The lure of the K-League

Late last year I was a guest of FC Seoul’s at their top of the table clash with bitter rivals Seongnam Ilhwa. It was a crisp autumn day, there was a colourful crowd in attendance and the club’s representatives were warm and friendly. I could think of worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

FC Seoul went on to win that match 1-0, although the club from the capital ultimately lost out to giants Suwon Bluewings in the K-League’s two-legged championship final.

Several things stood out from watching FC Seoul in action.

The first was that the club were desperate to make a good impression.

From the careful consideration they gave to their most loyal supporters behind the goal, to the warmth with which they greeted foreign visitors, to the football on display on the pitch – everything was carefully choreographed to present the image of an inviting football club.

That’s not a surprise given that FC Seoul remain a pariah in the Korean game, after their relocation from the satellite city of Anyang back to the capital in 2004 prompted widespread anger from fans.

On the pitch, FC Seoul were guided by Turkish tactician Şenol Güneş – the coach who lead Turkey to a third-placed finish at the 2002 World Cup.

The host’s best player was current Montenegrin international Dejan Damjanović.

I mention this in light of Korean clubs increasingly eyeing off Australian talent – which has prompted a curious reaction from some Australian fans.

The general consensus seems to be that Australian players willing to join clubs in Asia are merely “cashing in” by turning their backs on their homeland to join a “lesser league.”

To that I say – since when has the A-League possessed a coach who guided his national team into the last four of a World Cup?

And when, for that matter, have A-League teams managed to convince a current international like Damjanović to swap life in the Balkans for the “lifestyle” that the A-League has to offer?

Sure we’ve seen the likes of Dwight Yorke and Carlos Hernández, but too many of our foreign signings have proved major flops.

I wouldn’t be so perturbed by some of the blasé attitudes were it not for the fact that Football Federation Australia seems to share them.

And that’s where the lure of the K-League could prove problematic for Australia.

While Football Australia and fans bury their heads in the sand – insisting that the A-League must grow organically and that young players will always step in to fill the void – the K-League is leading a charm offensive to lure A-League players abroad.

It’s not just about the money.

The chance to work under coaches like Şenol Güneş or Suwon’s Cha Bum-Kun – who was named Asia’s “Player Of The Century” and who remains a legend in Germany for his exploits in the Bundesliga – should not be taken lightly.

Nor should the facilities on offer. The legacy of the 2002 World Cup means that some of the most state-of-the-art stadia in the world can now be found in Korea.

And that’s to say nothing of the threat posed by China.

Is it any wonder that the likes of Jade North or Simon Colosimo – the very type of player that the A-League was keen to recruit and hold on to – might be tempted to leave?

I don’t think so.

My Roar colleague Jesse Fink said it perfectly:

“In this brave new and ever expanding circus of big-money Asian football, safety-first thinking’s just not going to cut it anymore.”

He is right.

Until the FFA raises the salary cap, or an A-League club offers more than just “a nice lifestyle” to lure players to Australian shores, the best place to watch non-European based Australians could one day be Korea.