hroughout its long history, the
Korean peninsula has looked
warily east and west to the twin
powers of China and Japan.
These days in the southern half
of the peninsula, the gaze of
football fans is filled with envy.
Across the Yellow Sea is a Chinese Super League
that has been spending big since 2011, while the
K-League is accustomed to seeing talent depart
rather than arrive. Jeonbuk Motors, champions in
four of the past five seasons, have lost long-term
coach Choi Kang-hee to China and centre-back
Kim Min-jae to Beijing Guoan. But the club has
replaced Choi with Jose Mourinho’s former
assistant Jose Morais and Jeonbuk – who were
Asian champions in 2006 and 2016 – will be
the team to beat again this season.
Seoul, who were champions in 2016, finished
next to bottom last season and only survived the
drop by winning a relegation play-off. Experienced
stars such as Park Chu-young, formerly of Arsenal,
Ha Dae-sung and Go Yo-han are still around and
former boss Choi Yong-soo has returned, but a
title challenge would be quite an ask. Fans will
probably settle for finishing in the top half of the
“split” – the league adopting a two-stage season
Jeonbuk the
team to beat
League in shadow of Japan and China
in 2012, dividing the 12 teams with five of the 38
games remaining.
It remains to be seen how Gyeongnam, who had
a best-ever season with a second-place finish last time
out, will manage now they have the Asian Champions
League to deal with, as well as the departure of last
season’s top scorer, with Marcao moving to China.
Four-time champions Suwon Bluewings were
sixth last season, with Pohang Steelers fourth, and
it is hoped that both can return to form as league
attendances fell last season to an average of just over
5,000 – less than half of the figure of a decade earlier.
Although Incheon United, and from this season,
Daegu, have moved out of massive World Cup stadiums
that were often hard to get to, most clubs still occupy
arenas that are far too big for them. Daegu, for
example, grew tired of their 3,000 supporters rattling
around in a 60,000-plus capacity stadium.
Money is scarce and while the big conglomerates
such as Samsung and Hyundai still bankroll clubs, they
don’t splash the cash in the style of bygone days as
they look to cut costs. “City-owned” clubs such as
Incheon, Daejeon and Daegu have not yet managed to
show the corporate clubs how to build ties with the
local communities.
It is in the field of community relations, more than
signing big-name stars, where Korea falls behind Japan.
The match-fixing scandal in 2011 – when more than
50 players and coaches, past and present, wereJOHN DUERDENHopeful...
Jeonbuk Motors
keeper Song
Bum-keunPressure...
Gyeongnam
also have the
Champions
League to deal
with this termT
South Korea