This is the team's report card for this season, which was compiled by Gwangju FC coach Lee Jung-hyo. Gwangju FC ranked third among the 12 teams in this season's K-League 1 (division) with 16 wins, 11 draws and 11 losses (59 points). The team came up from the second division of this season, reversing its assessment that it was weak before the season. It also achieved the highest performance since its foundation in 2010. It even secured a berth to participate in the AFC Champions League Elite, which is given to the third place finisher.
Despite this, Lee has complaints. "He could have scored 60 points and actually scored 60 goals (47 goals). He only had one win (two draws and two losses) for the top teams (round 34-38). The reason he added just one point to his 50 points means that he slightly scored more than half of his goals.
Lee whips himself first before applying the highest bar to players. He does not eat dinner. He can study tactics by watching soccer videos until dawn when he cannot sleep because he is hungry. He also uses uncomfortable chairs on purpose. He goes to bed at 2 a.m. and wakes up at 8 a.m. and eats apples, lettuce, and carrots for breakfast. Even after work, he watches soccer videos and falls asleep at dawn. "I went to the stage where I enjoy pain from an empty stomach in the evening," Lee said. When watching soccer overseas, I ride a treadmill. I can do both tasks at the same time, but I think it is a waste of time to just do one. "I spend 90 percent of my waking up thinking about soccer," he said.
Lee has a lot of regrets about his playing career as a coach. His philosophy as a leader is to ensure that players do not repeat those regrets. Lee joined the Busan Daewoo Royals (currently Busan I'Park) in 1998 and only played in one team as a defender before retiring relatively early in 2008. He said he had never seen the light of day for himself. "I met good coaches such as the late Ian Porterfield (1946-2007·Scotland) when I was a player, but there were also many leaders who used negative words such as 'still can't't be done'," Lee said. "If I had positive influences, would I have been able to succeed as a player?" Lee has been practicing such lessons since he took the helm of Gwangju City two years ago. He encourages players to exercise mental armament by saying, "If there are people around you who often say things such as 'Enough is enough' or 'It's okay,' immediately sever the relationship," and "Why can't there be something you can't do?"
He runs the team based on his belief that he is a player who keeps growing. To that end, he pushes others to the end. Even if the team is winning the match until the last minute, if the players feel that the team is weak, the team even shouts loudly, "All the spectators can hear you." If the team doesn't make the play that it promised, the team will get angry like wildfire. He believes that a strict teacher will bring out a great student (嚴師出 High 徒). The reason why the teacher does not strictly teach is because the teacher is lazy (not good at teaching).
However, he tries to change his role from talking about raising children to sharing hobbies with players after training and games. He also pledged that he would buy shoes if he scores five goals, or give a golf club to him if he scores 15 games without allowing a single goal. Lee likes to say that he is "陰 de 陽報." "If you give money to players without paying, they will repay you someday," he said.
He even said, "I have put all my energy this year into the growth of my team and players." He even said, "I am the secret to this year's Gwangju sensation." He gave detailed instructions to individual players by tailoring what they lacked. He says players should not be treated like the same pieces of chess or baduk. "Players are like trees that will grow better if they are exposed to the sun and cut off different bad branches. If you take good care of them, you will see that anyone will grow." 토토사이트