The 2016 K League Classic was the 34th season of the top division of South Korean professional football since its establishment in 1983, and the fourth season of the K League Classic.
Teams
General information Club City/Province Manager Owner(s)Other sponsor(s) Gwangju FC Gwangju Nam Ki-il Gwangju Government Incheon United Incheon Lee Ki-hyung (caretaker) Incheon Government Shinhan Bank Incheon International Airport Jeju United Jeju Jo Sung-hwan SK Energy Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Jeonbuk Choi Kang-hee Hyundai Motor Company Jeonnam Dragons Jeonnam Roh Sang-rae POSCO Pohang Steelers Pohang, Gyeongbuk Choi Jin-cheul POSCO Sangju Sangmu Sangju, Gyeongbuk Cho Jin-ho Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps Seongnam FC Seongnam, Gyeonggi Kim Hak-bum Seongnam Government FC Seoul Seoul Choi Yong-soo GS Group Suwon FC Suwon, Gyeonggi Cho Duck-je Suwon Government Suwon Samsung Bluewings Suwon, Gyeonggi Seo Jung-won Cheil Worldwide Samsung Electronics Maeil Dairies Industry Ulsan Hyundai Ulsan Yoon Jung-hwan Hyundai Heavy Industries
Stadiums Gwangju FC Incheon United Jeju United Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Jeonnam Dragons Pohang Steelers Gwangju World Cup Stadium Incheon Football Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium Gwangyang Football Stadium Pohang Steel Yard Capacity: 40,245 Capacity: 20,891 Capacity: 35,657 Capacity: 42,477 Capacity: 13,496 Capacity: 17,443 Sangju Sangmu Seongnam FC FC Seoul Suwon FC Suwon SamsungBluewings Ulsan Hyundai Sangju Civic Stadium Tancheon Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium Suwon Sports Complex Suwon World Cup Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Capacity: 15,042 Capacity: 16,146 Capacity: 66,704 Capacity: 11,808 Capacity: 44,031 Capacity: 44,102
Managerial changes TeamOutgoingMannerDateIncomingDateTablePohang Steelers Hwang Sun-hong End of contract30 November 2015 Choi Jin-cheul30 November 2015Pre-seasonSangju Sangmu Park Hang-seo End of contract11 December 2015 Cho Jin-ho17 December 2015FC Seoul Choi Yong-sooResigned21 June 2016 Kim Seong-jae (caretaker)21 June 20162ndFC Seoul Kim Seong-jae (caretaker)Caretaker25 June 2016 Hwang Sun-hong26 June 20162ndIncheon United Kim Do-hoonResigned31 August 2016 Lee Ki-hyung (caretaker)31 August 201612thPohang Steelers Choi Jin-cheulResigned24 September 2016 Choi Soon-ho26 September 20169thJeju United Jo Sung-hwan Assigned as assistant14 October 2016 Kim In-soo14 October 20163rdJeonnam Dragons Roh Sang-rae Assigned as assistant14 October 2016 Song Kyung-sub14 October 20165th
Foreign players Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team could use four foreign players on the field each game including a least one player from the AFC confederation. Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Asian player Former players Gwangju FC Olivier Bonnes Tomoki Wada Fábio Neves Wellington Incheon United Kevin Oris Matej Jonjić Krste Velkoski Lương Xuân Trường Jeju United Henan Marcelo Toscano Wanderson Carvalho Fernando Karanga Moisés Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Edu Leonardo Ricardo Lopes Erik Paartalu Luiz Henrique Jeonnam Dragons Jair Maurinho Vedran Jugović Tomislav Mrčela Mislav Oršić Stevica Ristić Pohang Steelers Lulinha Muralha Lazar Veselinović Ali Abbas Seongnam FC Pitu Silvinho Tiago Alves FC Seoul Adriano Michael Jackson Dejan Damjanović Osmar Yojiro Takahagi Suwon FC Bruce Djite Vladan Adžić Jaime Gavilán Adrian Leijer Marvin Ogunjimi Suwon Samsung Bluewings Johnathan Júnior Santos Romeo Castelen Hygor Ulsan Hyundai Célio Santos Ivan Kovačec Frédéric Mendy Chikashi Masuda Bernardo
League table
Positions by matchday
Round 1–33
Round 34–38
Results
Matches 1–22 Teams play each other twice, once at home, once away.
Matches 23–33 Teams play every other team once (either at home or away).
Matches 34–38 After 33 matches, the league splits into two sections of six teams each, with teams playing every other team in their section once (either at home or away). The exact matches are determined upon the league table at the time of the split.
Group A
Group B
Relegation play-offs The promotion-relegation play-offs were held between the winners of the 2016 K League Challenge play-offs and the 11th-placed club of the 2016 K League Classic. The winner on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2017 K League Classic.
1–1 on aggregate. Gangwon FC won on away goals and were promoted to the K League Classic, while Seongnam FC were relegated to the K League Challenge.
