You're the first contributor to the promotion. Tossagupin? Kunimoto, who was mentioned as MVP, abruptly withdrew...Why
◇photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association
◇photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association
Kunimoto Takahiro (Liaoning Tian), who was kicked out of the K-League due to a drunk driving accident and succeeded in making a comeback in China, will leave the team.
China's Tencent reported on the 9th (Korea time) 'Lao Ning, who is promoted to the Chinese Super League in the new season, has decided not to renew his contract with Kunimoto' Kunimoto played in the Chinese Class 2 (second division) game this season wearing the Liaoning captain's armband and showed an outstanding performance of five goals and 19 assists. The most in the league in the help category. Liaoning enjoyed the joy of being promoted to the Super League as it topped the list with 20 wins, 8 draws and 2 losses. At the end of the league, he was recognized for his outstanding performance to the extent that he was mentioned as a candidate for the MVP of the league.
Despite this, Liaoning chose to break up with Kunimoto. Tencent says 'Kunimoto's contract with Liaoning expires at the end of this season. The two sides decided to part ways after smooth negotiations, pointing out that even if Kunimoto does not re-sign with Liaoning, it is highly likely to attract the attention of Super League and Class League teams.
◇photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association
However, it is unclear whether Kunimoto will be able to remain in China. It is not irrelevant to the recent complicated flow of China-Japan relations. The Chinese government demanded an apology for Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's remarks on Taiwan's intervention in the event of an emergency, and invoked the `Korea-Japan Decree' that includes refraining from travel and cultural exchanges with Japan. Anti-Japanese sentiment is rising even within China. Some are looking for the reason why Gunimoto, who even served as captain of Liaoning, did not renew his contract even though he performed outstandingly.
Kunimoto, a former Urawa Reds youth, entered the K League when he joined Gyeongnam FC in 2018. At that time, he was evaluated as an unsuccessful player in Japan due to mental problems despite his outstanding talent, but he made his name by scoring seven goals and four assists in 61 games in two seasons in Gyeongnam. After moving to Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2020, he was listed as the K-League's best 11 candidate for two consecutive seasons, and continued his consistent performance with four goals and one assist in 14 games in the first half of the 2022 season. However, in early July 2022, police were caught for drunk driving, and Jeonbuk announced the termination of the contract. Kunimoto drank because he was upset. The chauffeur could not drive into the clubhouse, and he drove for a while to stop nearby, but the bus had already left.
◇photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association
Kunimoto, who left the K-League, went to Portugal and Malaysia and wore the Liaoning uniform in 2024. At the time of joining the team, doubts about his skills were raised, but he succeeded in making a comeback once again by proving not only his skills but also his leadership.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
