[Official] 'No Miracle': Wolverhampton Confirmed for Relegation, EPL Faces 'Zero' Korean Players

*This content was translated by AI.

There was no miracle. The relegation of Hwang Hee-chan's (30) club, Wolverhampton, to the English Championship (second tier) for next season has been confirmed. The possibility that no Korean players will appear on the English Premier League (EPL) stage next season has also grown significantly.

On the 21st (Korea time), Wolverhampton was confirmed for relegation to the second tier after West Ham United drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in London, England, in the 33rd round of the 2025-2026 EPL. West Ham, sitting in 17th place—the final spot to avoid relegation—gained one point today to reach 33 points (8 wins, 9 draws, 16 losses), widening the gap to 16 points over Wolverhampton, who finished in last place with 17 points (3 wins, 8 draws, 22 losses). Even if Wolverhampton wins all five remaining matches, they can no longer reach the safety zone.

As a result, Wolverhampton will return to the English Championship for the first time in nine seasons since the 2017-2018 season. Wolverhampton, which once plummeted to the English League One (third tier) during the 2013-2014 season, was promoted back to the Championship in the 2014-2015 season and successfully achieved promotion to the EPL in the 2017-2018 season, just four seasons later. For eight seasons, Wolverhampton survived in the EPL, finishing as high as seventh in the EPL in their first season after promotion and even qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. However, the club could not avoid relegation this season.

The "worst slump" that began early in the season ultimately led to the humiliation of relegation. Starting the season with five consecutive losses in the EPL, Wolverhampton suffered 11 consecutive losses in the EPL from October to late December last year, ending up with 19 consecutive matches without a win (3 draws, 16 losses) at the start of the season. This 19-match winless streak was not only a record in the EPL but also a humiliating history for English professional football, marking the first time in 123 years since the 1902-1903 season when Bolton Wanderers experienced such a streak.

Wolverhampton recorded their first win after the new year against West Ham United and managed to secure their first consecutive wins by defeating Aston Villa and Liverpool in February and March, but it was too little too late to dispel the dark clouds of relegation that had loomed over them early on. Recently, they suffered consecutive heavy defeats, losing 0-4 to West Ham and 0-3 to Leeds United, ultimately confirming early relegation with five EPL matches remaining.

Son Heung-min (LAFC) is leaving Tottenham Hotspur for the US Major League Soccer (MLS) stage, and Yang Min-hyuk (Coventry City) is also leaving Tottenham after failing to secure a spot, meaning Hwang Hee-chan, the only Premier League player this season, has ultimately tasted the pain of relegation. Hwang Hee-chan appeared in 22 EPL matches this season, recording two goals and one assist.

Meanwhile, with Wolverhampton's relegation, the possibility that no Korean players will appear on the EPL stage next season cannot be ruled out. While there are quite a few players whose original clubs are in the EPL, such as Yang Min-hyuk, Park Seung-soo (Newcastle United U21), Yoon Do-young (Dordrecht), and Kim Ji-soo (Kaiserslautern), many of them are currently on loan or staying with U21 teams this season, so it remains uncertain whether they will secure spots in the EPL first teams next season.

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*This content was translated by AI.