FC Anyang won the K League 2 title for the first time in its history and will join the top flight next season. However, the club is facing an emergency to secure the necessary budget.
The second division costs around 5 billion won per year to operate, but the first division is expected to cost around 4 billion won more than that, increasing the budget burden on the city of Anyang, where the mayor owns the club.
FC Anyang won the second division title with a total of 63 points (18 wins, 9 draws, and 9 losses) after a 2-2 draw against Gyeongnam FC on Sept. 9, fulfilling their dream of promotion to the first 온라인카지노사이트 division next year.
FC Anyang was founded as a civic club in 2013, capitalizing on the passion of Anyang soccer fans who lost their team when LG Cheetahs left Anyang to become Seoul-based FC Seoul. After winning the championship and advancing to the first division 11 years after its founding, Anyang citizens and supporters celebrated with a parade through the city of Anyang on the 9th.
However, the city of Anyang is worried about securing FC Anyang’s operating budget for next year. According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the 16th, FC Anyang is funded by the city of Anyang and the club’s own operating income. The annual operating expenses have gradually increased from 2.4 billion won in 2014 to 5.8 billion won in 2020.
The majority of the operating expenses are for labor costs for players, coaches, and staff, as well as player transfer fees.
If the team enters the first division next year, it will need to increase its budget to build a squad that matches the first division level. It is estimated that the total amount of player salaries will increase by more than 2 billion won compared to the second division.
The city of Anyang has initially budgeted 6 billion won for FC Anyang next year. In the FC Anyang contribution plan motion submitted to the city council a month ago, it proposed that 9.4 billion won was needed for the club’s operating budget for next year, but only 6 billion won was included in the main budget due to the city’s financial conditions.
The remaining shortfall will be made up through the supplementary budget and the club’s own income from increased gate receipts.
FC Anyang mobilized 94,505 fans in 18 home matches this season, the highest number since 2018, when the K League started tracking paid attendance. If other clubs’ home games draw around 1,700 fans, FC Anyang’s attendance is 4,000 to 5,000 fans.
The club’s last home match of the 39th round of the season, which was played after the championship was confirmed, drew 13,451 fans, setting a new record for the club’s largest single-game attendance.
Next year, when the club is promoted to the first division, it is expected to increase its home game attendance, which will lead to an increase in admission revenue, advertising revenue, and merchandise revenue.
“The promotion of FC Anyang to the first division, which we had hoped for so long, has created a true festival of hope and joy for the citizens,” said Mayor Choi, ”We will not be satisfied with this and will do our best to ensure the smooth operation of the first division.”
The budget for the FC Anyang subsidy will be deliberated during the second regular session of the Anyang City Council, which starts on the 20th of this month and lasts for a month, and is likely to be passed without any cuts.
This is because both the ruling and opposition parties in the city council recognize the need to understand and help FC Anyang’s increasing operating budget after its promotion to the first division.
FC Anyang’s overall revenue is expected to increase significantly as the club enters the first division. Whether this can be covered by gate receipts and marketing income, or whether the club will have to rely on the city’s supplementary budget has also become a concern.