With the grass of the soccer field being in trouble for years, K-League coaches also showed a slight reaction. They voiced their opinions that the environment should be improved.
Recently, the state of the grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium has become a hot topic. This is because Son Heung-min (Tottenham), the national soccer team’s captain, expressed regret over the state of grass after playing the first round of the third qualifying group match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Asia.
After the away match in Oman on the 10th, Son Heung-min said in an interview with the broadcaster, “I think the ground condition was so good that I made the players more confident when playing,” adding, “I hope this will continue to improve at home stadiums.”
Even after the match against Palestine 0-0, he said, “I think the away game (in Oman) will be more difficult. The only good thing is that the ground condition is better in the away game, but I think it’s a relief.”
More than a few players have complaints about grass. Senior players including Ki Sung-yueng (FC Seoul) have repeatedly called for thorough grass management. Not only the Seoul World Cup Stadium but also domestic stadiums are in poor condition in general, causing complaints from all over the place.
When some people at the front made public remarks, the grass condition temporarily improved. However, it was common to return to its original state shortly afterwards. This is why Son Heung-min felt a great disappointment in the ground condition and poured out his determined remarks.
It is also regrettable for the coaches who are watching this situation. This is because they know better than anyone else that their disciples cannot perform well and that the audience cannot fully enjoy the game in this environment.
Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong faced reporters ahead of the match against Daejeon Hana Citizen on the 13th and said, “It’s a bit unfortunate. The spectators have to watch a quality game, but if there are mistakes in control inside the ground, the players will be annoyed, and the spectators may think, “Professional players can’t do that.” We have to show a little better quality football, but we regret that we can’t do that because of the stadium.”
“I came back after four years, and I went out to watch a bit. We also have some difficulties at the training site,” Daejeon manager Hwang Sun-hong said. “The level and quality of the K-League have increased considerably. Players can perform better only when conditions are met. I think that we have to put a lot of effort into the environment so that the players can play well.” 안전놀이터
Fans also have heartburn. On the 11th, complaints were posted at the Kookmin Newspaper High School and the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s response center asking for the cancellation of the singer IU concert from the 21st to the 22nd.