It was only 9 months ago. Seongnam FC, the ‘prestigious club’ that won the K-League 1 championship 7 times, suffered from a ‘sale rumor’ out of nowhere. And three months later, they were relegated to K-League 2. Clearly, Seongnam’s future looked bleak. However, Seongnam did not collapse, and the team is gradually normalizing, and now there are positive signs of the revival of the famous family.
# Seongnam, which has not collapsed, efforts to normalize the club
Seongnam is a prestigious club representing the K-League. Founded in 1989, under the name of Seongnam Ilhwa, it commanded the 1990s and 2000s, winning the first 3 consecutive championships in K-League 1 history and two 3 consecutive championships. However, as Sun Myung Moon, the leader of the Unification Church, passed away in 2012, support for the club began to decrease, and eventually, as Seongnam City decided to take over, it was converted from a corporate team to a citizen team in 2014.
After converting to a citizen team, it suffered difficulties and was demoted to the second division in 2016, but tasted the joy of promotion by finishing second in the K League 2 in the 2018 season, and showed its potential by remaining in the K League 1 from the 2019 season to the 2021 season.
But last season was full of disappointment. I set a goal beyond staying with Korean football legend coach Kim Nam-il, but I couldn’t get out of the bottom ranks due to my ups and downs and was eventually relegated to K-League 2. To make matters worse, when Mayor Shin Sang-jin, who was elected mayor of Seongnam in June 2022, became the owner of the club, rumors of a sale circulated.
Seongnam’s future looked bleak. However, all members of the K-League, including Seongnam fans, strongly protested by shouting ‘STAY Seongnam’, and eventually, on October 12, Seongnam City Hall drew a line against the dissolution rumor, saying that it would not consider relocation or re-establishment. Since then, Shin Sang-jin, the owner, has not spared active support and efforts to normalize Seongnam.
Seongnam, which regained hope, chose to rebuild ahead of the 2023 season. Coach Lee Ki-hyung, who led Incheon, took over the baton, completely reorganized the coaching staff, and the team changed dramatically. Existing key players Lee Si-young, Yeon Je-woon, Yoo In-su, Park Soo-il, Kim Min-hyuk, Mulich, and Kwon Wan-kyu left the team, but Jeong Han-min, Yu Juan, Moon Chang-jin, Kuk Tae-jeong, Lee Sang-min, Denilson, Chris, Patrick, Park Sang-hyuk, and Shin Jae-won were recruited. prepared for the season.
# Significantly different interest from a year ago, Seongnam is changing positively
Owner Shin Sang-jin, who was at the opposite end last season, is working hard for the revival of Seongnam with high interest and active encouragement from this season. Shin Sang-jin, owner of the team, visited Tancheon Sports Complex and encouraged the team from the opening game against Ansan Greeners, and Seongnam started off with a 2-1 victory. Afterwards, they were unfortunately defeated 0-1 in the Bucheon expedition, but Shin Sang-jin, the owner, visited the stadium once again and won 1 point against Chungnam Asan. In the match against Anyang, which was played after the match A break, he knelt down, but his overall performance was evaluated as not bad.
Shin Sang-jin, the owner, visited Tancheon once again in the 5th round of the league against Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do. He hoped that a good jinx would continue as he had 1 win and 1 draw in the previous two games, and coach Lee Ki-hyung also promised victory, saying, “I feel a sense of pressure and responsibility. I will definitely win so that the owner’s interest can continue.” . 메이저사이트
The result was Seongnam’s 3-2 victory. Seongnam recorded 2 wins and 1 draw in the 3 home games visited by owner Shin Sang-jin. In the match against Chungbuk Cheongju, Chris scored multiple goals and Patrick showed stable defense. It was definitely a positive atmosphere. More than 4,000 fans gathered for the Chungbuk Cheongju match, and the club created a festive atmosphere by holding various events to mobilize spectators.
Expectations are high. Contrary to concerns before the season, performance has been improving from the beginning, and the growth of young players such as Kim Ji-soo and Lee Jun-sang, who have played in the under-20 (U-20) national team game, is also worth looking forward to. If Denilson, a foreign player, is added to this, a more destructive attacking team can be formed, and there are many players who will help the team, such as Lee Sang-min, Park Ji-won, Park Sang-hyuk, Jeon Seong-soo, and Jo Sung-wook.
Shin Sang-jin, the owner, is predicting the revival of Seongnam with active support. An official from the club said, “Sang-jin Shin, owner of the team, scored points in all three games. He encouraged the team and created a good atmosphere, and the players are also gaining strong motivation. The club is also working hard to revive Seongnam, and the club Amidst the task of normalizing the economy, positive signals are emerging.”
Then, a football official said, “Seongnam got off to a much better start than expected. Recently, many K-League 1 teams such as Jeonbuk and Suwon are struggling, but Seongnam is playing the season in a completely different atmosphere from a year ago. If the owner’s interest continues and the club’s efforts continue, promotion to the K-League 1 is not a distant future. Seongnam is definitely a club with good fan culture and infrastructure.”