Jeon Hae-soo, CEO of Incheon United, decided to resign.
Incheon said on the 12th that CEO Jeon Dae-soo will resign from his position after the 15th of this month. CEO Jeon Dae-soo will leave Incheon five years and 11 months after taking office.
For the first time in the club’s history, Incheon suffered a downgrade in the K League 2 this season. Incheon, which had been at the bottom of the league since the beginning of the season, sought to rebound after Cho Seong-hwan stepped down, appointing Choi Young-keun, but ended up falling to the second division regardless of the remaining matches with eight wins, 12 draws and 17 losses and 36 points.
The aftermath of Incheon’s demotion has not ended. CEO Jeon, who was considered the best CEO in Incheon, has even decided to resign. CEO Jeon took office in Incheon in December 2018 after Kang In-deok resigned. After taking office in Incheon, CEO Jeon actively led the change.
It signed a kit sponsor contract directly with the Italian headquarters of Macron for the first time in East Asia, and also rented a lawn management machine to solve the grass problem at the Incheon Football Stadium. In 2020, he suffered financial difficulties due to COVID-19, but Jeon overcame a big crisis by attracting a new sponsor.
In 2022, he finished the season in fourth place and became the first Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League player. In the 2023 season, he led the return of Stefan Mugosa, who left for Vissel Kobe in the summer transfer market, to lead his team to advance to the Final A for the second consecutive year.
However, Incheon has not been able to overcome the crisis this season. Incheon faced its first demotion after losing 1-2 to Hana Citizen in Daejeon in round 37 of the “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” held at Incheon Football Stadium on the 10th, and Jeon took responsibility and expressed his intention to resign. 스포츠토토
“First of all, I would like to apologize to the fans who loved and supported Incheon,” Jeon said on the Incheon club’s SNS. “Our club has been demoted from the K League 1 this season. There is no way to stop feeling sad.”
“Our club has tried its best this season, but I apologize again for not meeting the expectations of the fans in the end. I am in charge of the club with an incredible result, and I have resigned as CEO with a heavy responsibility,” he added.
CEO Jeon continued, “I was happy to be with the fans in the past years when I was appointed as the team’s representative in December 2018,” and emphasized, “I am more grateful for the mature and passionate appearance of the fans who applauded for the team even at the painful moment when the relegation was confirmed.”
Lastly, Jeon said, “Even though I am stepping down as CEO, I am confident that Incheon will soar higher with your constant support and passion. It is not the end, but a new beginning. I am writing this to the fans, depicting the next 21 years, which will shine brighter and brighter than the history of the past 21 years. Once again, I am deeply grateful.”