Gwangju FC fell into a swamp without a win in 5 matches after losing the away game to FC Seoul. Coach Lee Jung-hyo once again gave an interview in a strong tone following the match against Seoul in March.
Gwangju lost 1-3 in an away game against Seoul in the 12th round of the Hana One Q K League 1 2023 held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium at 7:30 pm on the 9th. Gwangju gave the opening goal to Willian early in the first half, but Huh Yul scored an equalizer early in the second half, but then lost by allowing consecutive goals to Na Sang-ho and Park Dong-jin. As a result, Gwangju fell into a slump without a win for 5 games, and the ranking marked 7th place.
In the second half of the match, there was a clash between the two teams. In the 32nd minute of the second half, Kim Jin-ya grabbed his leg and collapsed, and Ki Sung-yueng of Seoul sent the ball out. When Kim Jin-ya stood up, the Gwangju players restarted with a throw-in and continued play without giving the ball to Seoul. Seoul players protested and fans booed. Gwangju tried to attack until Seoul’s foul play was stopped.
Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo, who attended the post-game press conference, was asked about this. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I always tell my players, the fans don’t come to see what’s wasting time, they come to see what’s being played. Is it wrong to play? I don’t think so. The rules are wrong. It’s not. I don’t know if the Seoul players were trying to take time, but I think that’s why they played.” “I don’t think it was an injury. If the Seoul player was seriously injured, the Gwangju player would have let the ball out, but it seemed like a muscle spasm. I don’t think our players did anything wrong,” he said.
Interpreting his words, it seems that the reason Seoul player fell was not an injury but a muscle spasm, so he proceeded without conceding possession of the ball. He also said that he is not sure if the Seoul player was trying to pass the time, but he usually told the Gwangju players not to play to waste time, and the players were aware of this and proceeded with the play.
The interview may have been delivered differently than intended, but it is unfortunate from the perspective of fair play. Even if it’s not a serious injury, but a muscle spasm, usually if a player is knocked down and the game is deliberately stopped, the ball is given to the opponent on the subsequent play and restarted. And the fans applaud this fair play that can only be seen in football. There have been several similar examples, but most of the football fans believed in fair play even when Mamadou Niang of Al Sadd intercepted the ball given to Suwon and scored in the 2011 AFC Champions League semifinal match between Suwon Samsung and Al Sadd. criticized for being inconsistent. Of course, there is no problem with the rules of the game, but it is a kind of invisible rule that everyone acknowledges.메이저놀이터
Regarding this scene, Seoul coach Ahn Ik-soo avoided an immediate answer, saying, “We have a responsibility to give a healthy message to society through soccer, not just soccer.”
However, coach Lee Jung-hyo’s remarks this time seem to be aimed at not letting the players who have fallen into the swamp of a draw not die. He actually thought of the players first at a press conference, saying, “The previous four games were good, but there were no goals, and this game was a little bad. I’m worried that the players’ spirits will die.