In the K League 1 Round 6 match between Gwangju FC and Daejeon Hana Citizen, the 'direct red card' ruling given to head coach Lee Jung-hyo remains unexplained even after the game ended. The club, fans, and media are all unaware of the reason for the ejection, revealing the structural limitations of the K League's referee management system.
The ruling occurred during the stoppage time of the second half, around 3 minutes, in the match between Daejeon Hana Citizen and Gwangju FC on the 29th of last month, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The broadcast did not clearly capture the reason for the ejection, and according to on-site officials, head coach Lee Jung-hyo was ejected after a report from the assistant referee indicated that he kicked a water bottle towards the bench.
According to the regulations of the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Korea Football Association (KFA), such behavior generally falls under a 'warning.' This is why there are concerns that the ejection is an excessive punishment.
A Gwangju FC official lamented in a call with OSEN on the 1st that the club has not received a clear explanation for head coach Lee Jung-hyo's ejection.
The Gwangju official stated, "On the record, it only says 'ejection.' We tried to contact the (Korea Football) Association after the match, but we couldn't get through." He added, "From the club's perspective, we want to know why the ejection occurred. However, I was told that the reason is not specifically recorded in the match report."
In response, OSEN also tried to contact the Korea Professional Football League. An official from the league noted, "The match report only records players' warnings and ejections, and does not include information regarding coaching staff. We can confirm warnings or ejections involving coaching staff through the internal computer system, but the reasons are not specified."
Currently, the official system of the K League does not provide a structure for determining why a coach or manager was ejected after the game. The fact that reasons for player ejections are not specifically recorded raises concerns about infringing on the right to know for fans and media.
A more significant issue is the structure that does not allow for official inquiries regarding the reason for the ejection. Under current regulations, K League clubs or officials who publicly challenge or criticize a referee's decision can face disciplinary action. In fact, Chapter 6 of the articles of incorporation specifies suspension and fine clauses for 'actions undermining referee authority.'
Therefore, Gwangju is also unable to issue a statement. This ultimately means that even if head coach Lee Jung-hyo feels wronged, there is no way to address it, and the club cannot officially clarify or communicate about it.
This incident goes beyond simply the ejection of one coach; it leads to the issue of overall opacity in the K League's referee management. There have been ongoing criticisms that communication with external parties has sharply decreased since the responsibility for referee management was transferred from the Korea Professional Football League to the Korea Football Association.
In a system where even the reasons for ejections are not shared, suspicion and distrust are bound to grow. Fans have speculated, "Is this a way to control coaches?" and Gwangju fans are also unable to shake off the suspicion that their previous protests in earlier matches led to this ejection.
Professional sports operate on trust with fans. If referee decisions have led to misunderstandings, at the very least, there should be explanations, and erroneous regulations should be amended. Regardless of the legitimacy of the ejection, the current system that does not even disclose reasons cannot escape criticism for being outdated.
The case of Gwangju and head coach Lee Jung-hyo again highlights the 'practical challenge' that the K League must improve to develop into a transparent and communicative league.
[OSEN]