Incheon United has issued an apology and self-discipline for a water bottle throwing incident.
On May 13, Incheon announced through the club’s official channel, “On May 11, shortly after the end of the home match against FC Seoul in the 12th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 at the Incheon Football Stadium, a safety incident occurred in which a water bottle was thrown into the stadium. We take full responsibility for the incident and would like to sincerely apologize to the visiting team, FC Seoul, 홀덤사이트 their officials and fans,” the club announced.
“We also apologize for the distress this incident has caused to the people of Incheon and the club’s fans. In order to establish the facts of this incident and prevent its recurrence, the club will immediately implement the following follow-up measures, and we would like to inform you that there will be no leniency or exceptions to these measures.”
Incheon lost 1-2 to FC Seoul in the 12th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 on Nov. 11 at the Incheon Football Stadium.
After the game, Seoul goalkeeper Baek Jong-beom made a gesture toward Incheon supporters, and some Incheon fans threw water bottles onto the field in response.
In the process, Ki Sung-yong, who was standing in the direction of the Incheon supporters’ seats to stop the throwing, was hit by a water bottle and fell to the ground.
In the end, the club took the strongest first step in disciplining the fans by closing the stands for two games. The games were the 14th round match against Gwangju FC and the 15th round match against Ulsan HD.
The club will also take additional measures such as strengthening the rules for bringing in items to all remaining home games, operating a pre-reporting system for items, and launching a “Clean Cheering Campaign” to improve the fan culture.
The Incheon club lost several things as a result of the water bottle throwing.
First of all, the team lost money by closing the stands. Fans, who are known for their loyalty in the K League, were unable to attend the stadium, which affected the team’s morale.
The organization has taken its own disciplinary action, with punishment to be handed down by the sanctioning body, but the damage is done. The disturbances on the field, especially the physical harm caused to the players on the field, are bound to dampen support.
In addition, the KFA reduced the restrictions on beverages in May, especially canned drinks, which were previously allowed to be purchased with the lid removed, but were criticized for being inconvenient to sell. However, there could be sanctions on the sale of cans again.
An official from the professional football league said, “There are many concerns. In particular, we changed the regulations to include issues such as unnecessary garbage generation, but if we go back to it, that issue will also arise. We are thinking about various situations.”
Incheon said, “From the 13th to the 19th, we will accept self-reports through the club’s email,” adding, “If you report yourself, you will not be subject to any future civil or criminal legal action by the club, and only the club’s own discipline will be applied. If you do not self-report, we will compile all evidence (photos, videos, testimonies, etc.) and file a complaint with the competent police department, as well as seek monetary damages for all financial losses incurred by the club for this incident.”