“Can I say one last thing?”
The interview room at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Nov. 19. Ahn Ik-soo (58), the head coach of Daegu FC, has just finished his press conference about the 2-2 draw with Seoul FC, and he asks for permission to speak first. It is not uncommon for a coach to deliver a message at a press conference instead of answering questions from reporters. All eyes and ears were on Ahn.
As Ahn prepared his tablet PC, he said something unexpected. He said, “I’m going to read what I’ve prepared. I’ll just call it ‘The Stool of Resignation,'” he said. It was a surprising statement that took everyone in the room by surprise, not only the reporters, but also the immediate Seoul club officials.
“Two years ago, I said in an interview why I accepted the Seoul job, ‘I thought Seoul was a club that should have a clear sense of responsibility for Korean football. They were ranked 11th at the time, and if I could help Seoul a little more than my own honor, I would do it,'” Ahn said. I still feel that way today. But I realized that for Seoul to develop, changes are needed at this point.”
“I’ve done my best to fulfill my promise to you and my commitment to myself, but I’m not able to accomplish what I set out to do, so I’m dropping out. I think that’s the end of my role. I apologize for not being able to accomplish what I had set out to do. I will be a guardian spirit (Seoul Supporters) from afar,” he said. He also expressed his gratitude and apologies to the club’s officials, including the owner, fans, and players. After the announcement, Ahn left the press conference room without taking any questions from reporters.
It was an unprecedented statement of resignation. While “I will consult with the club to decide my future” was an indirect way for managers to announce their resignation, it was unusual for Ahn to directly announce his resignation at a press conference by using the word “quit”. It wasn’t that the team was facing relegation and under intense pressure to resign, or that the atmosphere was so bad that there were rumors of a resignation. The atmosphere was one of bewilderment at the surprise announcement, 온라인바카라 which went far beyond the expected range.
It wasn’t just the press. Neither the club nor the players had any idea. The staff on the ground were also in a state of ‘panic’. They had to deal with a lot of questions and phone calls from reporters. Even high-ranking officials such as the club’s CEO and general manager reportedly only learned of Ahn’s resignation through breaking news reports late at night. The same was true for the club’s inability to quickly issue an official response to Ahn’s resignation.
The players were no different. Even the coaching staff was informed after the press conference. The players were not informed until the post-match meeting. After a longer-than-usual meeting, the mood of the Seoul team was somber as they left the stadium. All players