FC Seoul physical coach Jung Hoon-ki and player Go Yo-han have been disciplined for their role in the “bench-clearing” incident that occurred during the final Super Match of the 2023 season between FC Seoul and Suwon Samsung.

The Korean Professional Football Association (KPFA) announced on Tuesday that it held its 16th penalty committee meeting and imposed a three-match suspension and a fine of 5 million won on Chung, and a two-match suspension on Ko as an ex post facto punishment.

The disciplinary action against the coaches stems from their behavior during the 37th round of the K League 1 match between Seoul and Suwon at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on May 25, when players from both teams clashed.

The season-ending super match, which was played in front of 36,000 fans, was marred by nerves as players from both teams tangled in the final minutes.

After Seoul’s Ki Sung-yong pushed down Suwon’s Jeon Jin-woo, who had fouled him, players from both teams rushed onto the field and a scuffle ensued.

Chung’s violent behavior, including punching Suwon player Ko Seung-bum in the face, was confirmed by video replays and he was sent off.

The punishment was a three-match suspension, in addition to the two-match suspension for his ejection from the match.

Go Yo-han pulled Ko Seung-bum’s hair in the situation, but the referee did not notice and no action was taken on the field.

The Korean Football Association’s Referee Committee later assessed Go’s behavior as an ejection-type foul, and a two-game suspension, which is equivalent to an ejection, was decided by the Penalty Committee on the same day.

The KFA said, “We have decided to strictly warn both Seoul and Suwon clubs about the clashes that occurred during the game.”

“We have also decided to take strong countermeasures, including revising the rules, to prevent ‘bench clearing’ from occurring in the future, where players physically clash in groups on the field,” it added. 슬롯게이밍