“Can I say one last thing?”
The interview room at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Nov. 19. Ahn Ik-soo (58), the head coach of Daegu FC, has just finished his press conference about the 2-2 draw with Seoul FC, and he asks for permission to speak first. It is not uncommon for a coach to deliver a message at a press conference instead of answering questions from reporters. All eyes and ears were on Ahn.먹튀검증
As Ahn prepared his tablet PC, he said something unexpected. He said, “I’m going to read what I’ve prepared. I’ll just call it ‘The Stool of Resignation,'” he said. It was a surprising statement that took everyone in the room by surprise, not only the reporters, but also the immediate Seoul club officials.
“Two years ago, I said in an interview why I accepted the Seoul job, ‘I thought Seoul was a club that should have a clear sense of responsibility for Korean football. They were ranked 11th at the time, and if I could help Seoul a little more than my own honor, I would do it,'” Ahn said. I still feel that way today. But I realized that for Seoul to develop, changes are needed at this point.”
“I’ve done my best to fulfill my promise to you and my commitment to myself, but I’m not able to accomplish what I set out to do, so I’m dropping out. I think that’s the end of my role. I apologize for not being able to accomplish what I had set out to do. I will be a guardian spirit (Seoul Supporters) from afar,” he said. He also expressed his gratitude and apologies to the club’s officials, including the owner, fans, and players. After the announcement, Ahn left the press conference room without taking any questions from reporters.
Ahn’s resignation was unprecedented. While “I will consult with the club and decide on my future” was an indirect way for managers to announce their resignation, it was unusual for Ahn to directly use the word “quit” in a press conference. It wasn’t that the team was facing relegation and was under intense pressure to resign, or that the atmosphere was so bad that there were rumors of a resignation. The atmosphere was one of bewilderment at the surprise announcement, which went far beyond what was expected.
It wasn’t just the press. Neither the club nor the players had any idea. The staff on the ground were also in a state of ‘panic’. They had to deal with a lot of questions and phone calls from reporters. Even senior officials such as the club’s CEO and general manager reportedly only learned of Ahn’s resignation through breaking news reports late at night. The same was true of the club’s inability to quickly issue an official response to Ahn’s resignation.
The players were no different. Even the coaching staff was informed after the press conference. The players were not informed until the post-match meeting. After a longer-than-usual meeting, the mood of the Seoul squad was somber as they left the field. All the players’ faces were stony. Some players were in tears as they walked to the bus, while others were hugging their coaches and shedding tears. Given the mood of the team, we didn’t even conduct interviews in the mixed zone.
Ahn took over as Seoul’s 14th head coach in September 2021 and led the team from relegation to seventh place. However, the club finished in the Final B (lower division) last season. Last year, there was also a so-called “bus blocking” incident by some angry fans.
This season, the team has been in the top half of the standings since the beginning of the season. However, since June, the team has been on a downward spiral. In their last 12 games, they’ve won two, drawn six and lost four, and their last five games have all been drawn (three draws and two losses). In particular, late goals have repeatedly cost them games. Although they are fourth in the standings, they are only five points behind ninth-placed Jeju United and were in danger of falling into mid-table.
When Daegu failed to defend their 2-1 lead, chants of “Ahn Ik-soo out” rang out from the supporters’ section. Ahn responded to the chant with a voluntary resignation. It was not an impromptu remark, but a prepared manuscript, which suggests that Ahn had been harboring the intention to step down all along. On this day, the decision was made.
With the remainder of his contract remaining, it is highly unlikely that the club will back down or that Ahn will change his mind. This is because there are not many precedents for such a move, and the Seoul fan base has turned cold in response to Ahn’s response to the chants of “Ahn Ik-soo get out” from the supporters’ section immediately after the game against Daegu. At the time, Ahn made a protesting gesture by raising his right arm in the direction of the supporters, and multiple videos showed his coaches stopping him. While it’s unclear if Ahn’s gesture was directed at the supporters, fans already believe it was directed at them.
FC Seoul Supporters Suh Ho-shin released a statement on the 20th, saying, “The shouting at the coach after the game was not led by the on-field team, but by the voices of fans who love Seoul.” “In contrast to the interview in which the coach thanked Suh Ho-shin for his support regardless of the outcome of the game, the behavior towards the supporters’ seats yesterday (19th) was too contradictory. For this, Suho Shin expresses his deepest regret on behalf of FC Seoul fans.” If there is a misunderstanding or something that needs to be explained, it is something that must be resolved even if they part ways.
The aftermath of Ahn’s abrupt departure is now up to the Seoul club and its players to overcome. If the club decides to part ways with Ahn, they will have to start looking for a new coach immediately. The problem is that the team has back-to-back games against top-ranked Ulsan Hyundai on Nov. 27 and a super match against Suwon Samsung on Nov. 2. There are only six games left in the regular season, after which the team will be split into the Final A-B group for the final round. At worst, the team will have to go through the most important period without a full-time coach. For now, head coach Kim Jin-gyu is likely to take over as acting head coach and lead the team for the time being.
The players will also have to play the rest of the season in the midst of a chaotic atmosphere. The team will have to find a way to get back on track. The younger players, who were in tears over the news of Ahn’s resignation, may struggle psychologically. The younger players, who have been in tears over the news of Ahn’s resignation, may feel self-blame for the loss of their coach, as they were the ones he relied on to keep the team afloat despite the recent run of conceded goals. The players who joined Seoul in the summer transfer window are also in a difficult position.
The quickest way to clean up the mess is to hire a new coach. However, it’s not easy to identify the right candidates at this point, and it’s even harder to find a coach who can lead the team well. This is one of the most important steps in the process, so we can’t just emphasize speed, but we also don’t want to leave it too late. With the resignation of Ahn Ik-soo, it’s a big task for the Seoul club.
Fans are calling on the club to make a cautious choice, but also hope that the remaining coaching staff and players can hold the center until a new coach is hired. “In the last five years, we have lost many managers and gone through numerous interim regimes. We ask the club to be careful in selecting a coach so that these situations do not recur and the fans do not suffer.” “We also ask the players under Coach Kim Jin-gyu. Regardless of the situation we are in, we hope that you will not hurt the last bit of pride of the fans who always entrust their pride to your steps, and protect the pride of the capital team Seoul, which continues to rank first in average attendance.”