What is the true intention of Shandong, which canceled the match against Ulsan HD for health reasons?

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on the 19th through its official website that "in accordance with Article 5, Section 2 of the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) regulations, Shandong Taishan has confirmed it has no intention of playing its league stage match against Ulsan HD in South Korea on February 19, 2025. Shandong Taishan is considered to have withdrawn from the tournament."

At the same time, Ulsan also reported the match cancellation through its official channels. Ulsan stated, "The 8th match of the ACLE league stage scheduled for 7 p.m. on the 19th has been canceled due to Shandong's withdrawal from the tournament. Ticket purchases will be automatically canceled. We ask for the understanding of our fans."

The Ulsan side is unable to hide its embarrassment over the sudden match cancellation. An official from Ulsan also noted, "We have not received any particular explanation from Shandong. We were unilaterally informed through the AFC, and we are in a daze." Having already been eliminated from the tournament, Ulsan had hoped to conclude with a victory in their final match at home, but that has also fallen through.

For now, the reason publicly given by Shandong for their withdrawal is "player health issues." Shandong announced through its official "Weibo" account that "due to medical evaluations, the players' conditions were not good, and we could not participate in the match against Ulsan and the ACLE 8th match. We express our deep regret about this. We extend our sincere apologies to the AFC, Ulsan, many fans, and various sectors of society."

Of course, it is an explanation that is difficult to accept readily. Few would believe that health problems suddenly arose for the entire team just before the match. It is reported that Shandong did not even come to the stadium but went directly from the hotel to the airport.

However, Shandong proceeded with their matches in the Chinese Super League. Instead of head coach Choi Kang-hee, assistant coach Kim Hyun-min took charge of the match.

On the 23rd, Shandong recorded a 0-0 draw against Henan in their 2025 Chinese Super League opening match held at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center in Jinan, China. The match was held four days after the cancellation of the match against Ulsan.

Of course, at the time of the cancellation against Ulsan, Chinese fans also did not believe Shandong's official announcement.

Fans left comments on the post such as, "Do you think we will believe it? Is it that easy?", "An unspeakable secret", "Who would believe this?", "In this strange club, the truth cannot be spoken. You know that, right?", "Do you think of our fans as fools?", "Don't treat the fans like fools," and "It's nonsensical nonsense," ridiculing the situation.

Previously, Shandong also caused controversy in their home match against Gwangju, where some spectators brought and displayed photos of former President Chun Doo-hwan. Naturally, Gwangju strongly protested, and the AFC decided to impose sanctions on Shandong. For now, Shandong has announced that they apologized to the Gwangju club through the consulate, but this, coupled with the questionable cancellation of the Ulsan match, has raised more doubts.

Sohu.com explained, "A fan was permanently banned from entry due to the Chun Doo-hwan photo. There are also predictions that players cannot play the match due to the shock from this incident."

Shandong is continuing with actions that are truly difficult to understand. What is the truth behind the cancellation of the match against Shandong?

[OSEN = Reporter Woo Chung-won]