2020 K League 1
 | |
| Season | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8 May – 8 November 2020 |
| Relegated | Sangju |
| Matches played | 48 |
| Goals scored | 115 (2.4 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Júnior Negrão (8 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Daegu 6–0 Seoul (14 June 2020) |
| Biggest away win | Incheon 1–4 Pohang (31 May 2020) Seoul 1–4 Jeonbuk (6 June 2020) |
| Highest scoring | Sangju 2–4 Pohang (13 June 2020) Daegu 6–0 Seoul (14 June 2020) |
| Longest winning run | 3 matches Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Ulsan Hyundai Gwangju |
| Longest unbeaten run | 8 matches Ulsan Hyundai |
| Longest winless run | 8 matches Incheon United |
| Longest losing run | 6 matches Incheon United |
← 2019 2021 →
All statistics correct as of 21 June 2020. | |
The 2020 K League 1 is the 38th season of the top division of professional football in South Korea since its establishment in 1983 as K League, and the third season under its current name, the K League 1.[1][2] Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are the defending champions.
The regular season was scheduled to begin on 29 February and to end on 4 October,[3] but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] The K League 1 season returned on 8 May.[5][6] On 24 April 2020, the Korean Professional Football Union (K League) has confirmed that they will adopt a modified plan for the season, changing the regular season to 22 matches, and 5 Final Round matches per team. Sangju Sangmu and the lowest team at the end of this season will be relegated to K League 2 season 2021.[7]
Commencing this season, an additional spot for foreign players has been added for players from member countries of the ASEAN Football Federation.[8][9]
Promotion and relegation
Teams relegated to the 2020 K League 2
Teams promoted from the 2019 K League 2
Participating clubs by province
The following twelve clubs will compete in the K League 1 during the 2020 season.[10]
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seongnam FC |  Nam Ki-il[11]
|
Resigned | 16 December 2019 | Kim Nam-il[12]
|
23 December 2019 |
| Incheon United | Yoo Sang-chul[13]
|
Resigned | 2 January 2020 | Lim Wan-sup[14]
|
6 February 2020 |
Stadiums
- Primary venues used in the K League 1 include:
| Busan IPark | Daegu FC | Gangwon FC | Gwangju FC | Incheon United | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan Gudeok Stadium | DGB Daegu Bank Park | Chuncheon Songam Leports Town Gangneung Stadium |
Gwangju World Cup Stadium Gwangju World Cup Auxiliary Stadium |
Incheon Football Stadium | Jeonju World Cup Stadium |
| Capacity: 12,349 | Capacity: 12,415 | Capacity: 20,000 22,333 |
Capacity: 40,245 12,000 |
Capacity: 20,891 | Capacity: 42,477 |
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| Pohang Steelers | Sangju Sangmu | Seongnam FC | FC Seoul | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
Ulsan Hyundai |
| Pohang Steel Yard | Sangju Civic Stadium | Tancheon Stadium | Seoul World Cup Stadium | Suwon World Cup Stadium | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium |
| Capacity: 17,443 | Capacity: 15,042 | Capacity: 16,146 | Capacity: 66,704 | Capacity: 43,959 | Capacity: 44,102 |
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File:World cup stadium seoul.jpg | 
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Foreign players
Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to five per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries and a slot for a player from ASEAN. A team could use five foreign players on the field each game including at least one player from the AFC confederation[2]
Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 21 | Qualification for AFC Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Ulsan Hyundai | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 4 | +15 | 20 | Qualification for AFC Champions League play-off round |
| 3 | Pohang Steelers | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 16 | |
| 4 | Sangju Sangmu[b] (R) | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 14 | Relegation to K League 2 |
| 5 | Daegu FC | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 13 | |
| 6 | Gangwon FC | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 11 | |
| 7 | Gwangju FC | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 10 | |
| 8 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 8 | |
| 9 | Seongnam FC | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 8 | |
| 10 | Busan IPark | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 7 | |
| 11 | FC Seoul | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 18 | −13 | 6 | |
| 12 | Incheon United | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 2 | Relegation to K League 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head points.
(R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Teams are split into two groups (Final A and Final B) after each have played 22 matches.
- ^ Sangju Sangmu are a military team and are not eligible to represent South Korea in the AFC club competitions. Additionally, they have confirmed that the team will move its franchise city in the 2021 season and will be relegated to K League 2 season regardless of their final position in this season.
Positions by matchday
Leader & AFC Champions League group stage
Qualification to AFC Champions League qualification play-offs
Relegation to the 2021 K League 2
Round 1–22
Fixtures and results
Matches 1–22
Teams play each other twice, once at home, once away.
Final Round Matches 23–27
Teams will play each other at once.
Season statistics
Top scorersRef. [15]
|
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Most assists
Ref. [15]
- As of match(es) played by 21 June 2020
Awards
Most Valuable Player of The Round
|
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Monthly Awards
| Month | Player of the Month | Manager of the Month | Goal of the Month | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Manager | Club | Division | Player | Club | |
| May |  Júnior Negrão
|
Ulsan Hyundai | Kim Nam-il
|
Seongnam FC | K League 1 | ||
| June | |||||||
| July | |||||||
| August | |||||||
| September | |||||||
| October | |||||||
| November | |||||||
Season Awards
References
- ^ "2019 K League NEWS LETTER".
- ^ a b "K League United | South Korean football news, opinions, match previews and score predictions".
- ^ "K리그1 2020 시즌 2월 29일 개막" (in Korean). K League official site. 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
- ^ "K리그 개막 무기한 연기..스포츠계 '코로나19 비상'" (in Korean). Korean Broadcasting System. 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ King, Tom. "K-League to return on May 8". Sport Business. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ Jackson, Ed. "Socceroos star Adam Taggart is back playing for his club — and he's already scoring goals". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ "K리그 개막전, 5월8일 '불금' 전북-수원전 '전주성'서 무관중으로 열린다" (in Korean). Sports Chosun. 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ "S. Korean pro football to add Southeast Asian player quota in 2020". 17 April 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "News: K League to Introduce ASEAN Quota in 2020". Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "K League Official Club Profiles Page".
- ^ "성남FC 남기일 감독 자진 사퇴". Seongnam FC. 16 December 2019.
- ^ "성남FC, 김남일 신임감독 선임". Seongnam FC. 23 December 2019.
- ^ "유상철 감독, 인천유나이티드 명예 감독으로 남는다" (in Korean). Incheon United. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "인천유나이티드, 제10대 사령탑으로 임완섭 감독 선임". Incheon United F.C. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ a b "K LEAGUE / Record".