Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders, a women’s professional volleyball team run by Taekwang Group, sacked coach Kwon Soon-chan on January 2nd.
The reason was that it did not match the direction the club wanted to go.
Right after the announcement, I wondered what direction the club wanted to go. Coach Kwon Soon-chan was leading the players smoothly, and by the 3rd round of the season, they were recording 2nd place with 14 wins and 4 losses. In particular, in the last game of the 3rd round, it was a situation where the prospects for the second half were brightened by beating the leader Hyundai E&C, so the curiosity about the direction grew even more.
After 8 days, the answer came. Heungkuk Life Insurance issued an apology on January 10th. I apologized to the players and volleyball fans. At the same time, he admitted that the club intervened in the running of the game. It was never expressed as unacceptable. In the future, it was said that the club’s involvement in game management would be thoroughly blocked and the manager’s inherent authority would be fully respected.
Can you really believe this? If Heungkuk Life Insurance keeps this promise on January 10, 2033, 10 years after the announcement of the apology, we will only admit it then. Before that, it’s a difficult situation to reap suspicion. Looking at the past history of Heungkuk Life Insurance’s resignation or resignation, I have doubts about accepting this apology straight away.
In the first game on January 5, immediately after Heungkuk Life’s head coach Kwon Soon-chan was fired, head coach Lee Young-soo took over as acting manager. However, he resigned after winning the match that day.
The club has already contacted the new manager from the 3rd, right after the manager’s dismissal, and invited the new manager to the game on the 5th. And on the 6th, former head coach Kim Ki-joong was announced as the head coach. Like a pre-written screenplay, it was a quick fight. The contract period was not specified in the press release, but as a result of the coverage, it was until the 2024-2025 season.
On the 8th, the IBK Industrial Bank match seemed to be directed by new director Kim Ki-joong, but it was not. The manager’s contract did not arrive at KOVO (Korean Volleyball Federation) until 6:00 pm on the 7th, the day before the game.
Eventually, on the 8th, coach Kim Dae-gyeong led the team as acting manager. The agency system came out of women’s volleyball for two consecutive seasons following IBK Industrial Bank last season. It’s disastrous.
Heungkuk Life Insurance said on the 10th, the day before the Hyundai E&C exhibition, that new manager Ki-joong Kim had finally declined the position of director. It was said that the acting manager Kim Dae-kyung system would continue for the time being.
Which country and which team was this comedy? It’s hard to find a precedent, and I don’t think there will be such cases in the future.
Since then, Heungkuk Life Insurance is looking for a new manager again. It is a difficult situation for any domestic director to accept. I have no choice but to look for a foreign director.
But even this is a challenge. Several overseas manager candidates declined interviews or virtually rejected the offer, citing reasons the club could not agree to.
Until recently, volleyball players, officials, and reporters from various countries whom I met while covering international competitions, field training, or tryouts have been making inquiries from overseas. It is also informative. It’s a series of embarrassing and surprising things. 먹튀검증
Even during the school violence incident in 2021, two years ago, the Heungkuk Life Insurance club ignored social voices and stubbornly turned its back on public opinion, eventually leading to catastrophe. Remedy also failed.
After two years, the team is drifting again due to the sacking of the manager. The grade is still second, but the aftermath of the hardship of the director of Heungkuk Life Insurance is likely to continue for a long time.
The ‘Happiness Volleyball’ cheering phrases produced and brought by fans suggest various things. Will we be able to find ‘Happiness Volleyball’ in the pink uniform?
Heungkuk Life’s coach hardship, which will remain a dark history, left only great scars on the players, volleyball fans, and the volleyball world. The season continues today in the pain of unhealed wounds.