Bucheon FC Club Eventually Referees the Federation's Punishment Committee on 'Controversy over Throwing Foreign Substances in the Spectator'

*This content was translated by AI.

The professional soccer K League 1 Bucheon FC club was eventually referred to the Korean Professional Football Federation's reward and punishment committee over the controversy over foreign substances thrown by spectators after the Ulsan HD match.

According to the soccer community on the 19th, the federation decided to refer the Bucheon club to the federation reward and punishment committee after reviewing the circumstances at the time submitted by the Bucheon club and notified the club as well. The reward and punishment committee will be held at 2 p.m. on the 20th.

Earlier, some fans in Bucheon were found to have thrown abusive language and foreign substances at Ulsan players who were conducting reinforcement training using the entire ground after losing 1-2 in the third round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 at Bucheon Stadium on the 15th.

At that time, Ulsan players who were unable to participate in the game or had a short time to participate in a training session called the "Top-up Session" at a time when spectators were leaving the stadium. About 10 players, including Jung Seung-hyun, ran from the opposite goal post to the Bucheon supporters' seat following the coach's instructions, and in the process, a video of some fans in Bucheon's cheering seats throwing foreign substances and swearing at Ulsan players was released, sparking controversy.

It may be misunderstood as a provocative intention for the winning team players to run right in front of the opposing team's cheering seats, but an official from Ulsan said, "There was no intention of stimulating the other team or fans, and it was a professional routine for player protection and power management. Regardless of the result of the game or the other team, we have been conducting the same session right after the end of the game."

In response to strong protests from Bucheon fans, Ulsan captain Jung Seung-hyun approached the cheering seat and explained the background of the training at the time. However, in the process, Jung Seung-hyun also claimed that he heard abusive language from Bucheon fans that was difficult to mention directly. Since then, the federation has requested a report from the Bucheon club, and based on the report submitted by the club, it has decided to refer the Bucheon club to the federation's reward and punishment committee regarding the case of throwing foreign substances by spectators.

According to the Professional Football Federation reward and punishment regulations, if it is referred to the reward and punishment committee for "throwing foreign substances in the ground by spectators," the club can be disciplined, such as holding a home game without spectators or a home game in a third region designated by the federation, imposing sanctions of more than 3 million won, and closing cheering seats and away cheering seats.

Previously, even after the K League 2 match against Chungcheongbuk-do in October 2024, the Bucheon club was controversial for swearing at the opponent and throwing foreign substances such as ice in the process of confrontation with the opponent. At that time, the Bucheon club was referred to the federation's reward and punishment committee and was disciplined to close the cheering seats for two home games along with a fine of 5 million won.

Moreover, after being promoted to the K League 1 for the first time this season, Bucheon was receiving a lot of attention by beating 'defending champion' Jeonbuk Hyundai from the opening game and drawing with Daejeon Hana Citizen in the opening game of the home game. Bucheon, which had an average crowd of 3,615 last season, was a member of the K League 2, and after promotion, the club's record-high crowd of 12,224 at the opening of the home game and 8,558 at the match against Ulsan, which was followed by some fans pouring cold water on it.

As the controversy grew, the Bucheon club said on its official channel on the 17th, "We apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused to the Ulsan HDFC team and officials." Regarding those involved in the issue, he apologized, saying, "We will review necessary measures after understanding the facts."

The Bucheon club said, "For the 1995 seats (standing seats) in which the issue occurred, the drinks will be moved according to the prepared cup before entering, and measures to strengthen on-site management through the installation of 1995 seats cameras will be implemented," adding, "The filming will only be used as a reference for finding out the facts in the event of an incident or accident in the 1995 seats, and legal measures, including a claim for reimbursement, will be reviewed and carried out if violations are confirmed. We will respond more responsibly for a safe and respected stadium culture," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.