The K League United Podcast

In what was set to be a simple review of the summer friendlies being hosted in Korea, Matthew Binns, Paul Neat and Andrew Farrell return to discuss two of the biggest stories to come out of the games plus a look at the K League-related fixtures and thoughts from the mixed zone and press conferences. On the eve of the Tottenham Hotspur versus Newcastle United clash in this summer's Coupang Play Series, Korea footballing world was taken aback at the announcement from Spurs and National Team captain Son Heung-min about his decision to leave the Premier League outfit after 10 years with them. With his subsequent record-breaking move to MLS side LA FC announced days later, the pod first takes a look at this sizeable transfer and the impact it could have on Korea ahead of the 2026 World Cup. [READ: Son Heung-min signs with LA FC] There were friendlies to be played though, with Team K League also back in action in what has once again become an annual tradition, defeating Newcastle by a goal to nil. Andrew gives his thoughts on the game plus we hear from Magpies boss Eddie Howe and FC Anyang's Thomas Oude-Kotte, before our columnist Claire Evans joins us to tell us about her experience from the stands. Paul then takes us through FC Seoul's 7-3 defeat to Barcelona before Andrew then walks us through the Spanish Champions second Korea-based friendly, a 5-0 victory over Daegu. We also hear from Barcelona boss Hansi Flick along with Daegu striker Edgar who caught up with our own Jung Muyeol. [READ: Dark days ahead for Daegu] Finally, defeating Newcastle in a friendly wasn't enough to turn the attention away from under-fire Ulsan boss Kim Pan-gon, who saw his year at the club come to an end after an eleven game winless run. The reigning K League 1 Manager of the Year had been coming under increasing pressure as Ulsan's title bid slipped away. Kim has been replaced by former Korea and Indonesia National Team boss Shin Tae-yong, just in time for the weekend fixtures. [READ: Ulsan HD Appoint Shin Tae-yong] All this and more on The K League United Podcast!

In this bonus episode of the K League United Podcast, Paul speaks to new KLU recruit and Pohang Steelers fan Claire Evans to check in with what's happening at the Steel Yard. Muyeol makes another mixed cameo and speaks with Steelers striker Lee Ho-jae following the R24 win over Daegu FC.

In this special episode, we preview an exciting week of international club friendlies in Korea as European giants roll into town. First, we break down Team K League vs Newcastle United, highlighting key players to watch and what the best of K League will bring to the pitch. Then, we turn our attention to FC Seoul vs Barcelona, a historic matchup set to light up the capital and get insights from FC Seoul fan and TV personality Paul Carver, before heading south with the help of KLU columnist Stuart Warren, to preview Daegu FC vs Barcelona, where the underdogs will look to make a statement against the Catalan kings. Whether you're a fan of the K League, the Premier League, or La Liga, you won’t want to miss this one.

We've all been to our share of K League 1 and 2 grounds so, this week, Andrew, Luke, and Mike discussed their favorite (and least favorite) away days in Korea. As K League 1 takes a short break, we also look at the high-profile summer friendlies featuring Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United. We round out the show debating whether the lifting of the foreign goalkeeper ban is a good thing, and which players our own teams need this summer. Listen to the KLU Pod wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to leave us a review! iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Libsyn | TuneIn Radio

In this bonus episode of The K League United Podcast, Muyeol provides his thoughts on the current situation at Daegu FC, with the Sky Blues sitting 12th and 12 points clear of safety. Muyeol also speaks to both Cesinha and Edgar in the mixed zone following the 2-1 Korea Cup loss to Gangwon FC to get their input. The message from both of them, though, is clear. Tune in to find out!

In this episode of The K League United Podcast, Paul and Andrew look ahead to the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, or the East Asian Cup, and assess the Taeguk Warriors' chances of reclaiming their crown, look at the tournament format as a whole, South Korea's key players, who was unlucky to miss out, what Hong Myung-bo's thinking might be with his squad selection, and more.

In this episode of The K League United Podcast, Paul sits down with Pohang Steelers defender Jonathan Aspropotamitis for a full-length interview to talk about his move to K League, life in Pohang, remaining patient for a starting berth, the experience of winning the Korea Cup, and much more. 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5G_7mk90Eto 📽 Extended version on Patreon: https://short-link.me/15Ls5

In celebration of reaching 10 years of K League coverage, K League United's Ryan Walters, Paul Neat, and Matthew Binns sit down to discuss their highlights and stories of their time following Korean football. From groundhopping to player interviews, and from beyond the running tracks to global international coverage, K League United has had quite the decade since its humble beginnings in Gwangyang back in 2015. Ryan, Paul and Matt recall some of their sliding doors moments and behind-the-scenes stories from ten years of keeping tabs on K League. Which players have we saved a penalty against? Which player did we give a Subway sandwich card to? What does a K League stag do look like? Also a huge THANKS to everyone who has supported us, from writers to readers, players to clubs, for making the last ten years truly memorable! Here's to many more! All this and more, on this 10-Year anniversary edition of The K League United Podcast!

In this third FIFA Club World Cup special episode of The K League United Podcast, Paul and Matt look back at reigning K League champions Ulsan HD's loss to Fluminense in matchday two, before previewing the final Group F match for the Horangi, Borussia Dortmund. To find out more about what to expect from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, we hear from journalist and German football expert Ultán Corcoran from Bulinews.com.

Ulsan HD need to shake off the loss to Mamelodi Sundowns and now focus on Brazilian giants Fluminense. Paul and Matt look ahead to this crunch clash for the Horangi as the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Group F reaches matchday two. We hear from South American football expert and journalistic giant Tim Vickery for his thoughts on Fluminense.

