SKorean clubs to get more say after scandal

By foxsports
Published

South Korean clubs will be given more power in running football in the country as part of reforms designed to overhaul the game in the wake of a match-fixing scandal.

K-League general secretary An Gi-heon told a workshop of league officials and club representatives that the scandal should be a prompt to introduce some changes to the structure of the local game.

''The K-League is now suffering scandals, but we are trying tirelessly to overcome the problems,'' An was quoted as saying on the Asian Football Confederation's website. ''Everyone may perceive many changes are necessary.

''In this regard, the scandal can be an opportunity for us. As you know, the K-League board members have been changed, that means the decision making right has been moved to the club sides. We would like to listen more to the clubs and respect the clubs' voice.''

A five-man taskforce from the AFC completed a 12-day visit to South Korea on Monday, and while the continental body would not be directly involved in dealing the scandal, it did note some areas for improvement in the league's structure.

''Before we came here, we found that one of the weaknesses in the K-League was the recently emerged match-fixing issues and that a promotion-relegation system was not available,'' said AFC official Tokuaki Suzuki, who led the taskforce.

''During our inspection, we were given a detailed report and acknowledge a lot of actions has been taken and will be done by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, KFA and K-League.''

South Korean authorities have taken drastic measures to stamp out corruption, including the proposed use of lie detectors - or polygraph testing - to better investigate those implicated in future scandals in Asia's oldest domestic professional football league .

Prosecutors have indicted more than 70 footballers, gambling brokers and others for alleged involvement in the scandal. A former K-League player who allegedly worked as a gambling broker was found dead in an apparent suicide in May.