2021 K4 League
The 2021 K4 League is the second season of the K4 League as a semi-professional league and the fourth tier of South Korean football league system. Paju Citizen are the defending champions and was promoted together with Ulsan Citizen (the runner-up) to 2021 K3 League. Chuncheon Citizen and Jeonju Citizen were relegated from 2020 K3 League and will play in the K4 League for the first time.[1] Icheon Citizen have disbanded due to financial problems and haven't registered for the league, while Yeoju Citizen (now Yeoju FC) has submitted a new entry in the competition after first announcing their disbandment.
| Season | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Dates | TBA 2021 – TBA 2021 |
← 2020 2022 → | |
Plus, four new teams, Geoje Citizen, Dangjin Citizen, Pyeongchang United (a semi-successor of former K3 League team Pyeongchang FC, disbanded in 2019) and the B team of Gangwon FC were welcomed to the K4 League.[1]
For the first time in the history of the South Korean football system, teams from professional leagues K League 1 and K League 2 were allowed to create reserve teams set to play in the K4 League, in order to give academy players and/or other registered players more playing time. The main condition for them is to have at least seven out of eleven players in the starting formation aged 23 or younger. At the end of January 2021, it was announced that Gangwon FC would be the first club to take advantage of this new rule, having founded a reserve team that was officially allowed to take part in the 2021 edition of K4 League. It still isn't clear if the young "Kodiaks" will be able to pursue promotion to K3 League or even take part in the promotion play-off.[1][2]
Competition format
The 2021 K4 League is contested by sixteen teams, with no relegation system in place.[1] Each team competes home and away, playing 30 games. The top two teams get promoted to the K3 League, while the third and the fourth placed teams qualify for the promotion play-off.[1]
Promotion and relegation
Teams relegated from the 2020 K3 League
Teams promoted to the 2021 K3 League
New Teams
- Gangwon FC B[2]
- Geoje Citizen[3]
- Dangjin Citizen[4]
- Pyeongchang United[5]
Name Changes
- Yeoju Citizen FC renamed to Yeoju FC
Dissolved Teams from 2020 Season
Teams
| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuncheon Citizen | Chuncheon | Chuncheon Stadium | 25,000 |  Son Hyun-jun |
| Chungju Citizen | Chungju | Chungju Tangeum Stadium | 3,000 | Gong Mun-bae |
| Dangjin Citizen | Dangjin | Dangjin Sports Complex | 11,718 | Han Sang-min |
| FC Namdong | Incheon | Namdong Industrial Complex Park | 2,500 | Kim Jeong-Jae |
| Gangwon FC B | Gangwon | Chuncheon Songam Stadium | 20,000 | Lee Seul-gi |
| Geoje Citizen | Geoje | Geoje Stadium | 7,500 | Song Jae-gyu |
| Goyang Citizen | Goyang | Eoulimnuri Byeolmuri Ground | 2,500 | Kim Young-ho |
| Jeonju Citizen | Jeonju | Jeonju Stadium | 30,000 | Yang Young Cheol |
| Jinju Citizen | Jinju | Jinju Stadium | 20,116 | Choi Cheong-il |
| Pocheon Citizen | Pocheon | Pocheon Stadium | 7,000 | Cho Man-geun |
| Pyeongchang United | Pyeongchang | Jinbu Sports Park | 300 | An Hong-min |
| Seoul Jungnang | Seoul | Jungnang Public Ground | 400 | Kim Sang-Hwa |
| Seoul Nowon United | Seoul | Nowon Madeul Stadium | 446 | Lee Jeong-jae |
| Siheung Citizen | Siheung | Jeongwang Sports Park | 1,500 | Jeong Seon-woo |
| Yangpyeong FC | Yangpyeong | Yongmun Sports Park | 3,000 | Kim Chang-yoon |
| Yeoju FC | Yeoju | Yeoju Stadium | 16,000 | Shim Bong-Seop |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chuncheon Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Promotion to 2022 K3 League |
| 2 | Chungju Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Dangjin Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification to Promotion Play-off |
| 4 | Gangwon FC B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Geoje Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Goyang Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Jeonju Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Jinju Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | FC Namdong | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Pocheon Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Pyeongchang United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Seoul Jungnang | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Seoul Nowon United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Siheung Citizen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Yangpyeong FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | Yeoju FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3)Head-to-head points; 4) number of goals scored; 5) Number of wins
Results
Matches 1 to 30
Promotion Play-off
The match was played on the TBA 2021. The 3rd and 4th placed team from the 2020 K4 League will play for a spot in the 2022 K3 League against the team placed 14th in the 2021 K3 League.
| Final | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
Promotion Play-off
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
Winner
| 2021 K4 League Winners |
|---|
| TBD TBD |
See also
- 2021 Korean FA Cup
- 2021 K League 1
- 2021 K League 2
- 2021 K3 League
- 2021 K5 League
- 2021 K6 League
- 2021 K7 League
References
- "K3·K4리그 대표자회의 개최...3월 7일 개막". KFA. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- Kim, Jin-seong (January 31, 2021). "Gangwon FC will become the first team to found a B Team that will participate in the K4 League, as per @goalgoalsong". Twitter. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- Barnes, Tim (January 22, 2021). "Welcome Geoje Citizen FC to the #K4 League for the 2021 season". Twitter. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- Kim, Jin-seong (January 20, 2021). "[...] It's official now. This is the logo of the newly-formed K4 League side Dangjin Citizen FC". Twitter. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- Kim, Jin-Seong (January 28, 2021). "One of the three new participants of the K4 League this year, Pyeongchang United FC, have officially announced their logo". Twitter. Retrieved January 29, 2021.