The 2021 K League 1, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the 39th season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the ninth season of the K League 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won their ninth title and fifth consecutive title.
After progressing 33 regular rounds, the league was divided into two groups, the top six and the bottom six, and each team played five matches against other teams in its group.
Teams Team changes Relegated to K League 2 Sangju Sangmu (renamed Gimcheon Sangmu) Busan IPark
Promoted from K League 2 Jeju United Suwon FC
Locations
The following twelve clubs competed in the K League 1 during the 2021 season.
Team City/ProvinceAbbreviation Daegu FC DaeguDaegu Gangwon FC GangwonGangwon Gwangju FC GwangjuGwangju Incheon United IncheonIncheon Jeju United JejuJeju Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors JeonbukJeonbuk Pohang Steelers PohangPohang Seongnam FC SeongnamSeongnam FC Seoul SeoulSeoul Suwon Samsung Bluewings SuwonSuwon Suwon FC SuwonSuwon FC Ulsan Hyundai UlsanUlsan
Stadiums Jeju United Daegu FC Incheon United Jeju World Cup Stadium DGB Daegu Bank Park Incheon Football Stadium Capacity: 29,791 Capacity: 12,415 Capacity: 20,891 Pohang Steelers Suwon FC Seongnam FC Pohang Steel Yard Suwon Stadium Tancheon Stadium Capacity: 17,443 Capacity: 11,808 Capacity: 16,146 FC Seoul Suwon Samsung Bluewings Suwon FC Seoul World Cup Stadium Seoul Olympic Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium Capacity: 66,704 Capacity: 69,950 Capacity: 44,031 Gwangju FC Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Gwangju World Cup Stadium Gwangju Football Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium Capacity: 40,245 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 42,477 Gangwon FC Ulsan Hyundai Chuncheon Songam Leports Town Gangneung Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 22,333 Capacity: 44,102
Personnel and sponsoring Team Manager Main sponsor Kit manufacturer Other sponsor(s) Daegu FC Daegu Government Goal Studio DGB Daegu BankAJIN Industrial Co., Ltd. Gangwon FC Gangwon Provincial Government Applerind Kangwon Land Gwangju FC Kim Ho-young Gwangju Government Kelme Incheon United Jo Sung-hwan Incheon Government Macron Shinhan BankIncheon International Airport Jeju United Nam Ki-ilSK EnergyPuma Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Kim Sang-sik Hyundai Motor Company Hummel Pohang Steelers Kim Gi-dong POSCO Puma Pohang Government Seongnam FC Kim Nam-il Seongnam Government Umbro FC Seoul Park Jin-sub GS Group Le Coq Sportif Suwon Samsung Bluewings Park Kun-ha Cheil Worldwide Puma Samsung ElectronicsSuwon FC Kim Do-kyunSuwon GovernmentHummel Ulsan Hyundai Hyundai Heavy Industries Hummel Hyundai Oil Bank
Foreign players Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to five per team, including a slot for a player from the Asian Football Confederation countries and a slot for a player from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. A team could use five foreign players on the field each game, including at least one player from the AFC confederation. Samuel Pungi, who played for Pohang Steelers, was deemed to be a native player as he had been granted South Korean nationality.
Players in bold were registered during the mid-season transfer window.
Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 AFC player ASEAN player Former player(s) Daegu FC Césinha Edgar Lamas Tsubasa Nishi Serginho Gangwon FC Vladimir Silađi Momchil Tsvetanov Matija Ljujić Rustam Ashurmatov Masatoshi Ishida Gwangju FC Reis Aleksandar Andrejević Johnathan Felipe Incheon United Stefan Mugoša Elías Aguilar Negueba Harrison Delbridge Jeju United Oskar Zawada Gerso Fernandes Islom Kenjaboev Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Modou Barrow Gustavo Stanislav Iljutcenko Takahiro Kunimoto Sasalak Haiprakhon Pohang Steelers Manuel Palacios Mario Kvesić Borys Tashchy Alex Grant Seongnam FC Richard Windbichler Fejsal Mulić Sergiu Buș Jamshid Iskanderov FC Seoul Osmar Aleksandar Paločević Gabriel Connor Chapman Ikromjon Alibaev Suwon Samsung Bluewings Doneil Henry Uroš Đerić Nicolao Dumitru Terry Antonis Suwon FC Lars Veldwijk Murilo Tardeli Lachlan Jackson Victor Ulsan Hyundai Dave Bulthuis Valeri Qazaishvili Jason Davidson Lukas Hinterseer
League table
Positions by matchday
Round 1–33
Round 34–38
Results Matches 1–22 Teams played each other twice, once at home, once away.
