FC Anyang head coach Lee Woo-hyung has announced his intention to resign and spend the rest of the season with the team.
Lee suddenly announced his resignation at a press conference after the team lost 1-2 against Busan I-Park in the 23rd round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 at Busan Asiad Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on April 24.
At the time, Lee said, “This is my third year as coach of Anyang, but I feel like I’m losing energy. I feel like I’m struggling a lot these days. I will discuss my future with the head coach and the owner.” Even if the team is not yet in a pessimistic situation, he said, “It’s time for a change in the team. If we don’t do it now, it will be hard to get promoted this year. I think that’s the way to go if we want to change the atmosphere and challenge for promotion,” he said in a strong tone.
Lee’s resignation was not internally coordinated at all, as players such as captain Baek Dong-gyu were not told that he was stepping down at all, and even Anyang officials at the press conference were confused.
However, Lee changed his mind two days later and decided to play the rest of the season. “The club’s top brass met with Lee and urged him, and he accepted,” an Anyang official told Best Eleven. The meeting is believed to have taken place after the team had a day off after the match against Busan on Sept. 24, when Lee and his players convened to prepare for the next round.
In fact, in Anyang’s situation, it would be more beneficial for Lee to stay on and see out the rest of the season than to resign. If Lee were to step down, the new coach would likely spend the remaining three to four months of the promotion campaign trying to get the team up to speed. Even the summer transfer market is closed, leaving no room for the new manager to reorganize the team. 꽁머니
On the other hand, Lee has managed to get the team to this point by coaching the players himself, even if the conditions are really tough. While promotion is unknown, if I were a betting man in Anyang’s position, I would have to say that Lee should stay on and see the team through to the end, as it will help their chances of promotion.
The loss to Busan dropped Anyang to fourth place in the standings with 35 points. Their form has been poor, with one win, one draw, and three losses in their last five matches. Anyang needs to turn things around. Anyang’s next match is against Gimcheon Commerce in the 24th round, scheduled for March 31 at Anyang Sports Complex.