The 2016 K League Challenge was the fourth season of the

K League Challenge The K League 2 (Hangul: K리그2) is the men's second-highest division of the South Korean football league system. It is contested between thirteen professional clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the K League 1. Hi ...

, the second tier South Korean professional league for

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

clubs since its establishment in 2013. Top-ranked team (excluding

Ansan Mugunghwa Asan Mugunghwa Football Club was a South Korean football club based in Asan. The club's players were South Korean professional footballers who were serving their two-year military duty. History Founding and Police FC era Founded as National Po ...

) gained promotion to the

K League Classic The K League 1 (Hangul: K리그1) is the men's top professional football division of the South Korean football league system. The league is contested by twelve clubs. History The South Korean professional football league was founded in 1 ...

and the promotion play-offs among three clubs ranked between 2nd and 4th place was held after the regular season ends.

Teams

Sangju Sangmu FC Gimcheon Sangmu FC (Hangul: 김천 상무 프로축구단; Hanja: 金泉尚武 프로蹴球團) is a South Korean professional association football club based in Gimcheon that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. ...

, the champions of the 2015 K League Challenge, and

Suwon FC Suwon FC ( ko, 수원 FC; Hanja: 水原 FC) is a South Korean professional football club based Suwon that competes in the K League 1, the top division of South Korea. They play their home games at Suwon Stadium. History Early years: semi-profe ...

, promotion series winners, were promoted to the 2016 K League Classic, then

Daejeon Citizen Daejeon Hana Citizen Football Club (Korean 대전 하나 시티즌 축구단) is a South Korean professional football team based in Daejeon that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. At the time of its foundation in 19 ...

and

Busan IPark Busan IPark ( ko, 부산 아이파크) is a South Korean professional football club based in Busan that competes in K League 2, the second tier of the South Korean football pyramid. Its current home ground is Busan Gudeok Stadium. The club was o ...

were relegated from the top tier. A total of eleven teams contested in the league.

Participating clubs

Stadiums

Primary venues used in the K League Challenge:

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Foreign players

Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team could use four foreign players on the field each game. ''As of 1 August 2016''. * Éder owns Palestine citizenship and was counted as an Asian player in the K League.

League table

Positions by matchday

Round 1-22

Round 23-44

Results

Matches 1-22

Matches 23-44

Promotion-Relegation Playoffs

Promotion and relegation playoffs will be held between 3rd~5th clubs of 2016 K League Challenge and 11th club of 2016 K League Classic. If scores are tied after regular time at Semi-Playoff and Playoff, the higher placed team advances to the next phase. The same conditions do not apply to Promotion-Relegation Playoffs.

Semi-Playoff

Playoff

Promotion-Relegation Playoffs

First leg

Second leg

''Gangwon FC secure promotion to the 2016 K League Classic season, 1:1 on aggregate with away goals.''

Season statistics

Top scorers

Top assists

Attendance

Awards

Most Valuable Player of The Round

Manager of the Month

Season Awards

The 2016 K League Awards was held on 8 November 2016.

K League Challenge Most Valuable Player

*The K League Challenge Most Valuable Player award was won by

Kim Dong-chan Kim Dong-chan (; 19 April 1986) is a South Korean footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and forward. On 3 January 2011, Kim signed for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on a three-year contract. Club career statistics Honours Indiv ...

(

K League Challenge Top Scorer

*The K League Challenge Top Scorer award was won by

(

K League Challenge Top Assistor

*The K League Challenge Top Assistor award was won by Lee Ho-seok (

Gyeongnam FC Gyeongnam FC (Hangul: 경남 FC) is a South Korean professional football club based in South Gyeongsang Province that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. Its home stadium is the Changwon Football Center, located ...

K League Challenge Best XI

K League Challenge Manager of the Year

*The K League Challenge Manager of the Year award was won by

Son Hyun-jun Son Hyun-Jun (손현준, born. March 20, 1972, in South Korea) is a retired South Korean footballer, who played most of his club football for the Anyang LG Cheetahs. He later managed several football teams, including Daegu FC. Player career ...

(caretaker) (

Daegu FC Daegu FC ( Korean: 대구 FC) is a South Korean professional football club based in Daegu. The club was founded as a community club at the end of 2002, and made their K League 1 debut in 2003. Daegu has played mostly in the K League 1 but was rel ...

References

2014 Season Review at K League Website

External links

Official K League Website
{{2016 in South Korean football K League Challenge seasons K K K