When I first learned to drive, my father emphasized preheating the engine. The word is stuck in my young heart, and the habit continues until now. My car doesn't move until the preheating gauge is two cars. The preheated car slowly climbed to the ground. A small pair of snow hit the windshield. It may be the same ingredient as the snow that fell on director Cha Bum-keun's crown 15 years ago.
In 1995, Suwon Samsung Bluewings was founded. With Samsung Electronics' full support, the new team Suwon shook the Korean soccer scene. When there was no European team, all the national team players played in Suwon. Suwon lost the K-League in a row and won the Asian Club Champions League (currently the AFC Champions League) for the second consecutive year. Suwon's blue fans led the K-League cheering culture with their overwhelming scale and sophistication of supporting. Soccer was Suwon, and Suwon was the leader of soccer.
Suwon in the 2023 season, its 28th year since its foundation, has forgotten such an honor. It is unknown whether it was naturally weathered or intentionally deleted. The memories of the days embroidered by Suwon exist only in the record paper. The water source in front of you is only slow. The structure of the play is loose, and the players' capabilities are poor. The team makes an excuse that "investment is less than before," but it does not necessarily mention Pohang's performance, which has less livelihood than Suwon.
Referee Ko Hyung-jin blew the whistle at the end of the game. The big bird was split from side to side as if it had been cut by a single knife with a long sword. Orange Gangwon fans chanted, "Suwon descending." The North stand was frozen in place. The blue fans looked like they didn't know how to react. Numerous emotions tangled in the air of the big bird, unable to find a target point.
For Prentetricolo, December 2, 2023, at 4:00 p.m., it was unreal in itself. No one knew whether to be angry at the club for not showing desperation until the end, cry about the fact that it has fallen to the second division in 28 years, or hope for 2024, when the opportunity to reset everything is forced. Compared to the situation of fans who could not decide how to react, the team's options were clear. All you had to do was bow down with an apology saying, "I'm sorry." Suwon was running low.
Angry fans camped in front of the dark underground parking lot exit. The orange away team bus slowly went off to applause. The home team bus was rarely seen. The fans, who were pressed for time, left one by one. Where the crowd was missing, crushed cigarette butts and saliva marks took over. A speaker on top of a police vehicle carefully put out an announcement calling for control. The news that General Manager Oh Dong-seok had announced his intention to resign was swept away by the anger of fans.
Shortly after the relegation of the K League's leading popular club was confirmed, messages from acquaintances poured into smartphones. The message with "blue blood" longing for comfort, and the message on the other side asked for joy's participation. Both messages had something in common. It was a surprise that something unimaginable had actually happened. On the first Sunday morning in December, Suwon fans should wake up to the second part. Realizing that relegation to the second division is not a dream, but a reality that needs to be endured right away.
In May 2000, Atletico Madrid drew 2–2 away to Real Madrid, confirming their relegation from Segunda Liga. The Copa del Rey final, which was 20 days later, also ended in a 1-2 loss. Three days earlier, their Madrid rivals beat Valencia in Paris to win their eighth UEFA Champions League title. In the 2000-01 season in hell, Atletico fans bought more season tickets than they did in the first division, setting a new record for most spectators. Atletico's hell ended after two years.
Will Suwon be able to dream again? Can I become Atletico in the K League and turn my fans around? The only thing that flew to the front desk was an angry jeer. The two sides are as far and far apart as the words on the placards that fans put up and the "control banner" prepared by the club.
Successive failures in managing the team, recruitment of foreigners, and insistence on "real blue" without substance have led to a shocking misjudgment that leaves a playing coach with no professional coaching experience this season to escape relegation. There is nothing left in the club right now to appease fans. Blue fans already know that. I send you my bored comfort.