K-League 2 Ansan Greeners FC was fined 50 million won by the Korea
Professional Football League due to the misconduct of the club’s former executives and staff and former manager.
The Korea Professional Football League officially announced in a press release on the 7th 스포츠토토
As a result of the 17th Rewards and Punishments Committee
it was decided to impose a fine of 50 million won on the Ansan club.”
Regarding this disciplinary action, the federation explained
This is a decision regarding the corrupt behavior of all executives and employees of the Ansan club and the manager regarding player selection.”
Last July, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Criminal Division 9 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Hyun-ah) requested an arrest warrant for former Ansan coach Lim Jong-heon on charges of breach of trust and fraud.
In addition, an arrest warrant was requested for Mr. Choi (36)
a player-turned-agent who provided money and valuables to former coach Lim, on charges of breach of trust.
Former coach Lim is accused of receiving 40 million won from Choi in return for selecting two Korean players while serving as the coach of Navy FC
a Thai professional soccer team, from 2018 to 2019.
He is also accused of stealing 60 million won from one player
by tricking him into thinking he would let him join the pros. Mr. Choi is accused of giving a total of 67 million won to former
coach Lim and others in exchange for asking players to join the team, and of stealing 20 million won from one player by promising to let him join the pro league.
The prosecution also requested an arrest warrant for Shin
a former coach of a famous university’s soccer team
on suspicion of receiving 60 million won in exchange for soliciting three
players to join a professional team between 2017 and 2018.
Ansan fired former coach Lim when the allegations were revealed last June.
The prosecution, which brought former coach Lim and Choi to trial, also continued its investigation into Lee Jong-geol
former CEO of Ansan, who is accused of receiving tens of millions of won in bribes in exchange for allowing players to join a professional soccer club.
From November last year to January this year, former CEO Lee took 27 million won
including 10 million won in cash and a luxury watch worth 17 million won
from agent Choi (36, arrested and indicted) in exchange for allowing two players to join Ansan FC. face charges.
When the arrest warrant requested for former CEO Lee was dismissed last August
the prosecution alleged that in September of last year
he received 9 million won from former manager Lim
who was acting manager at the time, in exchange for being appointed as manager, and in August of last year he received two players.
An arrest warrant was reapplied on the 17th with the additional charge of receiving a Mercedes-Benz vehicle worth 61.5 million won from the player’s father, Mr. Hong, in return, but it was dismissed again.
After the arrest warrant request was dismissed
the prosecution announced in September that it had indicted former CEO Lee and former
power reinforcement team leader Bae Seung-hyeon without detention on charges including breach of trust.
When all Ansan employees and coaches were investigated by the prosecution for misconduct, the federation imposed a fine of 50 million won on the club. Currently
the three indicted former CEO Lee
former manager Lim, and former head of the power reinforcement team Bae have all been dismissed from the club.
The Reward and Punishment Committee said
The matter in question constitutes serious misconduct that denies the fair order of the soccer world,” and added
At the time the incident occurred, the Ansan Club’s internal checks and surveillance functions were judged to have been virtually paralyzed.
He explained the background for imposing the sanctions, saying
We hold the club accountable through disciplinary action.”
However, some are of the view that the 50 million won fine is not a
soft punishment’ even though it was revealed that he was accused of a rare crime for which an arrest warrant was requested for the director.