The 'relegation battle' is effectively over, but what about the box-office appeal of a 'deflated' K League Final B?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The professional football K League 1 is entering its final round. Based on regular season standings, teams ranked 1st through 6th will be placed in Final Group A (the upper split), while those ranked 7th through 12th will join Final Group B (the lower split). Teams within the same group will compete to determine their final rankings. In Final A, competition for the championship and spots in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) will take place, while Final B will feature a 'survival battle' to avoid relegation.

In Final A, the title race has concluded with FC Seoul's early championship win. However, fierce competition for ACL qualification is expected to continue throughout the final round. The gap between 2nd-place Ulsan HD (51 points) and 6th-place Incheon United (46 points) is a mere five points. Sandwiched in between are 3rd-place Daejeon Hana Citizen (49 points), 4th-place Jeonbuk Hyundai, and 5th-place Gangwon FC (both with 48 points).

Given the narrow gaps between teams, the Final A standings could fluctuate significantly each round. The K League's allocation for the 2027-2028 ACL season consists of a total of five spots: four in the ACL Elite (ACLE) (three direct entries to the group stage and one playoff spot) and one in ACL 2 (direct entry to the group stage). In addition to the K League, the results of the 2026-2027 Korea Cup, whose final is scheduled for June next year, will also serve as a variable.

The issue lies with the 'deflated' competition in Final B. In fact, the desperate survival battle to stay in K League 1 has traditionally been the 'highlight' of the final round, drawing even more attention than the title race or ACL qualification battles in Final A. While there is no competition as brutal for those involved, it has played a significant role in the league's overall popularity toward the end of the season. This was especially true in previous years when half of the teams in Final B faced the risk of relegation, including direct relegation and dropping into the promotion/relegation playoffs (PO).

The situation has changed significantly this year. There are no directly relegated teams in K League 1 this season. Only the bottom team will face a 'conditional' promotion/relegation PO. The bottom team will only head to the promotion/relegation PO if it is not Gimcheon Sangmu, which will disappear into history at the end of this season. The risk of relegation has been greatly reduced during the process of adjusting the league structure from 12 teams in K League 1 and 17 teams in K League 2 this season to 14 teams in K League 1 and 15 teams in K League 2 starting next year.

Moreover, the battle for the bottom spot, which determines who might face the promotion/relegation PO, has already taken shape to a considerable extent. Bottom-ranked Gwangju FC is stuck at 21 points (3 wins, 12 draws, 18 losses), trailing 11th-place Bucheon FC (32 points) by as many as 11 points. Gimcheon sits in 10th place with 34 points. Even if Gwangju wins all its remaining matches in the final round, its maximum possible total would be 36 points. If Gimcheon earns just three points from its remaining five games, and Bucheon adds only five more points, both teams will secure their survival on their own merit. This scenario is premised on Gwangju winning every game. Although Gwangju has recently bounced back with two wins and one loss, if they slip up in even one of their remaining five matches, the number of points other teams need to survive will decrease accordingly.

It does not end there. Teams already ranked 7th (Jeju SK, 46 points), 8th (FC Anyang, 43 points), and 9th (Pohang Steelers, 42 points) have secured their survival. Even if they lose all five remaining matches in the final round, they face no risk of dropping to the bottom spot. Consequently, motivation for the final round is bound to drop significantly as well. While professional players must do their best for the fans, the fact that the remaining final round schedule has effectively lost its meaning will impact each team's performance and, by extension, the league's overall popularity.

Sergio Costa, Jeju manager, who fell into Final B after losing in the regular season's final match, stated, "It is frustrating because we were so close (to Final A)," but added, "We must finish this season as well as possible. We need to fight for three points in every match to represent our team. I think the right approach is to play as good a game as possible during the remaining five matches," revealing his plan for managing Final B. Yoo Byung-hoon, Anyang manager, said, "We will strive to focus on every match and demonstrate Anyang's competitiveness. We will approach the remaining games with a professional mindset." He added, "Our goal of winning is the same. Last year we finished 8th, but this year we aim for 7th, and we will play with that sense of purpose."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original