Bucheon "ready" for their date with destiny | OneFootball

Bucheon fans can sleep easily tonight. Reports of a season-ending injury to talismanic skipper Rodrigo Bassani have been greatly exaggerated. The rumour appears to have come from the normally reliable Transfermarkt. When I alerted Bucheon to the supposed eight-month layoff, they at least found the funny side.

“I don’t know why it says this,” Bassani laughs. “It said this five months before. Maybe they think it’s my ACL. I’m good. No problem.”

The 28-year-old forward continued, “I’m feeling great. I’m very grateful to play here in Bucheon. Ever since I arrived last year, everyone has trusted me — the coach, the staff, and all the people at the club. I’m mentally very strong, so I want to keep scoring goals and making assists for my team.”

Rodrigo Bassani's season stats. Credit: Transfermarkt.

Bassani isn’t like most players. The Brazilian is the heartbeat of Bucheon FC 1995 — their most recognisable face, a fan favourite, a talisman, and a leader. He’s a goalscorer, a creator, and the primary set-piece taker. Nilson Junior used to be the larger-than-life character around the club, but he passed that mantle to his compatriot when he left over the winter.

Rodrigo Bassani celebrates his goal in Gimpo.

“He’s very important, and it’s not just me who thinks that. The whole team does.” Takahashi Kazuki, better known as Kazu, has been Bassani’s teammate for two years. They’re close friends, helped by Kazu’s fluency in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Korean. “When people see Bassani, they think about goals. But it’s more than that. His attitude, how he trains, and how he helps the younger players — that’s why he’s special.”

Losing Bassani wouldn’t automatically end Bucheon’s promotion hopes, but the road would be far more difficult. John Montaño arrived in January and has 12 goals in 3 matches. Hong Seong-uk, Park Chang-jun, and Park Hyun-bin all earned Best XI nominations at the 2025 K League Awards.

We met last week before the final round of fixtures. The teammates and friends were calm. Ten-man Bucheon ended their season with a scoreless draw at home to newcomers Hwaseong FC. It wasn’t the pre-playoff send-off they hoped for, but it didn’t matter. Manager Lee Young-min was able to rest several key players, including Kazu and Bassani. Bucheon finished with 19 wins and 67 points in 2025.

Kazu pinpointed “very good scouting” and “a strong start” as the foundation of their successful campaign. After four rounds, Bucheon were top. Although they never returned to first, they climbed to third in week 18 and did not drop below fourth for the rest of the year. While their playoff rivals jostled for position in a competitive league, Bucheon were a model of consistency. In the end, they secured third before a ball was kicked on Sunday.

The highlight of the season was September’s win over champions-elect Incheon United. Bucheon’s form dipped afterward, and their season threatened to unravel when they let a 2–0 lead slip at 10-man Suwon in the 95th minute. But they recovered, winning three straight and going unbeaten in their final eight matches. Was third the priority? What if they had held on against Suwon?

Takahashi Kazuki's season stats. Credit Transfermarkt.

“This season we had Incheon and Suwon, so we knew it was going to be very difficult,” Kazu explains. “When we started pre-season, third place was our target. Manager Lee gave us that target. I think we could have pushed for second, but we dropped points against teams at the bottom. Third place is good for us, I think.” Bassani agreed.

I sensed both players were wary of Jeonnam, but the Dragons inexplicably lost in Asan on a dramatic final day, dropping out of the playoffs altogether. Their place was taken by Seoul E-Land, who routed Ansan Greeners 6–0, and Seongnam FC, who arrived on a five-match win streak. The Magpies fell behind to Busan IPark and, despite playing almost 50 minutes with a man advantage, needed a late own goal to secure a crucial win.

There are no easy games at this level, but the playoff system means the home team only needs a draw in 90 minutes to advance. Bucheon’s opponents will be Seoul E-Land or Seongnam FC, who meet on Thursday in Mokdong. Incredibly, Bucheon split their season series against both clubs with a win, a draw, and a loss. Picking a favourite will be difficult.

