Chinese Media Criticizes Son Heung-min Over Korean Soccer Team Discord

Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham Hotspur), the captain of the Korean national soccer team, reportedly suffered a dislocated finger injury in a brawl with juniors, including Lee Kang-in (22, Paris Saint-Germain), ahead of the Asian Cup semi-finals. A Chinese media outlet has criticized Son Heung-min concerning this international press report.

On the 14th (local time), Sohu.com in China, citing a report from The Sun, pointed out that “the reason for the Korean national team’s defeat in the semi-finals was due to the loss of unity caused by the internal conflict before the match,” and that “the internal conflict just before the match was a mistake that the Korean national team should not have made.”

Additionally, it held Son Heung-min responsible for the discord among the national soccer team, stating that “table tennis can foster unity, as Lee Kang-in said.”

“Simply eating together does not improve relationships,” the media source said. “Son Heung-min’s actions had ultimately come back to haunt him. It was unsuitable and unlike the more seasoned Son Heung-min.”

Previously, The Sun reported that the Korean soccer team had internal strife the day before their Asian Cup semi-final matchup with Jordan in Qatar.

According to the report, young players like Lee Kang-in wanted to leave the dinner early to play table tennis, and Son Heung-min, who was unhappy about leaving the team-building dinner early, tried to stop them.

A scuffle broke out during this process, dislocating Son Heung-min’s finger. Eventually, Son Heung-min played the match against Jordan with two fingers bandaged.

About this, an official from the Korea Football Association confirmed the “mutiny controversy” officially, saying, “What ‘The Sun’ reported is mostly true.”

As the controversy spread, Lee Kang-in posted on his Instagram, “I should have taken the lead and listened to the older players’ words, but I’m simply sorry to have shown a bad impression to the soccer fans,” and “I apologize to many people who were disappointed in me.”