*This content was translated by AI.
K League 2 club Daegu FC has ultimately dismissed head coach Kim Byung-soo (55), just eight matches into the K League 2 season. With a record of three wins, two draws, and three losses (11 points), the team sits in sixth place, only one point away from the K League 2 playoff (PO) qualification spot. However, the club decided to end its partnership with Coach Kim early, citing recent performance and match results. Notably, the announcement drew attention for using the term "dismissal" instead of the more common expressions typically reserved for showing respect to a coach.
On the 20th, Daegu FC announced via official club channels that "Coach Kim Byung-soo has been dismissed to take responsibility for the team's recent poor performance and to completely revitalize the team atmosphere." Coach Kim, who took charge as the club's 15th head coach in May last year, ultimately left the team before completing a full year. This marks the second dismissal of a K League 2 head coach this season, following Im Gwan-sik of Chungnam Asan.
Despite the team's relegation, Daegu FC and Coach Kim Byung-soo had continued their partnership until just seven matches after relegation. Coach Kim, who took over after Park Chang-hyun last May, struggled to change the team's atmosphere, falling into a slump of 11 consecutive matches without a win. Ultimately, Daegu was relegated to the bottom of K League 1, yet the club chose to continue the partnership rather than hold Coach Kim responsible for the relegation.
Ahead of the new K League 2 season, "Kim Byung-soo's" Daegu drew significant attention. With up to four teams eligible for promotion to K League 1 this season, many coaches identified Daegu as a promotion contender. At the K League 2 opening media day held before the season, Daegu received the most promotion predictions, alongside Suwon Samsung, from other club head coaches.
The atmosphere was positive during the opening three-match winning streak. However, Daegu suffered consecutive 1-3 defeats against Busan IPark and Seoul E-Land, followed by recent draws against Gimpo FC (3-3) and Suwon FC (2-2), and a 1-2 comeback loss to Cheonan City. The team has now fallen into a slump of five consecutive matches without a win (two draws, three losses). The defense has collapsed, allowing two or more goals in six consecutive matches. In the recent match against Cheonan, Daegu led 1-0 but conceded two goals in stoppage time, resulting in a comeback loss. Following this defeat, the club notified Coach Kim Byung-soo of his dismissal.
Notably, Daegu FC's announcement of the parting with Coach Kim Byung-soo used the term "dismissal" in an unusual manner, sparking discussion among fans. Even if the club was within its contractual rights to unilaterally notify the dismissal, this deviated from the usual practice of referring to such departures as "resignation" or "mutual agreement termination." Even simple expressions of gratitude or well-wishes for the future, typically used when a coach or player leaves a team, were omitted. The dismissal announcement was as sharp as it could be, suggesting that the process of parting ways between Daegu FC and Coach Kim Byung-soo was not smooth.
Furthermore, the club even added detailed reasons for dismissing Coach Kim Byung-soo. Daegu FC stated, "Recognizing the recent sustained decline in performance, including the most goals conceded in K League this season (17 goals) and the club's record of seven consecutive matches with multiple goals conceded, we made the decision to replace the head coach after in-depth discussions." The club emphasized, "We believe that changes at this point are inevitable to achieve this season's ultimate goal of 'promotion'." It is rare for a club to include specific statistics in its announcement when parting ways with a head coach.
After parting ways with Coach Kim Byung-soo, Daegu FC decided to immediately appoint Chief Coach Choi Sung-yong as the 16th head coach, bypassing an interim arrangement, to continue the promotion challenge. Meanwhile, Coach Kim Byung-soo left the team after three consecutive dismissals in his coaching career, following Gangwon FC and Suwon. Gangwon FC officially formalized the parting as "removal," while Suwon and Daegu used the term "dismissal."
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*This content was translated by AI.
