Ok League 1 membership’s outgoing head coach Lee Jung-hyo / Yonhap
Gwangju FC introduced Sunday they’ve terminated their contract with head coach Lee Jung-hyo by mutual consent, with the tactician rumored to be on his method to one other home membership.
Gwangju FC of the top-flight Ok League 1 mentioned Lee had requested his means out of the deal on Dec. 12, with two extra seasons left. Following a authorized assessment, the membership determined to grant Lee his want Sunday.
Lee, 50, grabbed Gwangju’s reins in December 2021 and led them to the title within the second-tier Ok League 2 in 2022. Gwangju set a file for many factors within the Ok League 2 with 86 and earned direct promotion to the Ok League 1 for 2023.
Regardless of predictions that they’d be fortunate to keep away from relegation, Gwangju FC completed the 2023 Ok League 1 season in third place with 59 factors, due to a club-record 16 wins, 11 attracts and 11 losses.
Gwangju FC slipped to ninth place in 2024 however improved to seventh place this 12 months. In different competitions, they reached the ultimate of the Korea Cup this 12 months, falling to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2-1 in a hard-fought contest, and superior to the quarterfinals of the Asian Soccer Confederation Champions League Elite match in April this 12 months.
For all his on-field success, Lee has stirred controversy along with his volatility — as soon as shoving his personal participant in an on-field outburst caught on nationwide TV and infrequently stepping into heated arguments with referees.
Lee is claimed to be nearing a cope with Suwon Samsung Bluewings, four-time Ok League 1 champions who’ve been caught within the second division since struggling course relegation after the 2023 season. After dropping within the promotion-relegation playoffs earlier this month, Suwon Samsung determined to not convey again head coach Byun Sung-hwan for a 3rd season.
In a message launched by Gwangju FC, Lee thanked the membership’s followers for his or her help over the previous 4 years, saying it was “probably the most intense” stretch of his life.
“This was greater than a soccer membership for me. Gwangju FC taught me how you can belief folks, how you can stick with ideas and how you can endure tough occasions,” he mentioned. “Now, I’m about to tackle a brand new problem. I didn’t make this choice as a result of Gwangju FC did not have the cash or as a result of I demanded sure situations. I needed to problem myself and show myself on a much bigger stage, and assist Korean soccer take a step ahead.”
