Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

11. Competition Management
by Sport
324
29
11.9
Football
Football competitions were staged at
six different sites in five cities, from
September 17 to October 1. Football
was the only Olympic sport which was
staged in different cities, and which
offered only one gold medal, as it was
played by men only.
In view of the broad popularity football
enjoys in almost every country, the
host countries of past Olympic Games
staged football matches in many different
cities in an attempt to create a
festive Olympic mood.
The football matches of the Seoul
Olympic Games were played in Seoul
and four provincial cities of Pusan,
Kwangju, Taejon and Taegu.
Host Korea and the 15 countries which
passed through regional eliminations
competed in the football matches
involving of 314 players and 103
officials.
In Olympic team ball games other than
football, the host country and the
winner of the previous Games are
automatically qualified to compete in
the final matches. In football, however,
only the host country is given the right
to participate in the Olympic competition,
while the winner of the previous
Olympic competition is denied such
qualification. France, winner of the Los
Angeles Games football competition,
was unable to compete in the Seoul
Olympics, having been eliminated in
the European elimination matches.
Out of the 158 member countries of
FIFA (Fédération Internationale de
Football Association), 115 countries
competed in the regional football elimination
matches. When the number of
the countries which took part in the
regional elimination matches is
counted, football represents the
second largest Olympic sport after
athletics.
In Asia, 26 countries took part in the
regional elimination competition, and
two countries, the People's Republic of
China and Iraq, qualified to play in the
Olympics. In Africa, 28 countries took
part in elimination competitions, and
three countries, Nigeria, Zambia and
Tunisia, qualified.
In Europe, 27 countries took part in the
elimination matches, and five, the
Federal Republic of Germany, Italy,
Sweden, the U.S.S.R. and Yugoslavia,
earned berths. In North America, 10
countries took part in the elimination
competitions, and two, the U.S.A. and
Guatemala, qualified. In South
America, 17 countries took part in the
elimination competitions, and two,
Brazil and Argentina, qualified; and in
Oceania, seven took part in the
regional elimination, and Australia won
the Olympic berth.
The FIFA had banned professional
players from taking part in the Olympic
football competition until the Moscow
Games in 1980, but conditionally
allowed some professional players to
participate in the Los Angeles Olympics
in 1984. In the Seoul Games, the
participation of professional players
was broadened to cover professionals
under 23 years of in age who had not
participated in the World Cup tournaments.
The professional players in the
Asian region, however, were unconditionally
allowed to take part in the
Olympics, irrespective of their ages
and participation in the World Cup.
Korea, which won the berth as host
country to compete in the Olympic
football competition for the first time in
24 years since the Tokyo Games in
1964, sought to join the top eight
teams, but was eliminated in the
preliminaries, being beaten by the
U.S.S.R. and Argentina.
The U.S.S.R. defeated Brazil, 2:1 to
capture the gold, their first football
crown in 32 years since the 16th
Melbourne Games in 1956.
Ranking
Preparations for Football Competitions in Each City
City
Seoul
Pusan
Taegu
Kwangju
Taejon
Operation Personnel
628
568
678
700
721
1
2
3
4
Competition Venue
Olympic Stadium
Tongdaemun Stadium
Pusan Stadium
Taegu Stadium
Kwangju Stadium
Taejon Stadium
11.9.1
Competition Preparations
—————————————–
After the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, the
SLOOC selected the 1987 annual
President's Cup International Football
Tournament as a pre-Olympic football
tournament, to check the conduct of
the competitions and the operational
status in an effort to build up operational
expertise.
In accordance with its policy to stage
football competitions in provincial
cities, the SLOOC designated six
venues, including four stadiums in
Pusan, Taegu, Kwangju and the Taejon,
Preliminary Rankings
A-Group
Sweden
Federal Rep. of Germany
Tunisia
People's Rep. of China
Training Site
B-Group
Zambia
Italy
Iraq
Guatemala
and Tongdaemun and Olympic
Stadiums in Seoul.
The teams of preliminary Group A and
the teams of preliminary Group C competed
in Taegu and Pusan; the teams
of Group B and Group D competed in
Tongdaemun Stadium, Taejon, and
Kwangju. The four quarterfinals were
held in Tongdaemun Stadium, Kwangju,
Taegu and the Pusan; two semifinals
were held in the Olympic Stadium and
Pusan Stadium. The match to decide
the third and fourth places and the
finals were held in the Olympic
Stadium.
Sub-villages for athletes were set up in
Pusan, Taegu, Taejon and Kwangju,
and training sites were arranged.
The organizational hierarchy of the
football operations in Seoul consisted
of a commissioner, secretary-general,
director, six managers and 22 officers.
The operational staffing consisted of
seven staff members of the SLOOC,
314 support personnel, 304 volunteers,
and three temporary employees. The
mayors of the respective cities
assumed the top leadership of each
city-specific football operation headquarters,
and directors of planning and
management in each city government
served as secretaries-general.
The operation personnel totalled 568
in Pusan, 678 in Taegu, 700 in
Kwangju, and 721 in Taejon.
The operation personnel in the five
cities combined totalled 3,295.
The FIFA, which took part in the football
competition management, was
represented by its president, vicepresident,
acting president and
secretary-general, and four technical
delegates. Posted in the five cities,
they oversaw the football matches.
The international referees nominated
by the FIFA totalled 30, including
seven from the host country.
The official equipment and implements
were supplied by Adidas of the
Federal Republic of Germany under a
licensing arrangement. Goalnets were
of the Japanese Asics brand, and
other equipment was secured from
local manufacturers.
C-Group
U.S.S.R.
Argentina
Korea
U.S.A.
Korea Exchange Bank Playing Field
Korea Highway Corporation Playing Field
Tongmyong Technical High School Playing Field
Sajik Stadium Training Field
Cheil Wool Textiles Co. Playing Field
Cheil Synthetic Textiles Co. Playing Field
Kumho Tire Co. Playing Field
Kwangju Tobacco Factory Playing Filed
Industrial Sites and Water Resources Development
Corporation Playing Field
Shintanjin Tobacco Factory Playing Field
D-Group
Brazil
Australia
Yugoslavia
Nigeria
Athletes Village
Olympic Village
Glory Condominium
Susong Tourist Hotel
Shinyang Park Hotel
You Soung Tourist Hotel