Anyang resolves coach and director resignations
The joint resignation crisis that shook K League 1 club FC Anyang has come to an end. On September 4, Anyang announced via its official social media that after extensive talks among club owner Choi Dae-ho, general manager Lee Woo-hyung and head coach Yoo Byung-hoon, both Lee and Yoo agreed to stay and focus on stabilizing the squad and improving performance. The crisis began after a 0-7 derby loss to FC Seoul on August 22, when Lee resigned to take responsibility, prompting Yoo to also offer his resignation. Following appeals from fans, both returned to the club on September 2. Anyang, currently seventh (34 points) and just one point behind sixth-place Pohang, will look to rebound against Gangwon FC on September 6.
Source: Sports Khan
Five K League 1 clubs enter AFC competitions
Having survived the summer heat, K League 1 clubs now face a new challenge this month. Jeonbuk Hyundai, Daejeon Hana Citizen and Pohang Steelers, who compete in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE), along with FC Seoul and Gangwon FC in the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2), begin their Asian club competition schedules on September 15 and 16 respectively. Jeonbuk and Pohang must travel to Japan’s Kashima Antlers, Vissel Kobe and Kyoto Sanga, as well as China’s Beijing FC, while Daejeon faces an away trip to Johor in Malaysia. League leader FC Seoul’s head coach Kim Ki-dong said the club “got through the heat from June to August well” but named September as one of the biggest hurdles on the path to the title, adding that he plans to rotate the squad extensively. With midweek Asian matches overlapping with weekend league fixtures, managing player fatigue has emerged as a key variable for the season’s home stretch.
Source: Sports Khan
FC Seoul’s 4-game streak highlights Kim’s leadership
League-leading FC Seoul romped to a 5-2 away win over Gwangju FC on August 30, extending its winning streak to four games. Seoul has scored 17 goals over its last four matches, building a record of 17 wins, five draws and four losses for 56 points, 16 points clear of second-place Ulsan HD. One moment stood out right after the lopsided win: head coach Kim Ki-dong approached Jeong Seung-won, who was celebrating his goal, and pointedly reminded him to guard against individual ambition over the team. Captain Kim Jin-su also led by example, scoring off his own high press. The win moved Seoul another step closer to its first league title in ten years, since 2016.
Source: Sports Khan