[스포츠니어스 | 전주=김귀혁 기자] Despite the angry shouts of Jeonbuk fans, coach Kim Sang-sik left the stadium without an answer.
On the 7th, Jeonbuk Hyundai drew 0-0 without scoring in the match between FC Seoul and Hana One Q K League 1 2022 Round 30 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium. Jeonbuk appeared in an offensive manner with Moon Seon-min’s infiltration into the back space at the beginning of the game, but after that, they could not seize any chance and fell into a swamp of four consecutive wins (3 draws and 1 loss). As a result of that day, Jeonbuk widened the lead by 10 points with Ulsan, who defeated Suwon Samsung.
Immediately after the match, an unusual situation was detected. When the referee’s final whistle sounded, boos were heard all over the stadium except for the Seoul visitors. Of course, it wasn’t directed at the players who played the game. When the players visited seats E, then N and W in order to say hello, the spectators, including the supporters, applauded and comforted the players in the draw.
But the booing started again. A roar louder than the boos erupted from several places. After the Jeonbuk team finished their greetings, coach Kim Sang-sik made a gesture of consolation by patting each player on the back. In the meantime, the supporters’ seats were told to come in front of the fans, including the collider, but coach Kim Sang-sik welcomed all the players and left the stadium immediately. Jeonbuk supporters ‘MGB’, who saw the scene, chanted “Kim Sang-sik Get Out”. After that, he shouted “Heo Byung-gil out” loudly to CEO Heo Byung-gil.
The pus that had been entrenched in the hearts of Jeonbuk fans eventually burst. Since last year, director Kim Sang-sik has taken over the baton of Jeonbuk as the successor of director Morais. In the first year of his tenure, he won the league after a fierce battle against Ulsan Hyundai, but his performance was questioned by fans. And from this season, when the performance problem appeared as a result, the fans got up. In the process, a truck protest was held in front of the parent company Hyundai Motor Company headquarters, and it is said that there was a conflict between fans. He also raised a question about the management of the club by CEO Huh.
After the match was over, the fans headed to the front of the headquarters one after another. This is where the Jeonbuk team’s bus departs. When the reporter arrived at the scene after finishing the interview with coach Kim Sang-sik, fans were already surrounded by the outside of the team aisle and the bus area. Some fans even spit out swear words along with the sound of “When are you coming out?” On one side, a gulgae was posted using coach Kim Sang-sik’s three-line poem, ‘Leader OUT without tactical knowledge, lost in a game that loses steam’.
Security company employees who were nearby were also standing around the bus, preparing for an unexpected accident. After that, when a security company employee said that the players had to be picked up, Jeonbuk fans said, “The players should be sent,” and even paved the way in front of the bus. After the players got on the bus, the Jeonbuk supporters encouraged them by shouting cheering songs under the collier’s dock. It was far from the bloody image he had seen before, including greetings from the fans around the team’s aisle.
The scene, which had been in a state of silence for a while, was again engulfed in commotion. It was from when a fan from Jeonbuk grabbed a megaphone and read the press conference of coach Kim Sang-sik after the match. In response to a reporter’s question about what was disappointing about the attack, coach Kim Sang-sik said, “There was a passing mistake at the end, and Sun-min Moon’s detail was a little lacking. As Gustavo came in, we had to get a good cross, but it was blocked.” The fan who conveyed this through a megaphone then shouted “X foot”, and the fans around him shouted out loud, “How long”. People around me shouted, “Fighting Sun-Min Moon”.
The reason fans send such a reaction is because of director Kim Sang-sik’s remarks a while ago. Before the match against Pohang on the 29th of last month, coach Kim said, “I see less of Sun-min Moon’s concentration in sports,” and said, “Athletes should always do their best on the field. This is especially true for Jeonbuk Hyundai players. It is true that Sun-Min Moon lacks physical condition, will, and passion.” After this remark, Sun-Min Moon posted an explanatory message to the community, and fans sympathized with the post and sent a message of support to Sun-Min Moon.
In the meantime, when Jinsoo Kim finally got on the bus and the door closed, the fans left the road for the team to start. In the process, Jeonbuk fans pounded the drum again and shouted cheering songs vigorously. Before long, ‘MGB’ collider Cho Dong-ho (42) said, “Our CEO, Byung-gil Heo, has voiced our opinions.” Afterwards, he said, “The answer came, and they said that they would settle down and meet him next time. This is the story I have been told.” Shortly after saying these words, profanity arose again among the fans, and Collider shouted “Come out of the office by Heo Byung-gil” loudly. Fans responded to this and raised their voices vigorously.
However, even after the squad bus left, coach Kim Sang-sik and coaches did not appear. Then someone appeared from the team aisle. It wasn’t the Kim Sang-sik that the fans wanted, but Yang Jeong-hwan, the game manager. Inspector Yang talked with the collider of ‘MGB’ several times. The content was an arbitration plan asking if only some fans could talk separately inside. From the point of view of the supervisor, it was necessary to prepare for possible armed conflict and safety accidents.
But Collider said, “We have absolutely no intention of engaging in armed conflict. There is nothing to be heard and nothing to be said. Please don’t worry too much.” Later, in a conversation with a reporter, Lee Collider said, “We are not gathering to meet and listen to stories now. That’s not it. There is no story to hear anyway. We’re only going to talk about what we’re going to say, and it’s telling us to stop.”
