The Korea Herald

지나쌤

K League's Suwon mulling extension for head coach

By Yonhap

Published : Aug. 11, 2017 - 09:14

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K League Classic football club Suwon Samsung Bluewings said Thursday they're mulling a contract extension for head coach Seo Jung-won, with the team poised for a strong finish after a sluggish start to the season.

A senior official with Suwon said the club is considering offering Seo a second extension and will discuss the matter with the parent company, Cheil Worldwide.

Seo, 46, has been at Suwon's helm since December 2012. He started out with a three-year contract and signed a three-year extension which will take him through the end of this season.

On Seo's watch, Suwon finished second in the 2014 and 2015 K League Classic seasons. They won the FA Cup last year.

And Suwon's bid for a double is still alive in 2017. They're in second place in the K League Classic with 46 points, four back of the first-place Jeonbuk, with 13 matches remaining. On Wednesday, Suwon defeated Gwangju FC 2-1 to reach the FA Cup semifinals.

Suwon started the K League Classic season with a six-game winless skid (one loss and five draws) during which they managed just five goals and were blanked three times. They were also eliminated in the group stage at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League in May, which further intensified calls for Seo's resignation.

But in the K League Classic, Suwon ended the winless slide by winning five of their next six contests. They're undefeated in their last seven matches.

Suwon said they'll bring Seo to the table during the league's mini-break starting later this month as South Korea play two final World Cup qualifying matches. Cheil Worldwide will have the final say on Seo's status. (Yonhap)

Seo Jung-won, head coach of Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the K League Classic, speaks at a press conference in Seoul on Aug. 10, 2017, ahead of a league match against FC Seoul. (Yonhap) Seo Jung-won, head coach of Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the K League Classic, speaks at a press conference in Seoul on Aug. 10, 2017, ahead of a league match against FC Seoul. (Yonhap)