'My Money, Run' Gangwon opens its first ACL home game in Chuncheon
'My Money, Run' Gangwon opens its first ACL home game in Chuncheon
Blog Article
Gangwon FC and Chuncheon City have resolved the issue of hosting home matches of the AFC Champions League. At the third working-level meeting held at Chuncheon City Hall on Sunday, the two sides agreed to host home matches of ACL in Chuncheon.
Gangwon FC will notify AFC of Chuncheon as its home stadium by the 2nd of next month, and the final decision will be confirmed after AFC's due diligence on the facility. We plan to continue detailed discussions based on the results of due diligence on areas that need to be improved.
The biggest feature of the agreement is that Gangwon FC has decided to hold the tournament without subsidies for Chuncheon City's 2025 ACL home game. Chuncheon City delivered an official letter of its intention to host the event to Gangwon FC before the meeting, and the club expressed its gratitude.
■A dramatic runner-up to advance to the ACL for the first time
Gangwon FC's advance to the ACL2 stems from its dramatic performance as the runner-up in the K League 1 during the 2024 season. Having been in the middle and lower ranks in the first and second divisions since its foundation in 2008, Gangwon FC ranked at the top of the league with better-than-expected performances last season.
Gangwon FC, which competed for the top spot throughout the season, had a fierce ranking battle with Ulsan Hyundai. In the ranking battle that continued into the final round of the league, Gangwon secured the second place. It was the highest performance since its foundation.
The top teams in the K League 1 will be given the right to play in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) or ACL2, of which Gangwon FC will play in the ACL2. Ulsan, the league's winner, secured the right to play in ACLE, while Gangwon FC won the right to play in the ACLE playoffs as the runner-up. Even if they lose here, they can at least advance to the ACL2 and play in ACLE depending on the results of the ongoing ACL competition.
Having entered the ACL for the first time since its foundation, Gangwon FC wanted to play its home game in Gangneung. However, AFC announced that it would not be able to host the event due to conditions such as "within 200 kilometers of direct line distance from the international airport, accessibility to the stadium within 150 minutes, and operation of more than four domestic flights a day." Yangyang International Airport was not currently operating well, making it difficult to meet AFC's standards.
In response, Gangwon FC requested Chuncheon to host an ACL home game, but the city expressed objection, citing facility conditions. Chuncheon City proposed two conditions for the event. The first was for the club to bear the cost of hosting the ACL home game, and the second was to bring some of the K-League home games to Chuncheon in the second half of the 2026 season.
Chuncheon City had already made significant investments to improve the environment of the soccer stadium. Chuncheon Songam Sports Town has installed variable seats to expand the stands by investing 1.4 billion won. Chuncheon City decided that such facility investment was not being utilized properly. With the ACL held, we also want to increase local fans' interest in K-League games. Currently, home games are played in Chuncheon and 10 in Gangneung, and were decided according to the discussions between the club and the two cities in advance.
The conflict intensified when CEO Kim Byung-ji said in a press conference, "If you are not willing to hold the ACL, your willingness to hold the K-League next year is also questionable." Chuncheon civic groups and civil servants' unions also urged CEO Kim to make a public apology.
■"As a partner for the future with mutual respect and trust"
Relations between the two sides, which had been deteriorating, turned into a friendly atmosphere through a second working-level meeting on the 21st, and reached a final agreement at the third meeting on the 23rd. Regarding the hosting and agreement of K-League home games in the future, Gangwon FC also expressed its will to do its best at the club level. This is interpreted as meaning that it will positively consider hosting some of the K-League home games that Chuncheon City requested. 스포츠토토
Chuncheon Mayor Yuk Dong-han said, "Chuncheon City has made a great decision to meet the wishes of Gangwon residents and soccer players." The agreement is expected to not only serve as an opportunity to promote Chuncheon and Gangwon to Asia when the ACL home game is held in Chuncheon, but also have a positive impact on the local economy.