FC Seoul Head Coach Ahn Ik-soo Resigns: Impact on K League 1 Leaderboard and Future Prospects

2023-08-20 07:56:21

▲ FC Seoul head coach Ahn Ik-soo watches the match against Daejeon Hana Citizen at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 1st of last month. Yonhap News FC Seoul coach Ahn Ik-soo suddenly announced his resignation as manager. Depending on Seoul’s decisions, such as the acting head coach Kim Jin-gyu and the appointment of a new coach, the K League 1 leaderboard, which is only 5 points away from 4th to 9th, may fluctuate.

Head coach Ahn Ik-soo announced that he would quit his coaching job at a press conference after the K-League 1 round 27 match against Daegu FC, which was held on the 19th at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. It was a sudden announcement without consulting the club.

In his prepared resignation letter, he said, “It is a time when Seoul needs change to develop further.” I will quit midway,” he said.

Manager Ahn, who took office in September 2021 and helped Seoul escape the relegation crisis, left the team after two years. Last year, they had to be satisfied with the success of remaining in the first division with a two-point gap with Suwon Samsung in 10th place.

Seoul once rose to second place in the league in the first half of this season, raising expectations, but the sluggishness began when Hwang Ui-jo, whose six-month short-term contract ended, left the team to join Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League (EPL). After winning 7-2 against Suwon FC on the 12th of last month, they recorded 3 draws and 2 losses, and in the match against Daegu the previous day, they gave up an equalizer to Edgar at the end of the second half and only scored 1 point. ▲ FC including Osmar (left) Seoul players rejoice after winning the match against Suwon FC held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 12th of last month. Yonhap News There is a possibility of playing the rest of the season with the acting system of head coach Kim Jin-gyu, starting with the game against league leader Ulsan Hyundai on the 27th. On the 13th, on the Daejeon Hana Citizen expedition, coach Kim took the place when coach Ahn Ik-soo missed due to cumulative warnings. However, in the game, there was a slugfest at the end of the second half and lost 3-4 to Daejeon.

With 6 games left in the regular round (Round 33) and competition for the Final A (top 6 team league) fierce, Seoul is walking on thin ice in every game. Currently, 4th place Seoul (39 points) is only 3 points away from 7th place Daejeon and 5 points away from 9th place Jeju.

Therefore, if a new coach is appointed considering the next season, the team’s performance may decline during the adaptation period. Jeonbuk Hyundai coach Dan Petrescu also joined the team as a successor to former coach Kim Sang-sik, who resigned last June due to poor performance, and lost 0-2 to Gwangju FC in his debut match on June 24th.

An official from FC Seoul said in a phone call with the Seoul Shinmun that day, “The club was also surprised by the announcement of the resignation without notice. “There are not many games left, so the competition for the middle ranks is fierce. We will consider it carefully, taking into account various aspects.”

Reporter Seo Jin-sol

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