New Korea manager Hong Myung-bo faces a frosty reception in Ulsan

Football

Published: 10 Jul. 2024, 20:10 Updated: 10 Jul. 2024, 20:12

New Korea manager Hong Myung-bo faces a frosty reception in Ulsan

Hong Myung-bo enters Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan ahead of a K League 1 match between Ulsan HD and Gwangju FC on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

ULSAN — Ulsan HD fans expressed their frustration on Wednesday over Hong Myung-bo’s abrupt decision to leave Ulsan to take the helm of the Korean national team — firing fake $100 bills at the outgoing manager for selling out and abandoning the club.

A group of fans this reporter met inside Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Wednesday, a few hours before a K League 1 match between Ulsan and Gwangju FC, were cutting out pre-made fake $100 bills bearing Hong's likeness.

Hong, who agreed to take the national team job on the weekend, remained on the Ulsan touchline for Wednesday's game.

A fake $100 bill featuring Hong Myung-bo's face [PAIK JI-HWAN]

Hong is a controversial pick for the national team job, as he maintained for months that he would reject the offer. But the KFA announced him on Sunday as the permanent national team manager — a post that has been vacant for five months since Jurgen Klinsmann was fired in February.

Taking the job takes Hong away from Ulsan, who are currently in the middle of the K League season, despite him earlier promising fans that he would not leave.

Pre-made $100 bills featuring Hong Myung-bo's face [PAIK JI-HWAN]

The fake bills have Hong’s face in the center with “KFA 20240708” to the left side of his face. “KFA” stands for the Korea Football Association, and the numbers represent the date when KFA Technical Director Lee Lim-saeng held a press conference to explain Hong's appointment.

The group also had a plastic cash cannon which they plan to use to fire the bills into the air.

A plastic cash cannon that Ulsan HD fans plan to use to shoot the fake bills at Hong Myung-bo [PAIK JI-HWAN]

“We made these ourselves to mock [Hong],” an Ulsan fan said. “We are going to shoot these with a cash cannon. We are thinking about firing when Hong passes in front of us. If we don’t see him, we will just fire from the stands.

“We heard that he is going to the national team despite a small salary. We heard a rumor that he is getting a maximum of $1.3 million, so at least this way he can have all the money he'd like.”

Others fans at Wednesday’s match were also there to call out Hong.

“It's not right for Hong to join the national team all of a sudden in the middle of a season,” another fan said. “I am disappointed because if the KFA cared about K League fans, they would not have stolen our manager. I feel like he could have joined the national team in the second half of the campaign or after the season.”

Despite the appointment, Hong has not immediately left the Ulsan post. He is expected to attend a post-match press conference after the game.

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