What do you think of when you visit Daegu? Perhaps you think of many things, but Daegu is a city with a huge of passion for sports, unlike any other city. Soccer is the most popular sport for Daegu citizens. Daegu’s local soccer team, Daegu FC, was founded on 9 October 2002. It is the first soccer club not only in Korean professional soccer but also in Korean professional sports. Daegu FC isn’t sponsored by a particular company; instead, the team has raised funds by means of open stock trading. In some cases, the team also receives support from local governments, but they also manage their teams by attracting advertisements from local companies, such as DGB Daegu Bank. Daegu FC’s home stadium is DGB Daegu Bank Park. It is adjacent to Dongsung-ro, the largest and busiest street in Daegu, and the park is accessible by subway lines one and three. Daegu FC’s coach has been coaching the team since 2017, and he is the only K-League manager to play in the AFC Champions League at the same time as winning the FA Cup for the first time in the teamʼs history. Daegu FCʼs history includes all the hard work and sweat of the players, and Cho Hyun-woo, a key player, was a big part of the team. Cho Hyun-woo is the team’s leading player and the only player to have participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Germany and also the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. When we first visited DGB Daegu Bank Park on April 6, Daegu FC’s fourth home match of this season, all of the tickets were sold out – not only for that match, but for all the home games for this season. Although the match ended in a draw, we could feel the fan’s love and passion for soccer.
Here are some fascinating features of Daegu FC. First, DGB Daegu Bank stadium was designed as a soccer dedicated stadium. It is only 7 meters from the soccer field to stands. Also, the flooring of the stands was built with aluminum, so fans can make lots of noise stamping their feet in support during the games. Second, corresponding with the origin of Daegu FC, the club does a lot of events for the fans. For example, the club distributes free sunglasses to all supporters and gives posters with Cho Hyun-woo’s autograph at every match. Lastly, we think it’s the athletes’ positive attitudes that is the most impressive. Daegu FC’s players are famous for their attention to their fans. For instance, athletes meet fans and give autographs for more than 10 minutes after every game. Because of this, fans become loyal to the team and come back again and again to show their support. If someone is feeling tired or stressed and in need of a fun way to get rid of stress and recharge energy, we suggest a visit to see the Daegu FC in a home game at DGB Daegu Bank Park.
