Paju City-PajuFC, 1.5 billion won budget 'deepens conflict'... 'management replacement suspicions' surface

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Paju Frontier FC (hereinafter PajuFC), a newly established team in the professional football K League 2, has been engulfed in severe financial difficulties and controversy over management replacement. With a shortage of 1.5 billion won in operating funds, even the payment of player salaries is uncertain, amid allegations that Paju City is attempting to purge the club's top leadership under the pretext of budget support.

PajuFC claimed through a statement issued on the 15th in the name of Director Hwang Bo-gwan that the 1.5 billion won shortfall was an amount promised by former Mayor Kim Kyung-il at the time of the club's founding to be covered by the city's sports promotion fund if corporate sponsorship fell through. The club stated that it had allocated the budget based on this promise, following a board resolution.

On the other hand, Paju City, under the administration of Mayor Son Bae-chan who took office in the the 3rd local elections, refused financial support, stating that it is difficult to officially verify the former mayor's promise. The city maintains the principle that the club must secure its own revenue and has initiated an audit of the club, citing the need to confirm mismanagement.

During this process, claims emerged that Paju City was pressuring existing management to resign in exchange for 1.5 billion won in support and attempting to install personnel affiliated with the current mayor. In fact, testimonies have continued both inside and outside the football community that figures in the Paju local football scene are acting as if they have been appointed as new player recruitment heads or senior officials.

Hwang Bo-gwan, Director of PajuFC, drew a line by stating there are no plans to hire external personnel, but criticism is emerging that the typical "reward appointments" controversy for city-owned clubs following a change in mayor is being repeated.

Under Manager Gerard Nuss's leadership, PajuFC has performed well, recording 12th place (30 points) with the minimum labor costs in K League 2 and ranking 6th overall in average attendance. However, as political conflicts outside the club and budget support disputes drag on, the crisis of unpaid wages for players is intensifying.

Alongside investigating the truth behind suspicions of interference in personnel authority that undermine the independence of club operations, resolving the salary issue, which directly affects the livelihoods of the player roster, remains an urgent task.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original