Luke Evans makes his debut in the presenter's chair to review Incheon United's potentially title-deciding victory over Suwon Samsung on Sunday night. Luke is joined by Andrew Farrell to go through the fall-out from Incheon's win in front of over 22,000 people at the weekend. Incheon took a one-nil lead into the break, and even though Suwon talked about making a fast start to the second half, Incheon struck again, inside four minutes. Suwon rallied and closed the gap with a 65th minute response, but ultimately Byun Sung-hwan's team were left to rue poor finishing and some dreadful defending. Luke and Andrew give their thoughts on the match, the key moments, Incheon's tactical masterclass, and Suwon's leaky defense. Listen to the KLU Pod wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to leave us a review! iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Libsyn | TuneIn Radio

The 2026 FIFA Club World Cup is here and flying the flag for South Korea and K League, Ulsan HD get their Group F campaign up and running against the champions of South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns. In this episode of the K League United Podcast, Paul and Andrew talk about Ulsan's expectations and aims for the tournament as a whole, look ahead to the first match with the Sundowns, and offer their score predictions. We also hear some snippets from Andrew's recent interview with Gustav Ludwigson, with the Horangi winger offering his thoughts on the tournament and the team's hopes. Paul is then joined by African football writer and expert Ali Howort,h who gives us the lowdown on Mamelodi Sundowns.

In this episode of the K League United podcast, Andrew Farrell is joined by Luke Evans and Mike Brandon to debate whether Ulsan HD's prize money at the Club World Cup, which begins next week for the reigning K League champions in Miami, will have a negative influence on the league. Apart from a discussion on Ulsan's CWC treasure chest, Andrew, Luke, and Mike give their thoughts on the QF draw for the 2025 Korean Cup. They also briefly reflect on Korea's World Cup qualification, look forward to Suwon Samsung versus Incheon United this Sunday, and why away fans need to be treated better in K League. You can read more about some of the talking points in these articles on the KLU site right now. Korean Cup Quarter Final Draw. "The biggest thing is to represent Ulsan" - Gustav Ludwigson on the Club World Cup. Ulsan HD's schedule so far after arriving in U.S. for Club World Cup. K League has an away fan problem, and it needs to be fixed. Ulsan HD “Satisfied” With Club World Cup Prize Money. Listen to the KLU Pod wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to leave us a review! iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Libsyn | TuneIn Radio

In this episode of the K League United podcast, Andrew Farrell talks to Claire Evans about the Korean national team's double-header with Colombia, following the WK League, and Pohang Steelers' up-turn in form. With Paul Neat and Matthew Binns still away on international duty, Andrew refused to let go of the microphone, and was joined by Claire Evans for a special on women's football in Korea. Claire was in Namdong and Yongin to see the national team take on Colombia either side of the weekend. Claire also introduced the WK League, where the teams are located, and some of the issues associated with the division. Lastly, Claire briefly discussed Pohang Steelers' rise up the table and whether a Pohang fan could possibly support Ulsan HD in the FIFA World Club Cup. You can follow Claire's WK League page @wkleaguenews

In this episode of the K League United podcast, Andrew Farrell is joined by Luke Evans and Mike Brandon to look back over the first phase of K League 2 fixtures. With Paul Neat and Matthew Binns unavailable due to international call ups, Andrew took over the podcast this week, and naturally turned it in a K League 2 special. But with good reason. The first round robin fixtures are done, and now that the dust has settled, Luke joins the show to discuss Incheon United's near-perfect start to the season. The leaders have opened up a big gap at the summit having dropped just five points thus far. Andrew looks back on a typically roller-coaster start to the season for the third-placed Suwon Samsung, who missed a huge opportunity last weekend to close the gap on their Gyeonggi-do rivals and jump Seoul E-Land in the table. Before all that, Mike opens up about the life of an Ansan Greeners fan, normally derided in Korean football, but this season showing signs of a welcome improvement.

In this episode of the K League United Podcast we kick off interview season for 2025, starting with Daejeon Hana Citizen's Latvia international striker Vladislavs Gutkovskis, aka Gutek. Hear Gutek talk about the best players he's played with, against, whose shirt he got in the recent trip to Wembley, how his injury problems are behind him, what it's like competing with Joo Min-kyu for a starting berth, and whether the Daejeon players are talking about the K League 1 title. Watch in full on Patreon.com/KLeagueUnited

In this episode of the K League United Podcast, Paul and Andrew run the rule over all 12 teams in K League 1 and, with it being 10 Years of KLU, give each team a score out of 10 after 10 rounds played. Not only that, but K League TV commentator Alex Jensen offers his thoughts about the season so far. Watch and listen in full on Patreon.com/KLeagueUnited

In this bonus, mixed zone episode of the K League United Podcast, Andrew speaks to Ulsan HD's Gustav Ludigson and FC Anyang's Thomas Oude Kotte after a 1-0 Horangi revenge win, and Jasir Asani ahead of Gwangju FC's AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinal clash with Al-Hilal.

K League United's tika-taka, quick-passing, straight to the point look ahead to the weekend's K League action - The Weekend Preview. In this week's episode, we look ahead to K League 1 Round 8 and the matches picked for English commentary, including a clash between two title contenders in FC Seoul and Daejeon Hana Citizen, as well as K League 2 Round 7. Remember to watch K League on TV.KLeague.com.

This month sees K League United celebrate its 10th birthday with the next few podcasts taking various looks back over the last decade of our coverage and how things have changed. In our first special episode of this series, Matthew Binns, Paul Neat and Andrew Farrell take a look back at the best players of the last ten years and try to crowbar them into a best XI using a questionably vague criteria. Take a listen and share your thoughts and tag us on socials, letting us know which picks you agree with and those names we neglected to mention! All this and more on The K League United Podcast 10th Anniversary Special!