Last event for Cha Boom football class on Oct. 9

Cha Bum-kun (Cha Boom) (69), former national team coach, visited on Sunday “Cha Boom Football Class Goodbye Festival” at the Ichon Hangang park Ichon Football Stadium and expressed both his gratitude and apologies in front of the students of the football classes and their parents. As Cha Boom, chief director of the football classes, said, “I am sorry. I cannot continue football classes here any longer,” students and parents shouted, “Cheer up,” and “See you again.” People from the football classes handed over flowers and expressed their gratitude.

Cha Boom Football Class, which opened in 1988 as the first football class and dedicated to the youth, stopped its operation with the event. The football class is shutting down 34 years after its opening and 25 years after its operation in Ichon Football stadium in 1997.

Cha Boom Football Class gained permission to use the location through open bidding every three years from the Han River Project Division of Seoul Metropolitan City. Until now, there were no other bidders but a new bidder appeared this year, and Cha Boom Football Class lost the permission.

Cha Boom Football Class informed the parents of the above through its website and returned the fees. Official classes were held until Saturday. Although it rained and the weather was cold before the Goodbye Festival started on Sunday, 800 students among a total of 1,300 students of the Cha Boom Football Class attended the event.

“Even if I stop the football classes, I do not think the classes will disappear. The classes seem to have grown up well and taken root well,” Cha Boom said after looking around the football stadium in the rain. “I have looked for other places for football classes. Children would soon be able to train again.”


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com