Matches 23–33 Teams played each other once, either at home or away.
Matches 34–38 Teams played each other once, either at home or away.
Final A
Final B
Relegation play-offs
The promotion-relegation play-offs were contested between the winners of K League 2 play-offs and the eleventh-placed team in K League 1.
Gangwon FC won 4–2 on aggregate and therefore both clubs remain in their respective leagues.
Statistics Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals 1 Joo Min-kyu Jeju United 22 2 Lars Veldwijk Suwon FC 18 3 Gustavo Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 15 Stanislav Iljutcenko Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 5 Fejsal Mulić Seongnam FC 13 6 Lee Dong-jun Ulsan Hyundai 11 Lim Sang-hyub Pohang Steelers 8 Edgar Daegu FC 10 Song Min-kyu Pohang Steelers Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Aleksandar Paločević FC Seoul
Top assist providers RankPlayerClubAssists 1 Kim Bo-kyung Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 10 Murilo Suwon FC 3 Kang Sang-woo Pohang Steelers 8 4 Lee Yeong-jae Suwon FC 7 Cesinha Daegu FC Sin Jin-ho Pohang Steelers 7 Elías Aguilar Incheon United 6 Na Sang-ho FC Seoul Kim Tae-hwan Ulsan Hyundai Lars Veldwijk Suwon FC
Hat-tricks Player ForAgainst Result Date Lim Sang-hyubPohang SteelersSuwon FC 3–418 May 2021 Gustavo4Jeonbouk Hyundai MotorsSeongnam FC1–56 June 2021 Lars Veldwijk4Suwon FC Ulsan Hyundai 2–525 July 2021
Awards Weekly awards
RoundPlayer of the Round Player Club1 Kim In-sungUlsan Hyundai2 Na Sang-hoFC Seoul3 Lee Dong-junUlsan Hyundai4 Fejsal MulićSeongnam FC5 Stanislav IljutcenkoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors6 CesinhaDaegu FC7 Stanislav IljutcenkoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors8 Valeri QazaishviliUlsan Hyundai9 Lee Seung-giJeonbuk Hyundai Motors10 Kim Gun-heeSuwon Samsung Bluewings11 Lee Han-doGwangju FC12 EdgarDaegu FC13 EdgarDaegu FC14 Cho Yu-minSuwon FC15 MuriloSuwon FC16 Song Si-wooIncheon United17 Lim Sang-hyubPohang Steelers18 CesinhaDaegu FC19 Lee Yeong-jaeSuwon FC
RoundPlayer of the Round Player Club20 Go Young-joonPohang Steelers21 Lars VeldwijkSuwon FC22 Ko Moo-yeolGangwon FC23 Moon Seon-minJeonbuk Hyundai Motors24 Um Won-sangGwangju FC25 Lim Sang-hyubPohang Steelers26 Lee Chung-yongUlsan Hyundai27 Valeri QazaishviliUlsan Hyundai28 CesinhaDaegu FC29 Lee Chang-minJeju United30 CesinhaDaegu FC31 Lee Ki-jeSuwon Samsung Bluewings32 Cho Young-wookFC Seoul33 Lee Ho-jaePohang Steelers34 Takahiro KunimotoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors35 EdgarDaegu FC36 Oh Se-hunUlsan Hyundai37 Hong Jeong-hoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors38 Han Kyo-wonJeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthYoung Player of the MonthManager of the MonthGoal of the MonthPlayerClubPlayerClubManagerClubPlayer ClubMarch Ki Sung-yuengSeoul— Kim Sang-sikJeonbuk1 Kim Min-wooSuwonApril EdgarDaegu— Lee Woo-hyungAnyang2 Fejsal MulićSeongnamMay CesinhaDaegu— Park Kun-haSuwon1 Lee Ki-jeSuwonJune—— Kim Tae-wanGimcheon2 Paik Seung-hoJeonbukJuly—— Jo Sung-hwanIncheon1 Lars VeldwijkSuwon FCAugust GustavoJeonbuk Eom Ji-sungGwangju Hong Myung-boUlsan1 Lee Chung-yongUlsanSeptember Cho Young-wookSeoul Seol Young-wooUlsan Lee Byung-keunDaegu1 Paik Seung-hoJeonbukOctober Lee Dong-gyeongUlsan Um Won-sangGwangju Nam Ki-ilJeju1 Lee Hee-gyunGwangjuNovember Hong Jeong-hoJeonbuk Seol Young-wooUlsan An Ik-sooSeoul1 Moon Seon-minJeonbuk
