"It may seem selfish, but think of yourself before the team." The manager's special instruction... Bucheon winless in 8 matches; secure survival with a win today [Bucheon on-site report]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"Think of yourself first."

Bucheon, led by Manager Lee Young-min, will face Gwangju FC in a home match at Bucheon General Sports Complex on the 24th in Round 33 of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 season.

It is an important match for Bucheon. A victory today would secure their survival in K League 1. Bucheon, which achieved promotion to the top division for the first time in club history last year, currently sits in 11th place with a record of 7 wins, 11 draws, and 14 losses (32 points).

Their opponent, Gwangju, is languishing at the bottom of the league (12th place) with 2 wins, 12 draws, and 18 losses (18 points).

If Bucheon defeats Gwangju, they will secure their survival in K League 1 regardless of the results of the remaining five matches in the final round. This season, teams ranked up to 11th in K League 1 will survive in the top division for the next season.

However, Bucheon's recent form has been poor. They have failed to win any of their last eight matches, managing only two draws and six losses.

Therefore, securing survival before entering the final round would significantly alleviate the pressure.

Before the match, Manager Lee Young-min emphasized, "We must break our losing streak for the atmosphere to change. There are still matches remaining," adding, "Since this is a home game, breaking the losing streak is the most important situation."

Manager Lee has repeatedly cited securing survival in K League 1 as his top priority. He expressed hope, saying, "Today's match could be the one that determines our goal."

However, he cautioned against players feeling excessive pressure regarding the certainty of survival. Manager Lee explained, "If you focus too much on that, other situations can arise. So I have emphasized breaking the losing streak and the fact that this is a home game."

There are also setbacks. Brazilian forward Gabriel underwent knee surgery and will be unable to play for the remainder of the season. Manager Lee announced Gabriel's season-ending injury on this day.

Nevertheless, they cannot back down. Manager Lee stated, "Because we have not won in the last eight matches, we cannot say the atmosphere is good. But it is not completely bad either." He continued, "So I instructed them to think once more about individual aspects rather than just thinking about the team today."

He added, "I believe that individual aspects must come first—how I am doing now, how I should run on the field—and ultimately, the team is formed from that." He explained, "It may seem a bit selfish, but if individuals do well, the team can perform even better."

He further added, "The players also seem a bit dejected individually, so I emphasized those aspects."

There is still hope for Bucheon's opponent, Gwangju. In principle, the bottom team in K League 1 is relegated to K League 2, but this is because there is a military team, Sangmu, which relocated its home base and re-established itself to compete in K League 2 for the 2027 season.

Accordingly, even if Gwangju confirms their position at the bottom, they can challenge for survival in K League 1 by going through a promotion-relegation playoff against a K League 2 team.

For Gwangju as well, changing the atmosphere in the remaining matches is important.

The manager of Gwangju said, "There have been very good aspects over the last eight to nine matches. We have tried to maintain those aspects."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original