediment. Fans applaud when they fight bloody and accept the outcome.
In Korean professional sports, the trend of being overly polite and formal continued. But this year is definitely different than usual. Now, ‘honesty’ has become the trend.
The remarks of Ulsan Hyundai manager Hong Myung-bo are the starting point. In January, before the start of the 2023 season, coach Hong used a high-level expression for Amano Jun, who transferred to Jeonbuk Hyundai, as “the worst Japanese player.” Even those who are not K-League fans paid attention to this incident, which led to the box office opening match between Ulsan and Jeonbuk. Of course, mentioning nationality seems to be a problem forever.
The press conference of Yoon Bitgaram (Suwon FC) is an example. Last month at the media camp for winter training, Yun Bit-garam spoke in front of dozens of reporters about his conflict with Jeju United coach Nam Ki-il. He did not hide his displeasure. The first match between Suwon FC and Jeju, which would not have received much attention as expected, also received attention from fans under the name of ‘Bitgaram Yun Derby’.
In sports, interest grows only when there are intertwined stories between players and managers and clubs. Coach Lee Jung-hyo’s remarks were exaggerated, but in a way, thanks to his honesty, the K-League and Gwangju soccer became an opportunity to gain attention once again. Now it is the turn of the two teams to play a great game with good performances.