"Please insult me, not the players." Coach Im Kwan-sik unties his tie in front of fans... Jeonnam "Admits excitement, considering additional apology"

*This content was translated by AI.

A scene was captured where Jeonnam Dragons coach of K League 2, Im Kwan-sik, had an argument with home fans after the match ended.

A Jeonnam club official explained the conflict between Coach Im and Jeonnam fans to StarNews on the 5th.

Earlier, Jeonnam lost 1-2 in their 20th round of the Hana Bank K League 2 2026 home match against Paju Frontiers at Gwangyang Football Stadium on the 2nd. As a result, Jeonnam remained in 16th place with 2 wins, 7 draws, 10 losses, and 13 points. The gap to the bottom-ranked 17th-place GimhaeFC narrowed to 2 points.

The controversy occurred after the match ended. As the Jeonnam team, including Coach Im, greeted the home supporters, some fans booed, leading to an argument between Coach Im and the fans.

Jeonnam supporters group 'Mir' later released a statement criticizing the attitude of Coach Im and the team.

A Jeonnam club official said, "Coach Im Kwan-sik should not have done that, and it is true that he responded emotionally," adding, "He seemed very frustrated after losing the match and seeing fans boo the players."

It was reported that at the time, Coach Im told the fans in a similar vein: "The players are not at fault; please insult me. The players did their best."

However, the controversy grew as Coach Im displayed intense actions such as untying his tie during the process. A club official explained, "Coach Im did not use profanity, but there were external criticisms that his behavior appeared somewhat threatening."

Immediately after the clash, Coach Im expressed his intention to apologize to the fans for his actions. According to the club, Coach Im met with Jeonnam Dragons executives and Seo Po-teo-jeu (CEO) in the locker room and had a conversation for about 30 minutes. At that meeting, Coach Im bowed his head, saying, "I got too excited."

Jeonnam is not stopping here and plans to consider additional apologies and follow-up measures. A club official stated, "Coach Im conveyed his apology to Seo Po-teo-jeu (CEO), but many home fans witnessed the scene at the time," adding, "The club also plans to meet with Coach Im to discuss future measures."

It was further reported that "Koo Dan (CEO) director also summoned Coach Im and the team to issue a warning regarding this situation."

However, the club drew a line against claims circulating on social media (SNS) and other platforms that Choi Han-sol had an argument with fans. A club official said, "I was at the scene at the time, but that content is not true," adding, "I instructed the manager who posted the relevant post to take it down as it could become a defamation issue."

Meanwhile, Coach Im took over the Jeonnam helm following former coach Park Dong-hyeok, who stepped down in May due to poor performance. Coach Im, who played for Jeonnam during his playing days, also served as Jeonnam's senior coach in the 2023 season. He has since continued his coaching career at Ansan Greeners and Chungnam Asan FC before returning to his 'home team,' Jeonnam.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.