Incheon coach Choi Young-geun disappointed with 'K League turf'..."I know the effort, but it's disap

As players and others involved in professional soccer openly express their disappointment over the 'K League turf,' Incheon United head coach Choi Young-geun has also added his voice.

At a press conference after Incheon United's home match against Ulsan HD (0-0 draw) in the 31st round of the Hana Bank K-League 2024 at the Incheon Football Stadium on the 22nd, Choi mentioned the condition of the pitch.

When asked about the uneven turf, which caused players to trip and fall, Choi initially responded that it was not a big deal, saying, “It's not every day.”

“There are many other stadiums where the grass is damaged. It looks fine here, but when players run on it, they fall,” he said, adding, ”There are a lot of potholes, so when players play 90 minutes, it's much harder than in other stadiums. It's not just our team, it's other teams' players as well.”

The Incheon club, which has a dedicated stadium for soccer, is also concerned about the grass.

However, this summer's rainy season and heat wave have made it difficult to keep the turf in top condition.

“I know the club is trying hard to improve the turf,” Choi says. But it's a shame that it hasn't improved,” Choi says.

In fact, Choi's regret is not the worst turf condition among the 12 K League 1 teams.

There are spots where the turf has been stripped, but there isn't a lot of bare soil that would suggest a wasteland.

The Gwangju Football Stadium, which hosted the match between Gwangju FC and Jeju United (Jeju won 2-0) prior to the Incheon-Ulsan match, had a much larger area of grass stripped away, and the ochre-colored field was visible on the broadcast screen.

Gwangju head coach Lee Jung-hyo has regularly expressed his frustration with the condition of the turf at his home stadium and training center in press conferences.

Gwangju hasn't left the turf up to chance, either.

They have hired a specialized company to manage the turf through a tender, but it's not working.

In addition to Incheon and Gwangju, stadiums across the country are plagued by turf problems, including the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where national team players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) recently complained about the condition of the pitch.

“Every player wants to play at their best,” said Kawasaki Frontale head coach Toru Oniki, whose side beat Ulsan 1-0 in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) on Oct. 18, referring to the grass at Ulsan Munsu Stadium. However, I don't know if this pitch was good enough for the players to enjoy the game.” 안전놀이터