This is what Son Woong-jung (61), coach of SON Soccer Academy and Son Heung-min’s father, mentioned in an interview with Yonhap News in January. At the time, Son insisted that Korea should not win the Asian Cup for the future of Korean soccer. However, Son was wrong. Korean soccer is already sick.
“According to sources, some young players left early to play table tennis after a meal ahead of the semi-final match against Jordan in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup,” the Sun, a British media outlet, said on the 14th (local time). Son Heung-min, who wanted to unite the team through the meal, did not like it and had an argument with his younger juniors. This included Lee Kang-in. Son Heung-min dislocated his finger in the aftermath.” The Korea Football Association admitted this shortly after. 꽁머니환전
South Korea was defeated by Jordan 0-2 in the semifinals of the Asian Cup on the 7th. It was completely defeated by Jordan, who failed to record a single effective shot despite its lethargic performance.
The aftermath of the match was quite significant. A flurry of demands have been made for coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s resignation due to his shocking performance. Politicians also urged Klinsmann to step down. There have also been growing calls for even Chung Mong-gyu, the chairman of the Korea Football Association and the KFA, who appointed Klinsmann.
However, both Klinsmann and Chung shirked their responsibilities. Klinsmann said he would take responsibility if no outcome was announced before the Asian Cup kicked off, but left for the U.S. after expressing his intention not to resign. Chung did not attend the fifth executive meeting held on Tuesday. Eventually, a meeting of executives related to the Asian Cup was held without Chung. Rumors were made on the replacement of Klinsmann at the meeting, but the meeting ended up being meaningless due to the absence of Chung, who is the final decision maker.
Under the circumstances, internal conflicts within the team have been exposed. Unilaterally, the association denies or maintains silence to protect players in the event of a controversy over the team’s internal affairs.
However, the KFA quickly admitted internal controversy without taking responsibility. Some fans suspect that the KFA may have quickly admitted the allegations to quell controversy over the resignation of Klinsmann and Chung Mong-gyu. Of course, players who committed the mistake are to blame.