The period that turned boos into cheers... ‘Gidong Magic’ led FC Seoul to victory (comprehensive)

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Myeong-eon = Seoul World Cup Stadium, where the slogan 'Kim Ki-dong go out' was heard until the beginning of the season, was covered with praise for 'Kim Ki-dong Magic'.

Coach Kim Ki-dong, who overturned the cold fan sentiment with overwhelming results, finally gave FC Seoul the K-League 1 championship trophy for the first time in 10 years and for the 7th time in total.

Seoul recorded a 1-1 draw with Gangwon FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 24th, and won 20 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses (67 points) in 33 regular league games this season, confirming their victory in K League 1 early on before entering the final round.

It is the 7th trophy in the club's history, including its predecessor Anyang LG, and the first trophy won in 10 years since 2016.

In particular, the early confirmation of the K League 1 championship before the final round is the third record in history, following Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2018 (round 32) and 2025 (round 33).

It also holds special meaning for Coach Kim, who led the team to the top in his third year in office. This is the first time he has won the first division regular season in his career as a coach.

On this day, Sangambeol was filled with shouts of 'Kim Ki-dong', but the journey he took to enjoy the glory of this year, his third year in office, was not smooth at all.

During his time with the Pohang Steelers, he always achieved results that exceeded expectations with limited resources and rose to the ranks of great players. He took over the baton in Seoul amid great interest in the 2024 season.

However, after ranking 4th in his first year in office, he remained in 6th place last year, failing to meet the expectations of fans.

In particular, the transfer of 'franchise star' Ki Sung-yong, who was like a symbol of the team, to Pohang in July of last year caused a strong stir in the hearts of Seoul fans, and fans criticized Manager Kim as well.

On days when the game was not going well, cold boos and painful slogans such as “Kim Ki-dong, get out!” erupted in Sangambeol.

Ahead of this season, even Jesse Lingard, a superstar from the English Premier League (EPL) who had been very active for the past two years, ended his contract and left the team, so there were still concerns about Seoul.

However, Coach Kim overcame the crisis with solid organizational skills.

In the vacancy of the star player, Coach Kim's unique soccer philosophy, which emphasizes forward pressure and mobility, was perfectly positioned.

The core of ‘Movement Magic’ was ‘one team’ that did not depend on specific players.

This season, Seoul boasted a diversified attack route that made it impossible to know whose foot the goal would come from.

Various resources, including the front-line 'solvers' Patrick Klimala (16 goals, 1 assist) and Andersson (3 goals, 5 assists), Jeong Seung-won (8 goals, 7 assists), Song Min-gyu, Moon Seon-min, and Babetz, took turns as solvers and combined to score 61 points, the most in the league.

Coach Kim proved his leadership once again by overcoming the terrible bad relationships with tactics.

In the game against Jeonbuk (1-0 win) on April 11, they broke the 9-year-old chain of no wins (2 draws, 11 losses) against Jeonbuk at home, and four days later, they defeated Ulsan 4-1, refreshingly shaking off the Ulsan away jinx after 3,643 days (14 games, 4 draws, 9 losses).

Coach Kim's accomplishments in calming the crisis with his skills were fully proven in his personal records.

He led the overwhelming lead race from the beginning of this season and swept the 'Coach of the Month Award' three times this year, in February-March, April, and August.

This is his 7th personal award, and he stands shoulder to shoulder with coach Choi Kang-hee as the 2nd most awarded recipients of all time (1st place Nam Ki-il, 8 times).

Director Kim Ki-dong put to rest the deep doubts he had about himself with his overwhelming performance. In the end, he quenched Seoul's 10-year long thirst for victory and changed the fans' cold gaze into the warmest cheers.