Where will the situation of Gwangju FC go?
The Korea Football Association (KFA) reported on the 22nd that it received a document from FIFA on the evening of the 21st regarding the prohibition of registration for Gwangju FC, stating 'closure of proceedings.'
The KFA stated, 'The FIFA Disciplinary Committee indicated in the relevant document that the FIFA Clearing House confirmed receipt of the solidarity contribution that Gwangju FC must pay. Therefore, the disciplinary process against Gwangju FC is immediately terminated, and the prohibition on player registration has been lifted.'
The KFA further claimed, 'Regarding the statement released last week, the association is aware of media criticism about 'violating principles and not adhering to regulations' or 'favoring Gwangju FC' and recognizes the seriousness of this situation.'
It added, 'The association humbly accepts the criticism regarding the decision made after careful consideration that the value of 'stabilizing the league and tournaments' takes precedence over 'strict compliance with regulations.'
In fact, the KFA also bears great responsibility in this situation. The KFA acknowledged, 'We recognize that we are not free from responsibility for this incident and are awaiting an official response from FIFA. Regardless of FIFA's response, the association plans to re-establish work promotion manuals with internal and external stakeholders to prevent a recurrence of such incidents and develop various monitoring methods linked to the FIFA system during transfers and disciplinary actions.'
The KFA emphasized, 'Once again, we regret the concern this incident has caused to football fans and plan to proceed with follow-up procedures as soon as we receive FIFA's policy.'
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