Will Ulsan HD and Gwangju FC be able to regain their lost home stadium.
The K-League has recently had a hard time due to grass problems. The controversy was not limited to the K-League. It has also become a problem in the Asian stage. Ulsan HD and Gwangju FC, which played in the AFC Champions League elite, are unable to play home games at their home stadiums due to grass problems.
Gwangju FC, led by head coach Lee Jung-hyo, played the first match of the ACLE League Stage in the 2024-2025 season against Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan) at Gwangju World Cup Stadium on September 17. The grass problem arose. Acting Yokohama coach John Hutchinson said, “There was a problem with the grass. It was chosen by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), but rather than taking responsibility for that, I feel sorry for the result.”
The same was true of Ulsan led by Kim Pan-gon. Ulsan had been mired in controversy after a game with Kawasaki Frontale at the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan in September.
Both teams were able to avoid AFC’s sanctions. The third leg of the league stage, which took place in October, could not be played at home. Gwangju met Johor Darlle Takjim of the Malaysian team at Yongin Mir Stadium, more than 230 kilometers away. It was the same home game as the away game. For this reason, Lee angered the manager, saying, “There is no better place than Gwangju to have grass.” Ulsan also had its third game against Vissel Kobe of Japan at Ulsan Stadium. According to the Korea Professional Football Federation, the AFC decided that it should use a different stadium because it believes that the grass conditions at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium and the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium are so bad that it cannot afford to play. 토토사이트
Both teams are striving to regain their home stadiums. Ulsan has home games scheduled against Shanghai Haigang (China) on November 26, and Gwangju against Shanghai Shenhua (China) on November 27.
Ulsan Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation, which manages stadiums in Ulsan, has transplanted grass from auxiliary stadiums next to Munsu Stadium and is currently in the process of activating. “We are monitoring the situation after completing lawn repair work,” said an Ulsan team official. Gwangju also carried out a renovation work on the roll grass at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium. Both teams plan to play ACLE matches in November without problems. The Korea Professional Football League is monitoring the management status of the two teams. AFC will reportedly conduct due diligence on Ulsan and Gwangju after ACL games between Pohang Steelers and Jeonbuk Hyundai in early November.