The controversy over irregular players at Gwangju FC resulted in a draw at home.

Gwangju drew 1-1 against Ulsan in the 16th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2025 held at Gwangju World Cup Stadium on the 28th. Ulsan, with 29 points, is in 3rd place, while Gwangju, with 23 points, is in 6th place.

Gwangju started with Asani, who is at the center of the controversy over irregular players. In the 4-4-2 formation, Gwangju had Hayes and Asani as the two strikers, supported by Jeong Ji-hoon, Lee Gang-hyeon, Park Tae-jun, and Gabriel in midfield. The defense included Kim Han-gil, Byun Jun-soo, Jin Si-woo, and Jo Sung-kwon, with goalkeeper Kim Kyung-min.

Ulsan lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Heo Yul and Yoon Jae-seok led the attack, while Rakaba, Kim Min-hyeok, Lee Jin-hyun, and Lee Hee-kyun were in midfield. The defense included Park Min-seo, Hwang Seok-ho, Seo Myeong-gwan, and Kang Sang-woo, with goalkeeper Jo Hyun-woo.

Gwangju took the lead with Byun Jun-soo's goal in the 30th minute of the first half. However, in the 2nd minute of the second half, Eric scored the equalizer, bringing the match back to square one.

Despite its strong performance, Gwangju is surrounded by several controversies. Gwangju failed to pay the $3,000 solidarity contribution that arose from bringing in Asani in 2023. This amount is an expense that should be paid to the club or academy where the player was affiliated from the age of 12 to 23. It is a requirement stipulated by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Gwangju did not realize that the practitioner was still failing to pay the solidarity contribution while on break. FIFA imposed a player registration ban on Gwangju and communicated it to the Korea Football Association (KFA). However, Gwangju still remained unaware of the disciplinary action and fielded an unregistered player in K League 1, Korea Cup, and Asian Champions League elite matches.

The Football Association belatedly admitted the mistake. In an official statement on the 16th, it said it deeply apologizes for causing confusion due to administrative procedural inadequacies, effectively acknowledging the mistake. However, it stated that separate disciplinary action against Gwangju would not be undertaken.

K League clubs, including Pohang, have raised issues over the matches played by Gwangju with unregistered irregular players. Teams that faced Gwangju in the Asian Champions League may also raise issues.

Anyang, with Mateus scoring multiple goals, defeated Gangwon 3-1. Anyang, with 20 points, moves up to 9th place, putting pressure on 8th place Gangwon (21 points).

Gimcheon Sangmu lost 0-1 to FC Seoul after a goal by Seo Min-woo in stoppage time was disallowed following video review. Seoul's Lucas scored the winning goal. Seoul, with 22 points, moved up to 7th place, while Gimcheon (24 points) is in 5th place.

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