The much-anticipated 2024 K League 1 season is poised to commence on Friday, March 1st, featuring a thrilling opener between Ulsan HD and Pohang Steelers in the traditional ‘champion-vs-champion’ clash.
On Monday, January 15th, the K League unveiled the fixtures for the upcoming season, spanning Rounds 1 to 33.
This season marks a significant shift, as it initiates in March for the first time since 2019. Previous years saw slightly earlier opening rounds in 2021, 2022, and 2023, with the 2020 season experiencing a delayed start due to the pandemic.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, bolstered by two fresh recruits from Daejeon Hana Citizen, Tiago Orobo and Jeon Byung-kwan, will kick off their campaign at home on Friday, March 1st, against the Purples.
Drawing parallels with 2012 and 2013, when Kevin Oris set a record for top-flight goals with Daejeon Citizen (16) before moving to Jeonbuk the following year, this season’s opener mirrors the encounter between the two teams on the first day of a new campaign. Tiago, who set a new record of 17 goals for the Purples in 2023, has now made the transition to Jeonbuk, and his debut for the club will be against Daejeon.
In another fixture, newly-promoted Gimcheon Sangmu will kick off their season away against Daegu FC on Sunday, March 3rd.
Gangwon FC and Suwon FC, both successful in avoiding relegation through playoffs last season, will commence their campaigns with home matches against Jeju and an away fixture against Incheon, respectively.
The tradition of Friday night football continues, with each team slated to play one match on the last workday of the week. The first occurrence is scheduled for July 5th when Incheon United faces Gimcheon Sangmu, and Suwon FC hosts Ulsan HD.
