The 2012 K League, officially known as Hyundai Oilbank K-League 2012, was the 30th season of the K League. It was sponsored by Hyundai Oilbank. Since this season, the K League Championship and the Korean League Cup were abolished, and K League introduced the "split system", inspired by Scottish Premier League. After all 16 clubs played 30 matches each under the home and away system, they were split into the group of top eight and the group of bottom eight, playing with each other in a group again.
Teams
General information Club City Stadium 2011 season Busan IPark Busan Busan Asiad Stadium 6th place Jeonnam Dragons Gwangyang Gwangyang Football Stadium 7th place Daegu FC Daegu Daegu Stadium 12th place Daejeon Citizen Daejeon Daejeon World Cup Stadium 15th place Gangwon FC GangneungChuncheon Gangneung StadiumChuncheon Stadium 16th place Gwangju FC Gwangju Gwangju World Cup Stadium 11th place Gyeongnam FC Changwon Changwon Football Center 8th place Incheon United Incheon Incheon Football Stadium 13th place Jeju United Seogwipo Jeju World Cup Stadium 9th place Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Jeonju Jeonju World Cup Stadium Champions Pohang Steelers Pohang Pohang Steel Yard 3rd place Sangju Sangmu Phoenix Sangju Sangju Civic Stadium 14th place Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Seongnam Tancheon Sports Complex 10th place FC Seoul Seoul Seoul World Cup Stadium 5th place Suwon Samsung Bluewings Suwon Suwon World Cup Stadium 4th place Ulsan Hyundai Ulsan Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Runners-up
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit supplier SponsorBusan IPark An Ik-sooPumaBusan Bank Jeonnam Dragons Ha Seok-ju Kelme POSCO Daegu FC Moacir Pereira Hummel Daegu Bank Daejeon Citizen Yoo Sang-chul Lotto Daejeon Gangwon FC Kim Hak-bum Mizuno High 1 Resort Gwangju FC Choi Man-hee Joma Gwangju Bank Gyeongnam FC Choi Jin-han Hummel STX Incheon United Kim Bong-gil Le Coq Sportif Shinhan Bank Jeju United Park Kyung-hoon Astore SK Energy Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Lee Heung-sil Hummel Hyundai i40, Hyundai Santa Fe Pohang Steelers Hwang Sun-hong Kappa POSCO Sangju Sangmu Phoenix Park Hang-seo Jako Sangju Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Shin Tae-yong Uhlsport McCOL FC Seoul Choi Yong-soo Le Coq Sportif Xii Suwon Samsung Bluewings Yoon Sung-hyo Adidas Samsung Smart TV Ulsan Hyundai Kim Ho-kon Diadora Hyundai Oilbank
Managerial changes TeamOutgoingMannerDateIncomingDateTableDaegu FC Lee Young-jinSacked31 October 2011 Moacir Pereira2 November 2011Pre-seasonJeonbuk Hyundai Motors Choi Kang-heeSigned for South Korea21 December 2011 Lee Heung-sil21 December 2011Sangju Sangmu Phoenix Kim Tae-wanCaretaker29 December 2011 Park Hang-seo 29 December 2011Incheon United Huh Jung-mooResigned11 April 2012 Kim Bong-gil13 April 201215thGangwon FC Kim Sang-hoResigned1 July 2012 Kim Hak-bum6 July 201214thJeonnam Dragons Jung Hae-seongResigned10 August 2012 Ha Seok-ju14 August 201216th
Foreign players Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team could use four foreign players on the field each game including a least one player from the AFC country.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3AFC playerFormer player(s) Busan IPark Éder Baiano Fágner José Mota Matt McKay Jeonnam Dragons Matt Simon Henan Lúcio Flávio Robert Cornthwaite Leléco Daegu FC Dinélson Leandrinho Matheus Daejeon Citizen Kevin Oris Alessandro Lopes Alex Terra Yuta Baba Leozinho Gangwon FC Muhamed Džakmić Weslley Ianis Zicu Yusuke Shimada Denis Laktionov Gwangju FC João Paulo Bogdan Milić Adriano Chuva Gyeongnam FC Caíque Roni Wilmar Jordán Luke DeVere Incheon United Sokol Cikalleshi Ivo Paulo Júnior Nathan Burns Ferdinando Jeju United Júnior Santos Jair Renan Marques Adrian Madaschi Robert Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Eninho Leonardo Hugo Droguett Alex Wilkinson Luiz Henrique Huang Bowen Pohang Steelers Derek Asamoah Zoran Rendulić Ianis Zicu Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Éverton Santos Jael Ferreira Javier Reina Brendan Hamill Héverton Vladimir Jovančić Sasa Ognenovski FC Seoul Adilson Mauricio Molina Dejan Damjanović Sergio Escudero Suwon Samsung Bluewings Éverton Cardoso Stevica Ristić Dženan Radončić Eddy Bosnar Ulsan Hyundai Maranhão Rafinha Julián Estiven Vélez Akihiro Ienaga
