Despite attempts at restoration, the Seoul World Cup Stadium’s pitch remained in poor condition. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – Jesse Lingard, the former England international now playing for FC Seoul, has expressed deep concern over the state of soccer pitches in South Korea, calling the situation “serious” following a recent K League 1 match.
Lingard, who spent much of his career on the manicured fields of the English Premier League, voiced his frustration after FC Seoul’s 1-0 victory over Suwon FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium on September 29.
The match-winning goal came from a Lingard corner kick, converted by Stanislav Ilyuchenko in the 66th minute, marking Lingard’s first assist of the season.
“It’s seriously concerning,” Lingard said, shaking his head. “The training ground is in very poor condition, and the stadium pitch is equally bad.”
He highlighted the stark contrast with his Premier League experience, where he “never had to worry about controlling the ball” due to the consistent quality of the playing surface.
The pitch conditions have become a talking point in South Korean soccer, with national team captain Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur recently criticizing the state of fields after an international match.
Despite attempts at restoration, the Seoul World Cup Stadium’s pitch remained in poor condition, with visible patches of bare earth and uneven surfaces causing players to slip and miscontrol the ball frequently.
Lingard emphasized the impact on play quality: “Here, you have to think about controlling the ball before considering your next move. It’s an environment where good quality soccer simply can’t emerge.”
Both team managers echoed these concerns. Kim Gi-dong, FC Seoul’s coach, expressed shock at the pitch condition, stating, “It’s fortunate that no players were injured.” Kim Eun-jung of Suwon FC suggested that the poor pitch directly affected the game’s outcome, citing a missed opportunity due to an irregular bounce.
The issue extends beyond player performance to financial priorities. It was revealed that while Seoul World Cup Stadium generated 8.2 billion won in revenue from soccer matches and concerts between January and August of this year, only 250 million won was spent on pitch maintenance.
In response to the growing criticism, the Korea Football Association has relocated an upcoming international match against Iraq from Seoul to Yongin. The Seoul city government has announced plans to restrict ground-level seating for non-sporting events from next year to better preserve the pitch.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
