It is time to think about how to make it easier to manage the grass. If things go wrong, the K-League team may not be able to play home games on the Asian stage.
The grass issue is not just a topic of conversation within the K-League. It is also mentioned in the Asian leagues. Ulsan HD, Pohang Steelers and Gwangju FC are playing in the AFC Champions League elite, while Jeonbuk Hyundai is playing in the ACL2.
Ulsan and Gwangju played their first match at home. However, the Ulsan Munsu Stadium, the home ground of Ulsan, was in truly the worst condition. There were many dents and the ground itself was uneven. For this reason, people complained that it would be better to play soccer in the Han River’s highlands. “Players want to play in the best condition. It would have been better if we played in a better condition,” said Toru Oniki, manager of Kawasaki Frontale.
The same goes for Gwangju. The home stadium, Gwangju Football Stadium, used the Gwangju World Cup Stadium because it did not meet AFC regulations. The official soccer match was not held at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium for a long time. The grass had been damaged since the rental of several concerts.
AFC has sent official letters to Ulsan and Gwangju. This is the nature of a warning. This means that it would be difficult to proceed with home games in the future if grass management is not implemented properly. The team also demanded the transfer of “alternative stadiums” just in case. This suggests depriving the team of the right to host a home game. The two teams may not be able to use their home stadiums in the upcoming ACLE games.
As the AFC has officially raised objections, it cannot be simply a pledge to do a good job. Some argue that the Korea Professional Football Association should introduce a stricter system for the management of each club’s stadium. Some argue that the K-League club license should include “items” for grass. The club license is a system that qualifies teams to participate in AFC club competitions and K-League competitions by stipulating requirements and various matters.
Just in time, the Korea Professional Federation formed a facility improvement group just like the Technical Research Group (TSG) under the Korea Technology Committee. All five members are experts on natural turf. “The issue can be raised due to lack of facilities,” an official said. “However, the criteria are subjective. AFC also directly judges (whether the game will be played or not). The penalty seems to be deprivation of the right to host a home game, but it is not easy because the stadium is not managed by the team.”
Nonetheless, adding grass to the club license provides a momentum for closer discussions with local governments, including the Korea Facilities Management Corporation, which manages most stadiums. Local governments can also become more aware of the concept of a soccer field grass.
“The federation is conducting education and consulting (on grass). The federation cannot manage grass by itself, but it would be better if it helps manage grass by including it in the club license,” a club official said. Another club official said, “If the federation confirms that grass management fails and it is difficult to hold matches, strong disciplinary action such as deprivation of the right to host home games is also necessary. The same problem has been occurring for several years. Only then will the club have something to say to the managing body. Otherwise, it will not change,” he said in a strong tone. 안전놀이터
Grass is one of the basic elements of the environment of a stadium. Above all, grass has the biggest influence on players’ performance, the biggest product in professional sports. For this reason, not only clubs but also professional federations should thoroughly review and manage the grass.
The federation is considering not only the system but also reforming the lawn variety with Samsung C&T Research Institute. “We are experimenting with a method of planting Korean paper grass while allowing the orchid grass to withstand high temperatures. In summer, Korean paper grass dies and the orchid grass comes up,” an official said.