'Sacked after 6 games' manager becomes the commander of a team that underwent 'absurd position change after 9 games'... A bizarre chain of transfers

*This content was translated by AI.

's leadership of the K League 2 this season is in a bizarre and unpredictable state, far exceeding expectations. Cases of coaches stepping down regardless of performance are occurring one after another, and irrational situations such as sacked managers remaining with the club and continuing an uncomfortable coexistence are repeating, leaving the entire league in a chaotic atmosphere.

The first to fire the shock signal was Chungnam Asan FC. On the 15th, manager Im Kwan-sik left the team just four months after taking charge and only after six league matches. At the time, Chungnam Asan FC was in seventh place in the league with three wins, one draw, and two losses, and was on a three-game unbeaten run, aiming for promotion.

Initially, the club stated that the reason for the split was personal reasons, but on the 30th, it reversed its position through an official social networking service (SNS) post, saying, "We dismissed him because his management of the squad and game operations did not align with the club's direction," sparking controversy.

Adding to this, Im Kwan-sik, the protagonist of this dubious dismissal, was appointed as the new commander of Jeonnam Dragons in less than two weeks. While it is unusual for a manager to take charge of two teams in a single season, the bigger issue lies in the way Jeonnam parted ways with its previous manager, Park Dong-hyuk.

On the 27th, Jeonnam announced a position change for manager Park Dong-hyuk just nine games into the season. The team, once considered a promotion contender, had plummeted to 16th place, which was cited as the surface reason. However, instead of dismissing Park Dong-hyuk, the club made the strange choice of retaining him in the club under the title of advisor.

In general, it is natural for a manager who steps down due to poor performance to leave the team. However, Park Dong-hyuk only relinquished the coaching reins and will continue an uncomfortable coexistence as an advisor in terms of his position.

In the football world where the authority of the on-field commander is absolute, a structure in which the outgoing manager effectively remains in place is not only a heavy burden for the new manager, Im Kwan-sik, but also an abnormal situation that could exacerbate confusion within the squad. In particular, some are even raising suspicions that the club chose to retain the outgoing manager with only his position maintained, a so-called salary-preservation-style retention, to avoid the administrative and financial burdens associated with dismissal.

Coincidentally, the stories of the two teams are strangely intertwined. Manager Park Dong-hyuk, who led the team for four seasons as the inaugural commander of Chungnam Asan, experienced the humiliation of a position change at Jeonnam, while manager Im Kwan-sik, who was appointed as Park Dong-hyuk's successor at Chungnam Asan and was dismissed after just six games, has now become Park Dong-hyuk's successor at Jeonnam and finds himself in a position of receiving advice from the advisor.

Chungnam Asan's follow-up response after dismissing its commander also drew attention. On the 30th, the club announced the appointment of manager Andre as its first-ever foreign commander in club history. Manager Andre, who once led Daegu FC during its golden era, will immediately join training from the 30th to initiate a structural overhaul. While the club is listing the reasons for dismissing former manager Im Kwan-sik point by point to assert its justification, fans' eyes remain skeptical of the administration's decision to replace the manager just four months after his appointment.

As a result, Chungnam Asan has decided to hold a fan meeting on the afternoon of the 4th at the conference room on the first floor of the Yuseonshin Comprehensive Sports Complex. At this meeting, the club is expected to directly explain the reasons for the manager's dismissal and other controversies that have surfaced so far.

Although the season has seen an expanded promotion playoff qualification, offering wider promotion opportunities than ever before, the actual scene is marred by irrational administration and dubious commander changes. The current K League 2, where dismissals and position changes that fans cannot accept are repeating, appears to be hard to escape criticism for its bizarre operations.

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*This content was translated by AI.