In football, coaching can make all the difference. Even with the same players, outcomes can vary dramatically depending on the leader who brings them together. That is exactly what we are seeing from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the 2025 season. Gustavo Poye, 58, the Uruguayan manager appointed last December, is ushering in what many are calling the start of a new “Jeonbuk dynasty.”

On June 21, Jeonbuk drew 1–1 against FC Seoul in the 20th round of K League 1, extending their unbeaten run to 16 matches (11 wins, 5 draws). Jeonbuk seems to have forgotten how to lose this season. With 42 points, they remain firmly at the top of the league standings. After the match, Poyet beamed, “We’ve reached 42 points today. If I remember correctly, that’s the same total as the team’s point tally for the entire regular season last year. So far, the results are pretty good.” As of the 21st, Jeonbuk leads second-place Daejeon Hana Citizen by 9 points.

Jeonbuk is a historic powerhouse with a record nine K League 1 titles, but the team had fallen far from glory before Poyet’s arrival. Last season, they finished 10th out of 12 teams and were forced into the promotion-relegation playoffs. Though they managed to stay in the top flight, their pride as K League’s premier club had taken a major hit.

In desperate need of change, Jeonbuk sought a manager with experience on the big stage and ultimately chose Poyet, who had been a finalist to succeed former Korea’s national football team coach Jürgen Klinsmann last year. At the time, some within the club were skeptical that Poyet’s preference for traditional, rigid football would fit with the evolving trends of the modern game. But the results have exceeded expectations.

With only the head coach changed, Jeonbuk has transformed into a team that leads the league in both goals scored (34) and fewest goals conceded (15). Early in the season, they slipped as low as 10th in the standings, but by shoring up their defense, they steadily climbed back. Recently, Jeonbuk has revived its trademark “all-out attack” style that once thrilled fans. One club official said, “Aside from key players like Gustavo Campi and Song Bum-keun, the roster hasn’t changed much. Yet the difference in performance is huge.”

Poyet’s success without major roster changes is attributed to his ability to unlock players’ potential. A prime example is Jeon Jin-woo who leads the league with 12 goals. Since debuting with Suwon Samsung in 2018, he had scored just 11 goals over seven seasons. But this year, he has already surpassed that in just 19 appearances. Poyet’s decision to move him from a traditional winger role to a shadow striker and encourage him to shoot more aggressively has paid off. “At first, he gave me simple instructions, but now the demands are growing,” Jeon said. “But he explains things clearly, which makes it easier as a player.”

Poyet has long been known for his consistency in squad selection, a trait going back to his days at Sunderland AFC in the English Premier League. Though such an approach can lead to frustration among bench players, Poyet maintains trust through honest communication. Tiago, who seized his chance and scored four goals in three consecutive matches following Campi’s injury, said, “I believed I’d get my chance if I kept training hard the way the coach wanted.”

This year’s K League 1 title race is increasingly tilting toward Jeonbuk reclaiming the crown for the first time in four years. But interestingly, Poyet himself remains cautious. He believes that the unbeaten streak will inevitably end, and the team must prepare now to avoid slipping into a losing streak when that happens.

“We’re doing well at the moment, but football is unpredictable,” Poyet said. “It’s still too early to talk about specific goals. I’ll focus on making sure our players stick to the basics and build momentum through confidence.”