'Resignation Rumors' Surrounding Coach Yoo Byung-hoon, First Honest Reflection: "My Love for Anyang Was Too Great... I Am Sorry for the Worry" [Anyang On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

What changed the commander's mind was a sense of responsibility toward the club. Yoo Byung-hoon, FC Anyang head coach, recently opened up about the resignation rumors that had surfaced.

Anyang and Gangwon FC will clash in the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 27 match at Anyang Stadium on the 6th at 7 p.m.

Recently, Anyang has been troubled by off-field issues. The incident occurred during last month's match against Bucheon FC 1995 on the 29th. At the time, Coach Yoo did not attend the post-match press conference, which ended in a 1-1 draw. This was an unusual move, even considering it was his 100th career K League match, as he accepted a fine penalty. Following this, rumors of Coach Yoo's resignation began to surface.

Yoo Byung-hoon, Anyang head coach, told reporters before the match: "I sincerely apologize to the Korea Professional Football League, journalists, and fans for not attending the press conference during the Bucheon match. I am also sorry that various reports caused concern and worry for the owner, the club, fans, and players. I will show responsibility through my performance and results on the field."

An Anyang official explained in a pre-match briefing: "Earlier, Coach Yoo Byung-hoon and General Manager Lee Woo-hyung announced their intention to resign due to poor performance. Afterward, there was a meeting involving the club owner, the head coach, the general manager, and Seo Po-teo-jeu (Chairman). The discussion concluded successfully, and both Coach Yoo Byung-hoon and General Manager Lee Woo-hyung have returned to the team."

In fact, Coach Yoo had planned to submit his official resignation letter on the 31st of last month. However, after a long meeting with club owner Choi Dae-ho, General Manager Lee, and himself, Coach Yoo decided to withdraw his resignation and returned to the training ground on the 2nd. General Manager Lee, who had also been considering resigning alongside the coach, ultimately decided to return for the sake of the team.

When asked about the decisive factor that changed his mind, Coach Yoo Byung-hoon said: "It was simply a sense of responsibility. My love for Anyang was too great. Although there were objections from those around me, no single factor was more important than others. Because fans, players, and the club all put in their efforts, I felt a strong sense of responsibility."

The mood among the players also became more intense. Coach Yoo stated: "Veteran players took the lead in stabilizing the team atmosphere. They even started the training sessions with a cheer. I expect this momentum to carry over positively into the Gangwon match as well."

Anyang, now united once again as one team, is set to turn the tide against Gangwon.

Anyang has historically been strong against Gangwon. This season alone, they secured a 2-1 home victory in July and drew 1-1 in their first meeting in March, maintaining an unbeaten record of one win and one draw. Last year's head-to-head matches also saw Anyang dominate with two wins and one draw. Even after a heavy 0-7 defeat to Seoul, they quickly regrouped by defeating Incheon United 2-1 and drawing against Bucheon.

This is a golden opportunity to close the gap with the top teams. Currently, Anyang sits in 8th place with 26 matches played (8 wins, 10 draws, 8 losses) and 34 points. If they defeat 6th-place Gangwon (25 matches, 37 points) at home and earn three points, they could overtake Gangwon on goal difference and immediately leapfrog them in the standings.

Coach Yoo emphasized: "Our goal is to reach Final A. Since the race for positions remains tight, every match is important and precious. As long as there is still a chance, our motivation remains strong. We are preparing well to achieve our goals."

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*This content was translated by AI.