“We will definitely win at home.”
This is what Jeonbuk Hyundai coach Kim Sang-sik (47) shouted before the start of the 2023 season. However, they lost their last two matches at home and practically fell to the relegation zone. It is not only the weakness of the home room that is the problem. The ‘winning mentality’ built on consecutive victories has completely disappeared this season.
Coach Kim Sang-shik, who was sent off for a violent protest at an away match against Jeju United on the 23rd of last month, was unable to lead the team in the following two games. In the meantime, Jeonbuk, led by head coach Kim Doo-hyun, had a bitter cup in two home matches against Daejeon Hana Citizen and Gangwon FC.
Jeonbuk, which was considered a favorite from before the season, currently ranks 10th out of 12 K-League 1 teams with a record of 3 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses in 10 matches. The first 10 games (4 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses) of last season, which were particularly sluggish, were also better than this year. Jeonbuk was located directly above Suwon Samsung (2 points) and Gangwon (10 points), which had not even won a win. The points are the same as Gangwon, but they managed to keep 10th place ahead of the number of points.
While the leader was away, Jeonbuk collapsed even more miserably. Jeonbuk, led by head coach Kim Doo-hyun, tried to bounce back against Gangwon on the 29th of last month, but dropped their heads once more by conceding a goal to Yang Hyun-jun just before the end of the game.
Losing wasn’t the only problem. Hong Jeong-ho, the captain who should hold the center of the team, seemed to have lost his mentality. Hong Jeong-ho furiously protested to the referee over Yang Hyun-joon’s scoring scene. It was argued that Yang Hyun-joon fouled Kim Gun-woong in a contest before scoring. It was too intense. It’s to the point where you can see the shape of your mouth swearing on the relay camera. The referee took out another yellow card for Hong Jeong-ho, who had previously been warned. Kim Moon-hwan, who returned from injury, also received a red card after a vehement protest.