Annual awards The 2021 K League Awards was held on 7 December 2021.
AwardWinnerClubMost Valuable Player Hong Jeong-hoJeonbuk Hyundai MotorsYoung Player of the Year Seol Young-wooUlsan HyundaiTop goalscorer Joo Min-kyuJeju UnitedTop assist provider Kim Bo-kyungJeonbuk Hyundai MotorsManager of the Year Kim Sang-sikJeonbuk Hyundai Motors
PositionBest XIGoalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan)Defenders Kang Sang-woo (Pohang) Hong Jeong-ho (Jeonbuk) Dave Bulthuis (Ulsan) Lee Ki-je (Suwon)Midfielders Lee Dong-jun (Ulsan) Cesinha (Daegu) Valeri Qazaishvili (Ulsan) Lim Sang-hyub (Pohang)Forwards Lars Veldwijk (Suwon FC) Joo Min-kyu (Jeju)
Controversies On 12 December 2021, Gangwon FC and Daejeon Hana Citizen faced one another in the second leg of the Promotion-relegation play-offs, with the latter team finding himself in advantage after winning the first leg 1–0. Played at Gangneung Stadium, Gangwon's home soil, the match saw the hosts secure a 4–1 comeback victory and maintain their spot in K League 1. However, the game was marred by a series of incidents, occurring between the first and the second half. After Han Kook-young had scored Gangwon's third goal in the 31st minute, the ball boys around the stadium reportedly started to delay giving the ball back to Daejeon players, an event that happened multiple times during the match and was possibly meant to waste time in favour of the hosts: the fans in the away sector reacted furiously, with some of them throwing plastic bottles in direction of one of the ball boys. The game still went ahead, as six minutes of extra time were added at the end of the second half. The K League administration decided to open an official investigation on the controversial events.
When asked to talk about the incidents, Gangwon's director Lee Young-pyo originally dismissed them, pointing out that similar instances were already common in European football, but later apologized, saying that he felt "direct responsibility" for the "unsmooth match" and promising that he would work so that Gangwon FC would become "a mature club" in the future. Meanwhile, on 21 December, just hours before K League's final disciplinary meeting took place, the Daejeon board released an official response to the matter, stating that there was "clear evidence of the game delays being intentional and organized", as well as noticing that such acts violated the league's Code of Ethics for fair play and respect.
In the end, the league's administration decided to keep the final score unchanged: however, Gangwon FC was fined 30 million South Korean Won (US$25,000) for the episodes of time wasting, whereas Daejeon Hana Citizen was fined 2 million South Korean Won (US$1,677) for their fans' behavior towards one of the ball boys.
See also 2021 in South Korean football 2021 Korean FA Cup
References
External links