K League to relax Asian quota in 2025, count 'homegrown' foreign players as Korean

The Pohang Steelers' Zeca celebrates scoring a goal during the Korean FA Cup final against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at Pohang Steelyard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang on Nov. 4. [YONHAP]

More foreign players will be soon be eligible to play football in Korea under new K League rules announced Tuesday, including counting some foreign players as Korean and relaxing the Asian quota in 2025.

Under the current Asian quota, which was established in 2009, each K League 1 team can have up to six foreign players. But the League rules stipulate that one player must be from Asia while the remaining five can be from any foreign country.

Should the K League abolish the standing Asian quota, K League 1 teams would be allowed to sign their six foreign players from any country and have a maximum of four foreign players play in a match.

Over in the K League 2, teams must register at least one player from Southeast Asia and four foreign players from any country for a total of five foreign players.

“Major Asian leagues such as Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, Australia and Qatar do not operate the Asian quota,” the K League said Tuesday after a board meeting the day before. “The AFC and AFC Champions League will also scrap the Asian quota starting from the 2024-25 season and allow the teams to register an unlimited number of foreign players and allow them to play [in the Champions League.]”

The K League also said it plans to adopt a “homegrown” system in 2025, through which some foreign players could count as Korean. A foreign player who has played in an amateur club registered in the Korea Football Association for either three consecutive years or five total years can be counted as a Korean player when he first signs a contract with a K League team, according to the new rules.

The main purpose behind the system is for a country to preserve players developed in the country. Football leagues in England and United States already have such systems.

The complex U-22 rule will also change slightly next season, for the K League 1.

Under current rules, K League teams can make up to five substitutions per match only if more than two U-22 players start — or if one U-22 player starts the match and one U-22 player plays as a substitute.

If no U-22 players start, teams are allowed just two substitutions during the game. And if just one U-22 player starts the game with no substitutions, teams can make up to three substitutions before the final whistle.

Next season, teams will have more flexibility to switch young players out. The new U-22 rules stipulate that if no U-22 player starts, K League teams can make up to three substitutions during the game. If one U-22 player starts the game and no substitutions are made, teams can make up to four.

Teams will still be able to make five substitutions if more than two U-22 players start a match or if one U-22 player starts the match and one U-22 player plays as a substitute.

The K League previously raised the number of substitutions per game from three to five in 2021.

And next season, teams will be allowed nine players on the bench, up from seven.

The U-22 rule changes, however, will only apply to the K League 1, and current rules will still be in effect in the K League 2.

The 2023 K League 1 and 2 seasons have ended, and the two-game series promotion-relegation playoffs were set to kick off on Wednesday evening as of press time.

K League 2 side Busan IPark was due to play K League 1 team Suwon FC on Wednesday in Busan at 7 p.m., the same time K League 2 team Gimpo FC was to face K League 1 team Gangwon FC in Gimpo, Gyeonggi.

The second games of the series will then take place on Saturday.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]