Temporary bleachers will be installed at Jeonju World Cup Stadium (Jeonju-si), home of professional soccer K League 1 side Jeonbuk Hyundai. When the FA Cup final was held as a single game, the ratio of away fans was not specified in the regulations.

The K League 1 Pohang Steelers will play the final of the 2023 Hana Bank FA Cup against Jeonbuk at 2:15 p.m. on April 4 at the Pohang Steel Yard. Pohang will be looking to win the title for the first time in 10 years since 2013, while Jeonbuk will be looking for their second straight title after last season.

The FA Cup, which has had more twists and turns than usual, is finally coming down to the final.

Initially, the final was scheduled to take place on April 1 and 4 in a home-and-home format. However, the semifinals scheduled in August were canceled due to the aftermath of the Saemangeum Jamboree and typhoon Kanun.

As a result, the Korea Football Association, which organizes the FA Cup, rescheduled the semifinals for the first day and the final for the fourth day. The venue for the final will be determined by a lottery among the four finalists’ stadiums, and it was confirmed that it will be held at the home stadium of the winner of the Jeju-Pohang match. After the semifinals, the final was set between Pohang and Jeonbuk.

However, the ticketing aspect was not completely resolved. Since the tournament is supposed to be played home and away, there are no regulations on what the ratio of away fans should be when the tournament is played in a single stadium, as it was this season.

Since there are no FA Cup rules, Pohang decided to follow the league ratio. A Jeonbuk official said on March 3, “Pohang gave away 1,150 away fans, or 7 percent of the 15,000 capacity of the Steel Yard, in accordance with the K League’s away fan regulations.”

Since 1150 is not a large number, it did not fulfill the desires of the fans who wanted to go away. In response, Jeonbuk fans sent a direct message (DM) to defender Choi Chul-soon on social networking services (SNS) to show their support.

A Jeonbuk official, who learned of this through Choi Chul-soon, said, “So we decided to open up the N seats (supporters’ seats) in Jeonju for those who can’t come to Pohang tomorrow. The fans in the N seats will be able to cheer for the FA Cup final together on the south side of the stadium,” he explained.

“I understand that the players will be shooting coffee tea for fans visiting Jeonju Castle.”

Choi Chul-soon, who attended the official pre-match press conference on the eve of the match as a key player, said, “Many fans are cheering for us even from Jeonju, so we will do our best to win.”

The Pohang fans are no different. In the 50th anniversary season, they are reportedly planning to give their team a golden opportunity to win a trophy at home.

A Pohang official said, “About 8,000 fans came to the league games this season. So far, 12,000 tickets have been sold. “Considering the on-site sales on the day of the game, we can probably expect a sellout,” he said. 무지개토토

Kim Seung-dae, who scored a goal to help Pohang win the title 10 years ago, also said, “I scored a goal away from home, but I’ll be more energized at home. Whether I score or not, it’s my first final as captain, so I’m the captain.