With the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship approaching, local media in China expressed blatant dissatisfaction with the host country, Korea's, preparation attitude.

The Chinese media outlet "Leichang Sports" reported on the 25th (Korean time) that "a shocking incident occurred ahead of the EAFF Championship. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will not be utilized in this tournament, and the unbelievable explanation for this is 'lack of budget,'" criticizing both the EAFF and Korea simultaneously.

The EAFF E-1 Championship will take place from July 7 to 16 in the cities of Yongin, Suwon, and Hwaseong, divided into men's and women's divisions. The men's matches will be held at Yongin Mir Stadium, and the women's matches will take place at Suwon World Cup Stadium and Hwaseong Comprehensive Sports Town. The Korean men's national team will kick off the tournament against China on the 7th, followed by matches against Hong Kong on the 11th and Japan on the 15th.

The issue raised by China concerns the composition of Korea's national team. The 23-player roster for the Korean men's national team includes 20 players from the K League and three players currently active in the Japanese J League: Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima Antlers), Na Sang-ho, and Oh Se-hoon (Machida Zelvia), all of whom are players affiliated with leagues within Asia.

The reason is clear. This tournament is not included in the FIFA A match week, making it virtually impossible to summon players from Europe. A similar standard has been applied in past EAFF tournaments, leading to a customary focus on domestic players for the national team.

Nonetheless, Leichang Sports argued that "Korea has not called up a single star European player. While the justification is player development, the reality is that it considers the tournament as a 'second-team experimental stage.'" It further stated that "exhibiting such an indifferent attitude as the host country in a competition where inter-nation rivalry is crucial is extremely irresponsible."

They also scrutinized the issue of not implementing VAR. The EAFF explained that "the officiating crew consists of personnel from Southeast Asia, and the VAR system is not being adopted due to financial constraints." However, Chinese media pointed out, "Without VAR, the potential for controversial judgment is inevitable. Especially in ambiguous situations during Korea's home games, avoiding disputes over fairness will be impossible."

The media added, "It is incomprehensible that Korea, which boasts the highest levels of economic power, technology, and infrastructure in Asia, cannot even implement VAR. This is the clearest evidence that Korea is not taking this tournament seriously."

Korea has exhibited dominance in the EAFF Championship over the years. The men's national team has won consecutive titles in 2019 and 2022, while the women's national team has consistently maintained a high ranking amid competition with Japan. However, the absence of European players and limitations in the technical system are resulting in a different scenario for this year's tournament.

Chinese media expressed strong dissatisfaction regarding this situation, stating that "Korea is failing to fulfill even the minimum responsibilities expected of a host country."

[OSEN]