POYET BLASTS AFC AFTER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SETBACK
Jeonbuk Motors coach Gus Poyet has fiercely criticised the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ahead of his team’s crucial AFC Champions League Two clash with Sydney FC. The Uruguayan manager called the competition “not worth it” after his side was forced to play their home leg away from their stadium due to pitch concerns.
Jeonbuk faces an uphill battle in Thursday night’s second leg at Allianz Stadium, trailing 2-0 after Sydney FC’s commanding performance last week. Poyet, however, believes the odds were stacked against his team from the start, with the AFC’s decision to move their home leg away from Jeonju a major sticking point. The AFC deemed Jeonbuk’s pitch unsuitable, forcing the match to be played closer to Seoul, a decision Poyet labelled as unfair and unnecessary.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the pitch in Sydney,” Poyet said sarcastically. “I wasn’t able to play at home for a really unfair and stupid decision, so I hope the pitch is spot on. If your pitch is worse than our pitch at home, what is the outcome? Why is that fair?”
The former Chelsea and Tottenham star didn’t hold back, suggesting the AFC official who made the call was influenced by the logistical inconvenience of Jeonju’s location rather than the pitch’s actual condition. “You need to go to Seoul and drive three hours, and it was very cold. (The official) probably thought, ‘Do I want to come here? No, I’ll make a report and we play somewhere near Seoul.’ Our pitch was in perfect condition to play,” he fumed.
Poyet’s frustration extended to the impact on Jeonbuk’s supporters, with only 2,500 fans attending the relocated match — a paltry figure for a Champions League quarter-final. “It’s not worth it,” he said bluntly. “If the Asian federation wants to play Champions League Two at the highest level, they must pay attention to what they do and be fair with their decisions, or it’s not worth it to play.”
His ire wasn’t solely reserved for the pitch debacle. Poyet also criticised the AFC for holding Wednesday’s pre-match press conference at Sydney FC’s training ground rather than Allianz Stadium, adding unnecessary travel and disruption for his squad. “Someone decided who doesn’t understand the rules of football,” he said. “We’re talking about the side of football I don’t like — the politics, the decision-makers who don’t have a clue.”
