Gwangju, Ulsan ACLE match locations unconfirmed as K League pitch quality faces criticism

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Gwangju, Ulsan ACLE match locations unconfirmed as K League pitch quality faces criticism

Published: 01 Oct. 2024, 14:26 Updated: 01 Oct. 2024, 15:56

PAIK JI-HWAN
paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr

Ulsan HD react after losing a 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite match to Kawasaki Frontale at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Sept. 18. [NEWS1]

The venues for Gwangju FC and Ulsan HD’s AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) home matches on Oct. 22 and 23 have yet to be confirmed after managers and players raised concerns about the poor quality of K League pitches.

On the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) website, the fixtures for Gwangju versus Johor Darul Tazim on Oct. 22 and Ulsan against Vissel Kobe on Oct. 23 are listed with venues to be confirmed, although they are scheduled to take place at the K League teams’ respective stadiums according to Naver, a Korean search engine.

It remains unclear whether the AFC has decided to relocate the two matches due to the condition of the pitches at Gwangju World Cup Stadium or Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan.

As of press time Tuesday, the AFC and the two K League clubs could not be reached for comment.

Foreign players and managers have recently highlighted the unsuitable quality of K League pitches. Gwangju was forced to use Gwangju World Cup Stadium instead of Gwangju Football Stadium, where they usually play league games, for their ACLE match against Yokohama F. Marinos on Sept. 17, as the latter did not meet AFC standards.

Gwangju FC, in yellow, in action during their 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite match against Yokohama F. Marinos at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju on Sept. 17. [YONHAP]

However, the pitch at Gwangju World Cup Stadium was reportedly unsuitable due to lack of use for an extended period.

After the ACLE match in September, Marinos’ interim manager John Hutchinson mentioned the poor quality of the pitch. Kawasaki Frontale manager Toru Oniki also commented after the ACLE match against Ulsan on Sept. 18, stating that players prefer to play on well-maintained pitches, indicating issues with pitch quality. Multiple potholes at Munsu Football Stadium were visible even on camera.

FC Seoul, which plays at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul, has also faced criticism from players and fans for its poor pitch quality.

Due to the growing criticism, the KFA received approval from the AFC to move the venue for the 2026 World Cup qualifier between Korea and Iraq on Oct. 15 from Seoul World Cup Stadium to Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi.

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