It can no longer be called a surprise storm... 'Gangwon, transforming into a strong team, challenges for the PO→ACLE promotion for the second consecutive time'

*This content was translated by AI.

Just three years ago, a team worried about relegation is now looking at the Asian stage for the second consecutive year.

K League 1 club Gangwon FC has once again been given the opportunity to participate in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE).

The Korea Professional Football League announced on the 6th that "the AFC, through last month's executive committee meeting, decided to expand the number of teams participating in the 2026-2027 ACLE finals from 24 to 32. The AFC has finalized the method for redistributing national participation slots based on the AFC Club Ranking." According to the league, the K League will receive up to five slots for AFC-organized club competitions. Among these, three slots are direct entry tickets to the ACLE finals, one is a ticket to the ACLE playoffs, and the remaining one team will participate in the finals of the next-tier tournament, the Asian Champions League (ACL2).

As a result, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the winner of the 2025 K League 1 and Korea Cup, Daejeon Hana Citizen in second place, and Pohang Steelers in fourth place will advance directly to the ACLE finals. Third-place Kim Cheon (SVP) was excluded from the AFC Club License due to its military team status, so the participation slot was transferred to the next-ranked team. Thanks to this, fifth-place Gangwon will compete in the ACLE playoffs instead of ACL2. ACL2 will be the responsibility of sixth-place FC Seoul.

If Gangwon passes the playoffs, it will challenge the top Asian stage again. Gangwon will play a single-match playoff at home on August 11.

In the 2024 season, Gangwon secured a surprise second-place finish, led by then-coach Yoon Jeong-hwan (now at Incheon United) and the performance of 'super rookie' Yang Min-hyeok (Tottenham), earning the club's first-ever ACLE qualification. This was a complete 180-degree turnaround from the 2023 season, when Gangwon barely survived in K League 1 through the promotion-relegation playoffs.

The Gangwon storm continued in the 2025 season. Head coach Jeong Kyung-ho, who was previously the senior coach, took full command, and the team maintained a mid-to-upper table position despite the mass departure of key players. During the mid-season, Kim Dae-won and Seo Min-woo returned from military service, further strengthening the squad. Striker Mo Jae-hyun also delivered excellent performances, earning praise for a successful signing. Thanks to this, Gangwon once again defied expectations and finished fifth in the league.

Gangwon's performance in the 2025-2026 ACLE was also not poor. After passing the group stage, they were unfortunately eliminated in the round of 16 against the tournament's runner-up, Machida Zelvia, but demonstrated their competitiveness by putting up a strong performance.

Gangwon is still on a smooth run this year. With 4 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses (17 points), they are currently in fourth place in the league. Although the season started with some uncertainty, they recorded 4 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their last seven matches, quickly climbing the standings. It is truly a remarkable upward trend. Now, few people refer to Gangwon's high ranking as a "surprise storm." Gangwon has transformed into a strong team that does not easily crumble.

While the ACLE schedule in the second half of the season could be an obstacle in the K League 1 ranking race, it is not a tournament that only brings losses. It offers the opportunity to gain international experience, and young players can receive more playing time compared to the league. It also appears to be a good testing ground to see how much of head coach Jeong Kyung-ho's style has been integrated.

This year, head coach Jeong Kyung-ho is instructing his players to apply strong pressure and execute quick transitions between offense and defense. This is to keep up with the trends of modern football. Earlier, Coach Jeong said, "When we look at strong teams like Zelvia, who reached the ACLE finals, they have very high energy levels and fast transitions. We are trying to follow suit." He added, "The players also enjoy defending. Previously, they found it uncomfortable and difficult when told to defend, but now they enjoy the defensive style of pressing, winning the ball back, and immediately attacking. It seems like their bodies are releasing dopamine in terms of physicality."

If head coach Jeong Kyung-ho's strong pressing tactics also work on the Asian stage, Gangwon can gain valuable experience and confidence beyond just results. Gangwon's key player Lee Gi-hyeok also stated, "As the team's identity has aligned with high energy levels, we are applying strong pressure up front. It seems other teams have not yet found a way to break our system. When we start matches with strong pressure, we see opposing players getting flustered, and the players themselves find joy in that. It seems to be the driving force that allows them to run even more. As the team's identity has become clear, they are playing with enjoyment."

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*This content was translated by AI.