“I’m worried about the players’ injuries. It’s worse than last year.”
Goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong (39), who returned in his Kawasaki Frontale uniform, lamented after the first leg of the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) league stage against Ulsan HD at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on the 18th.
The grass around the stadium was severely damaged, making it difficult for players to pass or dribble. It was a comedy itself that players from both teams, competing for the strongest clubs in Asia, struggled to guard the ball on uneven ground.
In a meeting with reporters, Jung Sung-ryong expressed regret, saying, “The Kawasaki players were also having a hard time today, but wouldn’t Ulsan players be having a hard time in the long run?” and added, “I always think that I should improve (when I visit Ulsan).”
In fact, it is not a matter of a day or two that Korean stadiums’ grass has become a hot topic of conversation. Players often complain about poor grass conditions during hot summer months. The poor grass problem, so-called “Nondureung grass,” is called a chronic disease of the K-League.
Recently, “captain” Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham) demanded improvement twice in connection with the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup was held.
In the soccer field, opinions are divided over paddy fields.
It is a matter that is blocked by the natural environment called the weather, and they either agree that it cannot be helped or refute that efforts to properly manage it were insufficient. Recently, they seem to be gaining momentum on the latter. This is because the question arises as to why the Japanese J-League, which does not have a big difference in weather, has no problem with the grass condition. Japanese midfielder Masatoshi Ishida (29, Daejeon) even criticized, “Japan is definitely in good grass condition. The J3 League (from the third division of Japan) is better than the K-League.”
“In fact, Japan is in good condition overall,” Jung Sung-ryong said. “It is true that Korea is having a hard time this year due to the heat, but it needs to be improved at all.” 메이저놀이터
Some point out that the problem is that the facility corporation, not the club, is in charge of managing the grass at the stadium. In other words, the team, which is directly affected by the state of the grass, must work hard to save the grass in the summer. In Korea, Hana Citizen in Daejeon is managing the stadium itself, and it is said that it has made good efforts to manage the grass even in the heat of this year. If the number of cases in which clubs can manage the grass themselves increases like in Daejeon, the possibility of getting rid of the stigma of paddy fields will also increase.
Ulsan coach Kim Pan-gon (55) said, “I don’t want to criticize those who are trying hard (to manage the grass),” adding, “It is clear that the players are struggling and that they want to play soccer in a better environment.”