Bucheon will host the final K League 2 playoff on Sunday, November 30. If they prevail - and there was no sense of complacency when I visited - Bucheon will face either Suwon FC or Ulsan HD in the Promotion playoffs. A two-legged playoff against K League 1 opposition in December. Bucheon are basically 270 minutes from a first-ever promotion. A severely daunting task and one, naturally, the two players weren't willing to even mention.

Last season, Bucheon finished eighth, seven points behind Busan IPark in the final playoff spot. The previous year they finished fifth, but a 0–0 draw away to Gyeongnam ended their challenge. In 2022, they again faced Gyeongnam needing only a draw, but lost 3–2 in the 96th minute. Before COVID, another draw saw them eliminated. Haunted by previous failures, they insist they are ready now.

“Do I fear any team that comes to our stadium?” Bassani asks. “Does it matter who we play? I don’t think so. We got third place. That was our goal. Whoever we face, they will come here to Bucheon Stadium. We’ll play at home. We’ll have our fans. We’re training hard, so we’re ready for anyone.”

The system isn’t perfect, but every club, including Bucheon, is aware of the pitfalls of not finishing in the top two.

At least they have Bassani fit, despite what the so-called reputable sources claim. To underline his importance further, Bassani has captained Bucheon multiple times this season. “It is very cool to be captain,” says the former Suwon player. “You have to be responsible, and the coach demands a lot of you. I’ve never spoken much on the pitch, but since I became captain, I’ve been trying to speak more. I am also trying to help the foreigners who have just arrived, because I was here last year. I know how things work.”

Bucheon are managed by Lee Young-min. The 51-year-old began his professional coaching career with Anyang, where he was eventually promoted to manager. He later served as caretaker at Ansan Greeners before taking over Bucheon in autumn 2020. His five-year anniversary came just days before Bucheon’s final regular-season match against Hwaseong.

Lee Young-min has been nominated for Manger of the Season.

In modern football, five years is a lifetime. Only Gimpo’s Ko Jeong-un has been in place longer. After last year’s eighth-place finish, Bucheon could have chosen to part ways with Lee. Instead, staying loyal has proved inspired. A third-place finish with 67 points, just five behind former K League winners Suwon Bluewings, represents an 18-point swing even with three extra matches.

“I have been working with him for three years, and every year he is getting better,” says Kazu. “He prepares very well. He gives us so many small details, so on the pitch, I know what I have to do. The other players are the same. It’s very clear, and that’s why the results have come this season. I think he deserved it.”

The “it” Kazu refers to is Lee’s place on the three-man shortlist for the 2025 K League 2 Manager of the Year. His rivals are title-winning Incheon United manager Yoon Jeong-hwan and Seongnam FC’s Jeon Gyeong-jun. The field is competitive. Incheon bounced straight back after relegation, but Yoon has a K League 1-calibre squad featuring the league’s top scorer Stefan Mugosa.

Jeon has overseen a remarkable turnaround at Seongnam since taking over last year. They finished bottom in 2024 with just five wins from 36 matches. This season they have nearly 40 more points. They matched last season’s win total in their final five matches alone. Lee, for his part, lifted Bucheon from eighth to third and delivered a Korea Cup semi-final appearance. Yoon is likely to win, though.

Kazu, with blonde hair, is mobbed by teammates after scoring against Suwon Bluewings.

Win or lose, Bassani and Kazu are expected to report for pre-season training in January. Both are under contract and happy to stay. “When I first arrived for pre-season with Bucheon,” Bassani says, “Kazu and I shared a room. We built a good relationship very quickly. He has always tried to help me, and that was very important. He helps the other foreign players too. These have been the best two years of my life, and Kazu has been part of that.”

With this level of camaraderie, spirit, and teamwork, it will take a very strong side to beat Bucheon on their own turf.