The International Football Federation (FIFA) stated that it respects the Korea Football Association (KFA) decision regarding the controversy over the ineligible players of Gwangju FC in K League 1. However, it also left open the possibility of additional sanctions.
The KFA stated on the 26th, "As a result of FIFA's review of the eligibility issues concerning Gwangju players, it is reported that the eligibility judgments for players in domestic competitions should be made according to KFA regulations and authority."
Previously, Gwangju failed to pay the solidarity contribution of $3,000 (approximately 4.17 million won) during the process of signing the foreign striker Asani in 2023. The solidarity contribution is a system where a portion of the transfer fee incurred when signing a player is distributed to the teams where the player played between the ages of 12 and 23.
Gwangju stated that the failure to pay the solidarity contribution occurred because an error arose during the remittance process in August of last year, and communication with FIFA and the bank was not smooth. Afterward, no handover was conducted when the responsible staff member took leave. Additionally, they were unaware of the FIFA transfer ban imposed as of December 17 of last year, and they signed more than ten players during the winter transfer market.
It was only last month that the details of FIFA's sanction were revealed, and the teams competing against Gwangju are subsequently filing for forfeiture due to the participation of ineligible players with the Korea Professional Football League (KPFL).
The KFA is also not in a position to escape responsibility. Although the KFA delivered the FIFA sanction notice to Gwangju, it was unable to grasp the relevant details and accepted player registrations. Last month, the KFA stated regarding this matter, "It is an incident caused by administrative errors without intent," and "Rather than overturning the results of past matches by classifying the said players as ineligible, it is more important to recognize the results that have been carried out so far and to ensure the participation eligibility of players with no fault, while securing the stability of the tournament and league."
For now, FIFA also holds the view that it respects the KFA's judgment. FIFA said, "The said players were registered through the domestic system during the KFA winter transfer window in 2025 and subsequently participated continuously in official competitions without any objections from the KFA," and noted, "The Gwangju club can be in a situation where it can determine that the said players have legitimate eligibility to participate."
It also stated, "The judgment regarding the situation is the responsibility of the KFA, and FIFA holds that the KFA must maintain the eligibility of the said players and notify the other teams that have filed complaints that 'penalties will not be applied to the match results where the said players participated.'"
According to the stance expressed by FIFA, it is expected that the domestic matches Gwangju has played this season will not be treated as forfeitures. The KFA also said, "The policy that 'the results of previous matches are recognized for the sake of stability in the tournament and league' has also been acknowledged by FIFA's secretariat."
However, the fire has not completely died down. FIFA added, "It is only an administrative interpretation, and further sanctions review and necessary procedures can be conducted against the KFA or Gwangju club for violating registration prohibitions in the future," and conveyed that even if sanctions are implemented, it will not affect the match results that have already been conducted.
The decision document from FIFA's sanctions committee last December included language stating that failure to properly implement sanctions could result in exclusion from 'FIFA-owned competitions such as the World Cup.'
Meanwhile, the KFA stated it cannot disclose the document in accordance with FIFA's guidance, which advised caution due to the 'procedures that lie ahead.' Furthermore, it noted, "To prevent recurrence, we have already initiated improvements to our working procedures and will make technical enhancements to ensure fair player registrations and eligibility management."
[Photo] Provided by the league.