Choi Kang-hee, the best leader of Naga, 24,000 spectators in the biggest crisis in China, demand for replacement → FA Cup extortion + the aftermath of league slump

Jun 23, 2025

Choi Kang-hee, the best leader of Naga, 24,000 spectators in the biggest crisis in China, demand for replacement → FA Cup extortion the aftermath of league slump
사진=소후닷컴



Coach Choi Kang-hee really faced a crisis in Shandong Taishan.

Coach Choi Kang-hee's Shandong was eliminated from the tournament after losing 1-3 to Chengdu Longcheng in the quarterfinals of the Chinese FA Cup at the Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Jinan, China on the 20th.

When Shandong, which reached the FA Cup final for two consecutive seasons, was eliminated from the quarterfinals, China's Sohu Dotcom strongly criticized coach Choi Kang-hee. Looking back on this game, Shandong's defeat was caused by the players' overall deterioration of condition, but the most decisive loss was manager Choi Kang-hee's tactical operation. In the match, Choi Kang-hee made at least two absurd decisions ranging from the composition of the starting list to the judgment of the game. The two decisions eventually changed the course of the game, leading to Shandong being eliminated early and the dream of winning the FA Cup being destroyed.
Choi Kang-hee, the best leader of Naga, 24,000 spectators in the biggest crisis in China, demand for replacement → FA Cup extortion the aftermath of league slump
The defeat is expected to end Shandong and coach Choi Kang-hee's companion here. Sohu was eliminated early from the FA Cup and virtually moved away from the competition to win the Chinese Super League, and the replacement of head coach Choi Kang-hee now seems to be a given. If Shandong keeps him at the helm despite his disastrous performance, it will be difficult to stop the fans from criticizing him,' he said, predicting that Choi Kang-hee would put down the baton.




The reason why this expectation is inevitable is that Shandong fans are strongly demanding the replacement of coach Choi Kang-hee. Citing Wang Wei's on-the-spot video after the match, China's Dongchudi reported that only 15 players greeted their fans after the match, and the entire stadium crowd chanted 'Kanghee go out' There were about 24,000 spectators at the stadium. Coach Choi Kang-hee is believed to have been on the team bus without attending a press conference after the game.
Choi Kang-hee, the best leader of Naga, 24,000 spectators in the biggest crisis in China, demand for replacement → FA Cup extortion the aftermath of league slump
There are articles pouring out that director Choi Kang-hee's position is shaking greatly amid a situation where even his fan sentiment has turned. Dong Chu-di 'After being eliminated from the Shandong FA Cup, his patience with coach Choi Kang-hee has reached its limit. The most important thing now is to make a decision as soon as possible. Otherwise, Shandong's continued poor performance will be the biggest damage to the club and the team.'

In addition, 'Various circumstances show that Choi Kang-hee is gradually losing control over Shandong. Are you going to replace director Choi Kang-hee? If the manager were to be replaced, would he immediately appoint a new manager or would he go through the transition period through interim supervision? This is a task that Shandong club management must resolve quickly,' he added.

Coach Choi Kang-hee, the best player in the K League, was appointed to Shandong during the 2023 season. At that time, Shandong faced the biggest crisis as problems broke out inside and outside the club, but coach Choi Kang-hee led the team to second place in the league and second place in the FA Cup.




Last season, the FA Cup runners-up eclipsed their slump in the league, but this season they were eliminated too early in the FA Cup. Their performance in the league is worse.








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.