Professional soccer K League 1 side Jeonbuk Hyundai announced the voluntary resignation of head coach Dan Petrescu on Saturday.
The club said, “Coach Petrescu realized the responsibility for the team’s poor performance and expressed his intention to relinquish the baton for the better development of Jeonbuk, and the club decided to respect the coach’s will.”
Petrescu, who took over as the seventh head coach of Jeonbuk in June last year, will end his journey with the club after the team’s 0-2 away loss to Jeju United on March 3.
Once touted as one of the top two teams alongside Ulsan HD, Jeonbuk is currently in last place with three draws and two losses (3 points) in its first five matches of the season, the only club out of 12 to fail to register its first league win.
The team’s home match against Gangwon will be coached by Park Won-jae and other domestic coaches in the absence of the head coach.
“In order to ensure that there is no interruption in the preparation for the match against Gangwon, Coach Petrescu has been in communication with the domestic coaching staff to ensure a smooth handover,” Jeonbuk said.
“In order to rebound and fulfill the expectations of the fans, we will proceed with the selection of a successor as soon as possible, and the domestic coaching staff, 스포츠토토 including Park Won-jae, Cho Sung-hwan, and Choi Eun-sung, will lead the team for the time being until the head coach is appointed,” the team added.
“It was a happy time for me to work with the best players and fans in the best team in Asia,” said Petrescu, who is leaving Jeonbuk.
“Jeonbuk is a team that needs to go to greater heights. I apologize for falling short of the fans’ expectations and thank them for their passionate support,” he said. “I would like to thank the club for their generous support during my tenure, as well as the players and coaching staff for believing in me and working hard.”
Finally, he said, “I will cherish the experience and time I spent as Jeonbuk’s coach and the love I have for the team in my heart, and I will continue to support Jeonbuk when I return to my homeland.”