Seoul: FC Seoul announced Wednesday they will release veteran midfielder Ki Sung-yueng, granting their former captain his wish to play elsewhere in the top South Korean football league.
According to Yonhap News Agency, FC Seoul stated, "We have decided to pause our relationship with Ki Sung-yueng, our franchise star and eternal captain. After confirming that he is no longer part of our club's plans, Ki Sung-yueng asked to be moved to another club where he can play more and have a meaningful end to his career. We decided to accept that."
The K League 1 club emphasized that they will not sever ties with Ki permanently and mentioned plans to organize a retirement ceremony for the 36-year-old when he decides to end his career. The club added, "We both agreed that the team will do its best to support his pursuit of a new career in coaching after his playing days are over. We will reserve our utmost respect for Ki that he deserves as a legend for FC Seoul and ensure that he will be respected by many others."
Ki made his professional debut with FC Seoul in 2006 and played for them until 2009 before leaving for Celtic in Scotland. This move marked the beginning of an 11-year career in Europe for Ki, who later played for Swansea City, Sunderland, Newcastle United, and Mallorca before rejoining FC Seoul in 2020.
Since the arrival of new head coach Kim Gi-dong in 2024, Ki has seen a reduction in his playing time. He has participated in only eight out of 20 matches this season, despite returning to training after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Ki is reportedly close to joining Pohang Steelers. FC Seoul and Pohang are set to face each other on Sunday at Seoul World Cup Stadium.