Player statistics Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals 1 Jung Jo-gook Gwangju FC20 2 Adriano Michael Jackson FC Seoul173 Tiago Alves Seongnam FC13 Yang Dong-hyun Pohang Steelers Ricardo Lopes Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Dejan Damjanović FC Seoul7 Lee Dong-gook Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors12 Júnior Santos Suwon Samsung Bluewings Leonardo Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors10 Marcelo Toscano Jeju United11
Top assist providers RankPlayerClubAssists 1 Yeom Ki-hun Suwon Samsung Bluewings15 2 Lee Jae-sung Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors11 3 Kevin Oris Incheon United104 Ivan Kovačec Ulsan Hyundai9 Marcelo Toscano Jeju United6 Sin Jin-ho FC SeoulSangju Sangmu8 Park Gi-dong Sangju SangmuJeonnam Dragons Kim Min-hyeok Gwangju FC Kwon Soon-hyung Jeju United10 Yun Il-lok FC Seoul7 Kim Bo-kyung Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Pitu Seongnam FC
Awards Main awards The 2016 K League Awards was held on 8 November 2016.
AwardWinnerClubMost Valuable Player Jung Jo-gookGwangju FCTop goalscorer Jung Jo-gookGwangju FCTop assist provider Yeom Ki-hunSuwon Samsung BluewingsYoung Player of the Year Ahn Hyun-beomJeju UnitedFANtastic Player LeonardoJeonbuk Hyundai MotorsManager of the Year Hwang Sun-hongFC SeoulFair Play Award Jeju United Source:
Best XI PositionWinnerClubGoalkeeper Kwon Sun-taeJeonbuk Hyundai MotorsDefenders Chung WoonJeju United OsmarFC Seoul Matej JonjićIncheon United Ko Kwang-minFC SeoulMidfielders LeonardoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors Lee Jae-sungJeonbuk Hyundai Motors Kwon Chang-hoonSuwon Samsung Bluewings Ricardo LopesJeonbuk Hyundai MotorsForwards Jung Jo-gookGwangju FC Adriano Michael JacksonFC Seoul Source:
Player of the Round
RoundWinnerClub1 Jung Jo-gookGwangju FC2 Adriano Michael JacksonFC Seoul3 Ivan KovačecUlsan Hyundai4 Kim Chi-gonUlsan Hyundai5 Ahn Hyun-beomJeju United6 Kim Bo-kyungJeonbuk Hyundai Motors7 Lee Keun-hoJeju United8 Park Gi-dongSangju Sangmu9 Yang Dong-hyunPohang Steelers10 Ju Se-jongFC Seoul11 Ivan KovačecUlsan Hyundai12 Kim Yong-daeUlsan Hyundai13 Tiago AlvesSeongnam FC14 Dejan DamjanovićFC Seoul15 Lee YongSangju Sangmu16 Yang Dong-hyunPohang Steelers17 Kim Min-hyeok Gwangju FC18 Tiago AlvesSeongnam FC19 Kwon Chang-hoon Suwon Samsung Bluewings
RoundWinnerClub20 Ricardo LopesJeonbuk Hyundai Motors21 Ricardo LopesJeonbuk Hyundai Motors22 Yang Dong-hyunPohang Steelers23 Yeom Ki-hunSuwon Samsung Bluewings24 Kweon Han-jinJeju United25 Yun Il-lokFC Seoul26 Dejan DamjanovićFC Seoul27 Dejan DamjanovićFC Seoul28 LeonardoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors29 Han Chan-heeJeonnam Dragons30 Frédéric MendyUlsan Hyundai31 Kim Shin-wookJeonbuk Hyundai Motors32 Ricardo LopesJeonbuk Hyundai Motors33 Kim Byung-ohSuwon FC34 Jung Jo-gookGwangju FC35 Ahn Hyun-beomJeju United36 Ricardo LopesJeonbuk Hyundai Motors37 Lee Jae-sungJeonbuk Hyundai Motors38 Park Chu-youngFC Seoul
Manager of the Month MonthManagerClubDivisionMarch/April Choi Yong-sooFC SeoulK League ClassicMay Nam Ki-ilGwangju FCK League ClassicJune Lee Heung-silAnsan MugunghwaK League ChallengeJuly Choi Kang-heeJeonbuk Hyundai MotorsK League ClassicAugust Choi Young-junBusan IParkK League ChallengeSeptember Choi Yun-kyumGangwon FCK League ChallengeOctober Hwang Sun-hongFC SeoulK League Classic
Attendance Attendance by club Attendants who entered with free ticket are not counted.
Top matches
Rank Date Round Home Score Away VenueAttendance1 18 June 2016 15 FC Seoul 1–1 Suwon Samsung Bluewings Seoul World Cup Stadium47,8992 13 August 2016 25 FC Seoul 1–0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings Seoul World Cup Stadium36,3093 6 November 2016 38 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 0–1 FC Seoul Jeonju World Cup Stadium 33,7064 12 March 2016 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1–0 FC Seoul Jeonju World Cup Stadium32,6955 30 April 2016 8 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1–1 FC Seoul Suwon World Cup Stadium 28,1096 20 March 2016 2 FC Seoul 4–0 Sangju Sangmu Seoul World Cup Stadium25,9507 28 August 2016 28 FC Seoul 1–3 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Seoul World Cup Stadium24,5088 24 July 2016 22 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2–1 Ulsan Hyundai Jeonju World Cup Stadium21,4379 10 August 2016 24 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2–1 Suwon FC Jeonju World Cup Stadium21,07110 27 August 2016 28 Ulsan Hyundai 1–1 Gwangju FC Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium20,239
See also 2016 in South Korean football 2016 K League Challenge 2016 Korean FA Cup
References
External links Official website Official website Review at K League