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| Courtesy of the Korea Football Association |
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| Photo=Grathhopper |
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Lee Young-joon, a promising Korean player who advanced to Europe this season, is on the verge of being severely demoted.
Grashofer, where Lee Young-joon is playing, lost 1-2 in the 29th round of FC Zurich's Swiss Super League at 11:30 p.m. on the 30th (Korea time). The defeat prevented Grashofer from closing the league's 10th-place gap.
The defeat left Grashofer facing serious relegation. Grashofer currently ranks 11th in the league. In the Swiss Super League, 12 teams will face each other three times, and then the final five rounds will be divided into 1st to 6th and 7th to 12th. If you finish bottom of the 7th-12th-ranked team group, you will be relegated to the second division, and the 11th-ranked team will play the second-ranked team in the second division in the second division.
There are still eight games left in the league, but it doesn't seem easy for Grashofer to escape 11th place. Grashofer is five points clear of the league's 10th-ranked Iverdong Spor. There are seven points difference from the lowest-ranked Vinter Tour, so it is unlikely to be chased, but it is also questionable whether it will be able to surpass 10th place.
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| Photo=Grathhopper |
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Lee Young-joon's growth is also worrisome. Lee Young-joon is a promising player produced by Suwon FC. Although he did not stand out in the K-League, his performance in the Korean national team by age was great. Lee Young-joon, who was properly verified on the international stage, moved to Grashofer ahead of this season and succeeded in going to Europe. Lee appeared to successfully settle in the Swiss League when he reported his debut goal. Until 2024, he continued to play as a starting striker, scoring two goals and three assists in 14 games.
The flow was so good that head coach Hong Myung-bo went to Switzerland himself and watched Lee Young-joon's growth. Although Lee Young-joon has not been named on the national team due to the judgment that he needs to grow further yet, it is expected to be a great asset for Korean soccer if he grows well.
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| Courtesy of the Korea Football Association |
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However, he has not played in 2025 due to a mysterious injury, and has not played in the first team even after returning from the injury. He was only listed on the bench in the Young Boys match held earlier this month, and will play in the league for 0 minutes in 2025. On the 8th, he played one game in the second division of Grashofer, a Swiss fourth division, and even scored, but has not played in the second division since then.
If the team is relegated to the second division even though they can't play, Lee Young-joon's success scenario, which he dreamed of going to Europe, will be completely ruined in a year. He started well as soon as he challenged Europe, but Lee Young-joon's 2024-2025 season is heading for the worst.
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| Photo=Grathhopper |
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Reporter Kim Dae-sik rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
