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Daegu FC relegated to K League 2 after finishing rock bottom on last day

Published: 01 Dec. 2025, 17:03

Daegu FC forward Cesinha, far right, reacts after a 2-2 draw with FC Anyang at Daegu iM Bank Park in Daegu on Nov. 30. [NEWS1]

Daegu FC were relegated to K League 2 on Sunday after locking in a last-place finish on the 12-team K League 1 table following a 2-2 draw with FC Anyang.

Daegu only secured one point from their last league fixture at home, finishing the 2025 season at the bottom of the table with 34 points, five points behind No. 11 Jeju SK. The southern club will now return to the K League 2 for the first time in a decade.

The last-placed team is directly relegated to the second division, while 10th- and 11th-placed teams can avoid relegation by winning the promotion-relegation playoffs against K League 2 sides.

Daegu still had a chance of top-flight survival, but it was contingent on the club winning Sunday's fixture and Jeju dropping three points against Ulsan HD and not surpassing Daegu's goals-for tally on the same day. Had that happened, Daegu and Jeju would have both been on 36 points, but the southern club would have held the edge by more goals scored and to snatch the No. 11 place.

Daegu made K League 1 this season after winning last year's playoffs, but this year's campaign fell well short.

Veteran forward Cesinha, 36, still showcased a strong attacking prowess this season with 12 goals and 12 assists across 25 league appearances.

The Brazilian has expressed his desire to stay at the club despite relegation, but it will have to pay his sizable salary of 1.7 billion won ($1.2 million) — the second highest in K League 1 — while playing in K League 2, where sponsorship cuts and smaller crowds could reduce revenue.

With the regular K League 1 season over, fans now turn their attention to the promotion-relegation playoffs, where K League 1 side Jeju will play K League 2 team Suwon Samsung Bluewings and K League 1 club Suwon FC will face second-tier Buncheon FC 1995 in a home-and-away format.

For the Bluewings, winning the series would mark their return to the K League 1 after facing relegation for the first time in 2023. As for Bucheon, promotion would mean their first time competing in the top tier.

The Bluewings will host Jeju in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday and play an away match on Sunday, with Bucheon taking on Suwon FC in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on Thursday and playing the second match also on Sunday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]