Daegu FC relegated to K League 2; Bucheon reach promotion-relegation playoffs
Cesinha of Daegu FC, left, controls the ball against FC Anyang during the clubs' K League 1 match at Daegu iM Bank Park in the southeastern city of Daegu, Sunday. Yonhap
For the first time since 2016, Daegu FC will play in the second division of Korean football.
Daegu FC finished the 2025 K League 1 season in last place among 12 teams with 34 points, following a 2-2 draw against FC Anyang at Daegu iM Bank Park in the southeastern city of Daegu on Sunday, and they were relegated to the second-tier K League 2 for 2026.
Each year, the last-place team in the K League 1 suffers direct relegation to the K League 2. Teams finishing in 10th and 11th place fall into promotion-relegation playoffs against K League 2 opponents, with the winning teams playing in the top division for the following season.
This year, Jeju SK FC finished in 11th place with 39 points after beating Ulsan HD FC 1-0. Suwon FC ended their season in 10th place with 42 points after losing to Gwangju FC 1-0.
In order to avoid relegation Sunday, Daegu FC had to beat FC Anyang and have Jeju lose to Ulsan. In that case, Daegu and Jeju would both have finished with 36 points, and Daegu would likely have won the first tiebreaker, the goals scored, as they enjoyed a 45-39 edge heading into Sunday.
FC Anyang, who had little to play for because they were locked into at least eighth place, struck twice early, with Matheus Oliveira scoring in the opening minute and Lee Chang-yong doubling the visitors' lead three minutes later.
Geovani brought Daegu within one with his 58th-minute goal, and Cesinha had the equalizer during stoppage time for Daegu.
However, Jeju had already defeated Ulsan by that time, rendering Daegu's own result meaningless.
Caio's would-be go-ahead goal for Daegu in the dying seconds was wiped out on a handball violation after a video review.
Ulsan, the K League 1 champions in 2022, 2023 and 2024, finished just above Suwon FC in ninth despite Sunday's loss, and they avoided falling into the promotion-relegation playoffs.
As the 11th seed, Jeju SK will face the K League 2 runners-up, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, in one of the two promotion-relegation playoff series.
The other series will pit Suwon FC against Bucheon FC 1995, who held off Seongnam FC in a K League 2 playoff match on Sunday.
Bucheon and Seongnam ended in a goalless draw but Bucheon, as the higher seed at No. 3, were declared the winner without the match going into an extra period.
The promotion-relegation playoffs, to be played in a home-and-away format, will start later this week.