Hong Myung-bo and Amano Derby… The K-League box office is on fire [기자수첩-스포츠]

The hot issue in the K-League off-season is, of course, Amano Jun’s transfer to Jeonbuk Hyundai.

Last season, Amano, who played for Yokohama in Japan’s J-League, joined the K-League for the first time on loan and contributed greatly to Ulsan Hyundai’s first championship in 17 years.

Amano, who appeared to be extending the lease, but rumors circulated that he would be transferring from last November, and eventually an official announcement was made that he would be wearing the Jeonbuk Hyundai outfit this season .

It was a source of regret for the Ulsan fans, but they seemed to accept the transfer to Jeonbuk, which offered better conditions.

In a media meeting before winter training on the 11th, coach Hong did not hide his uncomfortable feeling with a radical expression of “the worst Japanese player I know” towards Amano. After that, Jeonbuk and Amano club came to explanation, and Ulsan also continued a fight to refute.

The Jeonbuk club is in the position that there is no problem with the transfer after a year because Amano is on loan, and Ulsan has discussed renewing the contract since last season, but criticized Amano for breaking morale.

The ‘Amano transfer’ initiated by manager Hong Myung-bo is the biggest topic of the ongoing K-League season. Above all, with the addition of a relationship that has quickly emerged as the best contender in the league, it is enough to become firewood to burn the fighting force in the cold winter for fans who support the two teams.

In fact, solving problems off the field is also a very important factor in the success of professional sports. The game itself provides a lot of fun, but if you add the narrative that drives the desire to compete, the box office explosion is a predictable step.

Among them, player transfer is a great topic to attract a lot of attention. From the point of view of the fans of the original team, the two words “betrayal” are sure to stick in their minds, and they can freely pour out such expressions of anger in the arena.

Amano transferred Jun to Jeonbuk. ⓒ Professional Football Federation

Stirring up controversies surrounding player transfers is also common in European leagues. A representative example is the transfer of Ashley Cole, which was the biggest problem in the Premier League in 2006. Cole, who was at Arsenal, was dissatisfied with his weekly wages and chose to join his rivals in London, Chelsea.

Arsenal fans always went crazy when Ashley Cole played and caught the ball in the Chelsea game, creating a fierce atmosphere to the point that the police were used. And Arsenal and Chelsea formed a rivalry representing the EPL, attracting the attention of football fans around the world.

The K-League is no different. Ulsan and Jeonbuk’s ‘Hyundai Family Derby’ is already paying attention to the box office success with the addition of Amano’s transfer, and the clash between the two teams is scheduled for the official opening match of the K-League on the 25th of’ r next month, so it couldn’t be better. This is why many expectations are focused on K-League 2023, which will burn from the beginning.

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