After the game, I almost traveled 16 hours by plane... Coach Kim Ki-dong's 'warm' consideration and Lee Jung-hyo's 'thank you'

After the game, I almost traveled 16 hours by plane... Coach Kim Ki-dong's 'warm' consideration and Lee Jung-hyo's 'thank you'

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Gwangju FC won the match 2-1 away to FC Seoul on Apr. 19. The victory was Gwangju's fifth consecutive victory against Seoul.

Gwangju also had another meaningful record. The match against Seoul on the day was Gwangju's first away victory in 2025.

Prior to the away match in Seoul, Gwangju had three draws and three losses in six official matches it played in away matches this season. It had two losses in two matches in the AFC Champions League (ACLE) and three draws and one loss in four matches in the K-League.

Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo found the cause of the sluggish away game in a tight schedule.
Ahead of the match against Seoul on the 19th, coach Lee said, "The Kawasaki Frontale match (1-0) was the last away victory on October 1 last year," adding, "Looking back, I think we always played the away game in a tired state."

"When I checked his records, the game continued every three days. He played in the K-League 1 on weekends and played in the ACLE during the week. I think that was a difficult part for the players," he said.

Gwangju is the team that plays the most sophisticated soccer in the K League 1 under the leadership of coach Lee, but the team has a thin base of players. It is inevitable to play more than two games a week.

Gwangju is cruising through various difficulties.
At ACLE, Gwangju was the only Korean team to advance to the tournament. Gwangju has advanced to the quarterfinals by making a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Vissel Kobe, who is trying to win the third consecutive title in the Japanese J1 League in the round of 16 ACLE.

The team has continued to display stellar performance in the K-League 1. Gwangju has recorded four wins, four draws and two losses (16 points) in 10 K-League 1 matches this season. It ranks second among 12 K-League teams.

Gwangju's big concern is the physical strength and injury management of its main players.
While participating in ACLE, Gwangju had requested several adjustments to the K-League 1 schedule. The same was true of the league's home game against Daegu FC, which was postponed to April 9. Initially, the match was scheduled to kick off at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. 스포츠토토

However, as Gwangju advanced to the ACLE quarterfinals, it was inevitable to adjust the schedule. Gwangju will play the ACLE quarterfinals against Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Gwangju wished to play its home game against Daegu in July (July 7-16) when the "2025 East Asian Football Confederation E-1 Championship" takes place. During this period, the K League 1 break was possible. If the two sides agree, the schedule could be adjusted.