Gwangju FC terminates deal with head coach by mutual consent

Gwangju FC announced Sunday they have terminated their contract with head coach Lee Jung-hyo by mutual consent, with the tactician rumored to be on his way to another domestic club. Gwangju FC of the top-flight K League 1 said Lee had asked his way out of the deal on Dec. 12, with two more seasons left. Following a legal review, the club decided to grant Lee his wish Sunday. Lee, 50, grabbed Gwangju's reins in December 2021 and led them to the title in the second-tier K League 2 in 2022. Gwangju set a record for most points in the K League 2 with 86 and earned direct promotion to the K League 1 for 2023. Despite predictions that they'd be lucky to avoid relegation, Gwangju FC finished the 2023 K League 1 season in third place with 59 points, thanks to a club-record 16 wins, 11 draws and 11 losses. Gwangju FC slipped to ninth place in 2024 but improved to seventh place this year. In other competitions, they reached the final of the Korea Cup this year, falling to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2-1 in a hard-fought contest, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation Cham