League table
Positions by matchday
Round 1–30
Round 31–44
Results
Matches 1–30
Matches 31–44
Top eight
Bottom eight
Player statistics Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Dejan Damjanović FC Seoul 312 Lee Dong-gook Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 26 3 Jair Jeju United 18 Mauricio Molina FC Seoul 18 5 Kevin Oris Daejeon Citizen 16 Kim Eun-jung Gangwon FC 16 6 Ianis Zicu Gangwon FC 15 Eninho Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 158 Júnior Santos Jeju United 14 9 Maranhão Ulsan Hyundai 13 Kim Shin-wook Ulsan Hyundai 13
Top assist providers RankPlayerClubAssists1 Mauricio Molina FC Seoul 192 Eninho Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 133 Lee Seung-gi Gwangju FC 124 Júnior Santos Jeju United 115 Kim Hyeung-bum Daejeon Citizen 10 6 Hugo Droguett Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 9 Jair Jeju United 9 8 Hwang Jin-sung Pohang Steelers 8 Park Sung-ho Pohang Steelers 8 Go Seul-ki Ulsan Hyundai 8 Hwang Il-su Daegu FC 8
Awards Main awards AwardWinnerClubMost Valuable Player Dejan DamjanovićFC SeoulTop goalscorer Dejan DamjanovićFC SeoulTop assist provider Mauricio MolinaFC SeoulRookie of the Year Lee Myung-jooPohang SteelersFANtastic Player Dejan DamjanovićFC SeoulManager of the Year Choi Yong-sooFC SeoulSpecial Award Kim Yong-daeFC Seoul Kim Byung-jiGyeongnam FCBest Referee Choi Myung-yong—Best Assistant Referee Kim Yong-soo—Team of the YearFC SeoulFair Play AwardUlsan HyundaiYouth Team of the YearPungsaeng Middle School(Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma) Source:
Best XI PositionWinnerClubGoalkeeper Kim Yong-daeFC SeoulDefenders AdilsonFC Seoul Jung In-whanIncheon United Kwak Tae-hwiUlsan Hyundai Kim Chang-sooBusan IParkMidfielders Mauricio MolinaFC Seoul Ha Dae-sungFC Seoul Hwang Jin-sungPohang Steelers Lee Keun-hoUlsan HyundaiForwards Lee Dong-gookJeonbuk Hyundai Motors Dejan DamjanovićFC Seoul Source:
Attendance Due to the match-fixing scandal that involved 40 current and former players in the previous year, there was a massive decline in attendance the following season. The scandal continued to have an effect on the league's attendance for several seasons thereafter.
Attendance by club
Top matches Rank Date Home Score Away Venue Attendance Round Day of week1 18 August 2012 FC Seoul 0–2 Suwon Samsung Bluewings Seoul World Cup Stadium 50,787 28 Saturday2 5 May 2012 FC Seoul 2–1 Pohang Steelers Seoul World Cup Stadium 45,982 11 Saturday3 1 April 2012 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2–0 FC Seoul Suwon World Cup Stadium 45,192 5 Sunday4 3 October 2012 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1–0 FC Seoul Suwon World Cup Stadium 43,352 34 Wednesday5 4 November 2012 FC Seoul 1–1 Suwon Samsung Bluewings Seoul World Cup Stadium 40,510 38 Sunday6 20 May 2012 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2–1 Ulsan Hyundai Suwon World Cup Stadium 37,519 13 Sunday7 28 May 2012 FC Seoul 3–1 Incheon United Seoul World Cup Stadium 31,156 14 Monday8 13 May 2012 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 4–1 Gwangju FC Suwon World Cup Stadium 29,019 12 Sunday9 25 March 2012 FC Seoul 2–1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Seoul World Cup Stadium 25,811 4 Sunday10 24 June 2012 FC Seoul 1–1 Ulsan Hyundai Seoul World Cup Stadium 25,653 17 Sunday
See also 2012 in South Korean football 2012 Korean FA Cup List of South Korean football transfers winter 2011–12
References
External links Official website Review at K League