Kim Pan-gon, manager of Ulsan HD in the K-League 1, said, “We need to increase the quota of foreign players in the K-League.” The move is aimed at easing restrictions on foreign players in order to show their competitive edge in the Asian soccer leagues such as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Champions League (ACLE).
“The change in ACL format has completely eliminated the mercenary (foreign player) quota system,” Kim Pan-gon said at the media day of the final match of the 2024 Hana Bank Korea Cup at the Korea Football Center in central Seoul on Monday. “The professional soccer federation should also give strategic consideration going forward.”
In fact, the ACL had been a three-plus-one system, including three players without nationality restrictions and one member of AFC member countries, but the system has been expanded to five-plus-one from the 2023-24 season, when the system was changed to a new system. Furthermore, restrictions on foreign player registration have completely disappeared from the 2024-25 season.
Johor Darlle Takjim of Malaysia, who clashed with Ulsan on Saturday, had only two Malaysian players out of the 11. The remaining nine players, including four Spanish and one Brazilian, were all foreign players. Ulsan, on the other hand, had four foreign players out of the 11 players. Unlike the ACL, the K-League has a five-plus-one system, including five foreign players with no nationality and one Asian quarter player.
“Although we were aware that the abolition of restrictions on foreign players will begin this year, there has been no change in the quota system for foreign players,” coach Kim Pan-gon said. “I think we need to think more about what kind of competitiveness we should show in the ACL,” adding, “The Middle East and Southeast Asia have prepared for that first. I think there was a strategic approach to the teams that participate in the ACL, but I also think (the K-League) should have a different approach to suit the ACL elite format.”
Earlier, coach Kim voiced the same purpose shortly after confirming the K-League 1 title with a victory over Gangwon FC on the 2nd. At the time, head coach Kim Pan-gon said, “The ACL format has changed. In the K-League, I think we are less prepared than other leagues in terms of foreign player quotas and various sides.” As other countries’ teams’ ACLs, which have lifted restrictions on foreign players, are remarkable, the K-League should also reorganize its foreign player system. 안전놀이터
However, the federation has no plan to immediately revise the rules for foreign players in line with the ACL. Instead of abolishing the Asian quarter next year, the rules will be slightly changed to allow one more foreign player to register up to six players regardless of nationality per team, and only four players to play in matches.
“We have already decided to abolish the Asian quarter and add one more foreign player quota unrelated to nationality from the 2025 season through the board of directors at the end of last year,” a federation official said. “We have no plans to discuss new regulations changes ahead of the implementation of the new foreign quota system (six registered with no nationality, four participants).”