Who will laugh if it is noisy with Klinsmann and Lee Kang-in? There is no need to mention the person who left now.
It’s time to focus on the rest of us.
Even after the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, issues related to the tournament continue. First of all, it was reported that Son Heung-min, captain of the Korean national soccer team, and Lee Kang-in, a key player, had a quarrel a day before the semifinal match against Jordan was held in the British daily “The Sun” after South Korea was eliminated.
In a rare move, the Korea Football Association admitted to the discord. The Korea Football Association said it was true that there was a discord within the national team, even though it had been less than a few hours since foreign media reports came out. This was like adding fuel to the fire. Some suspected that they intended to blame the failure of the Asian Cup on the players, but when rumors about Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in spread like wildfire, such intention or conspiracy theories also subsided.
It was not revealed whether it was authentic or not, but there was even a rumor that the two players even had a fistfight. Lee Kang-in claimed that it was not true that Lee Kang-in punched Son Heung-min in the face at the time. However, Lee Kang-in was already recognized by fans as a nine-year-old senior and a player who stood up to the national soccer team captain. Lee Kang-in engulfed all the issues and former national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann swept them.
Son Heung-min played with taping on his right index finger and middle finger on the day of the match against Jordan, and he seemed to feel pain in his finger in the Premier League (PL) match after returning to his team Tottenham Hotspur, further highlighting the rumor of discord. It was something that Korean soccer fans would naturally be interested in, and even if they were not.
While rumors of a feud between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in are still being talked about by fans, Klinsmann’s remarks have also become an issue this time. Coach Klinsmann, who was dismissed in a surprise move on the 16th, later made remarks that aroused the anger of Korean soccer fans in an interview with German media.
South Korea, which had been considered a favorite to win, was eliminated from the semifinals after a bad fight throughout the tournament, but made an absurd assessment that the Asian Cup was a success. “In terms of performance, the Asian Cup was a success,” Klinsmann said in an interview with the German media Spiegel, reflecting on the Asian Cup. “We instilled a spirit in South Korea that never gives up.”
Coach André Herzog helped this time, following Klinsmann. In an op-ed for the Austrian media “Kronen Zeitung,” Herzog said, “I didn’t expect a generational conflict within the team due to star players Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in on the evening before the important game. The players’ emotional scuffles naturally affected the team’s spirit.” 핑크알바
No one could relate to what they said, as everyone watched the Klinsman division for a year.
There were controversies over his overseas trip, as he spent most of his time in charge of coach Klinsmann. Coach Herzog also raised eyebrows when he gave commentary in Austria, leaving aside his job. His remarks by those who acted irresponsibly were not convincing at all, but only aggravated the public’s anger.
Rumors of discord between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, and remarks by Klinsmann and Harechok coach were provocative enough to attract fans’ attention. Just like spicy, sweet and salty food.
Now, we have to look at the essence without being swayed by rumors. The more attention everyone has on the topic, the more incompetence committed by the dismissal of Klinsmann, Lee Kang-in-related issues, the amnesty of match-fixers over the past year, and the crushing defeat of international soccer diplomacy will be hidden. The focus of the soccer community and fans is not on Klinsmann and Lee Kang-in, but on Chung Mong-kyu and the Korea Football Association.