“Whose head is this coming out of….”
Fans of professional soccer’s Busan I-Park are furious. This is because their home stadium, the Busan Asiad Stadium, is hosting a friendly match between two other teams, and they may be forced to play their home games elsewhere. In the meantime, there have been many occasions when the Busan city government has notified the team that the stadium will be closed for various events. The complaints of Busan fans who have to suffer the inconvenience are eventually leading to anger toward Busan City and others.
According to the soccer world on the 11th, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG-France) and Jeonbuk are scheduled to play a friendly match at Busan Asiad Stadium on the 3rd of next month. Lee Kang-in and PSG’s visit to Korea has been officially announced. The stadium and opponent have not yet been finalized, but it is reported that an agreement has been reached internally.
For Busan fans, this is a big surprise. This is because PSG will be playing a friendly against another K League team in their home stadium. Furthermore, the friendly will force Busan to play Cheonan in a different stadium two days later. Due to problems with reinstalling the stadium’s variable seats after dismantling them, as well as problems with the grass for the friendly, it is impossible to hold a normal game in Anbang. As a result, the Busan club and its fans are suffering. 메이저도메인
The fact that the friendly was held in Busan and that Jeonbuk, whose parent company is Hyundai Motor Company, was selected to play PSG is widely believed to be part of the genesis of the Busan Expo bid. Hyundai is supporting the Busan Expo bid. Fans are angry because the process is politicized and there is no consideration for the clubs and fans.
Busan fans are especially vocal in their criticism because this is not the first time that their home games have been disrupted for other events. Previously, the Busan club had to play several home games at other stadiums due to events such as large concerts. There was even a skit where they played a professional game in a secondary stadium, not just Guduk Sports Complex. Another event is scheduled for October, and the stadium will not be available. “I thought the Asiad was our home, but it was a love room,” a fan said, summarizing the situation with bitter resignation.
On social media, Busan soccer fans are already outraged. One fan wrote, “Saudi Arabia has been planning for more than 10 years to host an expo, and we invited other teams to the league’s home stadium, which is in full operation. It’s a backward soccer country, and it’s a tabletop administration. Shame on you, Busan,” he criticized.
Other fans also commented, “There is no consideration or apology for the club called Busan Ice Park,” and “Busan City, don’t ignore Busan soccer fans! It’s not the first time, it’s not the last time,” and “Don’t ignore Busan soccer fans. “Don’t say that (Busan IPark) is a chairman’s club, it can’t be like this if it is a chairman’s club,” they said. They criticize Chung Mong-kyu, the president of the Korea Football Association and the owner of Busan IPark, for not taking any action.
The Busan club is also embarrassed. The club’s employees reportedly only learned that the friendly match would be held at the Busan Asiad Stadium through media reports. This means that even preliminary discussions are being held unilaterally. The club is waiting to see what happens, as the venue hasn’t been finalized yet. If the friendly match is confirmed at the Busan Asiad Stadium and the club and fans are harmed as a result, the club will take the necessary measures.