Then he said, “It’s very cowardly. It’s not like I’m watching soccer for a day or two, but shouldn’t the coach show a sense of responsibility?” He said, “It’s true that I have to say that I’m going to see a match within a few games. But he’s just hiding from behind and blaming the players.” After talking with this collider, Inspector Yang Jeong-hwan went inside again. And 10 minutes later, coach Kim Sang-sik and the coaches started getting on the bus. Director Kim Sang-sik hurriedly got on the bus after greeting some fans. It was the same with the coaches below.
Jeonbuk fans who were around said, “Let’s hear a story,” but when there was no communication, they said, “No, are you really just going?” After that, as promised in advance, Jeonbuk fans were clearing the way for the bus to go safely. Of course, the fans shouted “Kim Sang-sik get out” along with abusive language. After that, the eyes turned to the club office. And the fans demanded a conversation, saying, “Heo Byung-gil, don’t hide there and come out.” It is not certain whether CEO Byung-gil Huh was in the club’s office at this time.
In the end, ‘MGB’ collider judged that he could not take any further action and said, “There is a director who hides behind him and a CEO who hides behind him and does not show his face. I think I have to end this image now.” “There are people who say, ‘Why haven’t you done anything until now?’ We’ll show you how to do it. It was late and I came back without getting anything, but I will get it right. Let’s make Jeonbuk soccer properly” and left the stadium. Even after the ‘MGB’ collider left, some fans couldn’t beat it and shouted at the club’s office.
On the surface, the result of a draw is not bad. Still, why did they block the bus and ask for a conversation? Cho Dong-ho, the collider of Jeonbuk Hyundai supporters ‘MGB’, said, “As the season went on, distrust and dissatisfaction with the manager grew, but they were suppressing it. However, there was the Asian Champions League and the season schedule was tight, so there was no group action. However, as the season is coming to an end, I have recently been dissatisfied with the performance and management, and I wanted to hear from him in person.”
He continued, “A lot of fans are raising issues about the management of CEO Heo Byung-gil. I want to hear about his management plan.” Regarding director Kim Sang-sik, “there are a lot of things. You know very well why fans have so many complaints about you. I want to ask you to take responsibility for it because it keeps showing that you are not getting better. That responsibility is, in other words, resignation. It means asking them to take responsibility and show responsible behavior accordingly.”
Wasn’t the fact that he didn’t say hello to the fans after the game was over due to the dissatisfaction that had been burning in the meantime? Then Mr. Jo said, “There is no reason at all. You don’t have to just say hi.” He said, “But there is an identity in Jeonbuk that has been passed down since the days of Choi Kang-hee. But it doesn’t show it at all. There is a maxim of director Choi Kang-hee that ‘a defeat at home is equal to death’, and there is a unique atmosphere of Jeon Joo-seong. Jeonjuseong has always provided joy to the home fans, and that is the responsibility of the players and the coach is making it. However, you can tell by looking at the number of home wins this year. It is his responsibility.”
Another Jeonbuk fan who was next to him said, “I don’t think a coach who blames players has no qualities. A director who says he’s at fault doesn’t have real qualities. He continues to blame the players all season. I don’t know why he’s blaming the player for his cock.” In response, Cho said, “We do not know the details,” but “Even though there is a top-notch winger in the K-League, the flank is not the main position, but Kim Bo-kyung is put in. Fans exploded despite incomprehensible tactics and actions.”
After talking to match coach Yang Jeong-hwan, he said, “We have no idea the internal situation, such as our training attitude. I don’t know what Sun-Min Moon is doing out there.” He said, “Let’s say there is such a problem inside. Do you think it is right as a manager to shake the players while talking about this to the media? If there was a problem internally, he made one player a fool by spilling it externally to a board that was not enough to catch it inside. Has there been a problem since director Choi Kang-hee? But it doesn’t make sense to talk about it externally and ask him to take his side like a people’s trial.”
After all the situation was over, Mr. Cho said, “I just want to see happy soccer, Jeonbuk-style soccer.” He said, “Why haven’t you done anything about this issue?” At the same time, there were conflicts among the fans. As for the truck protests, MGB did not take an official position, so there was a lot of talk among fans. But we don’t want that situation with those who love Jeonbuk. I feel sorry for the lack of action and not being able to hear from the fans.”
According to Cho’s story, ‘Evergreen’, an internet community of Jeonbuk fans, promoted and implemented a truck protest in June. However, at that time, the Jeonbuk supporters did not express any opinions. As a result, some fans misunderstood that ‘the club and the supporters are not one team’, but this day was different. Some of the fans who had gathered around the club bus on that day were standing with ‘Leader OUT with no tactical knowledge, lost in steaming games’. In fact, this gulgae was often seen in E-seat before, but at that time, it was not in solidarity with ‘MGB’ in N-seat.
But on this day, everyone was of one mind. Jo Min (20), who was holding a gulgae, said, “In the past, there was no consensus of opinion with the MGB regiment in the N seat. After the match, the colliders in the N seat talked about blocking the bus. When we heard the news, we also went with a gulgae,” he said. He continued, “When I win, I stand in front of the fans to take a picture, but when I draw or lose, I see a lot of people hiding behind their backs because they are afraid of booing. That seems to have played a big role today.”