Midfielder Lee Kang-in has admitted fault after a clash that left captain Son Heung-min with a dislocated finger during a meal for South Korea at the 2023 Asian Cup.
"I should have been polite and listened to Heung-min, but I showed my bad side to the fans," Lee wrote on Instagram today, February 14. "I can only say sorry. I apologize to those who were disappointed in me. I feel the concern and expectations that the fans have sent to me. From now on, I promise to become a better person, as well as a better player, to help my seniors in the team."
Lee Kang-in (left) and Son Heung-min before a free kick for South Korea at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar in January 2024. Photo: Xinhua
Lee’s apology came just hours after the Korea Football Association confirmed the brawl at a team dinner on February 5 in Qatar. It was the dinner just before Korea played Jordan in the semifinals. Lee and a group of young players such as Seol Young-woo and Jeong Woo-yeong quickly finished their dinner and went to play table tennis. The group played right next to the team’s dining area, causing a ruckus.
Son Heung-min, as the captain of the Korean team, went out to warn his teammates, including Lee. However, the table tennis group did not listen and even spoke disrespectfully to the captain. Son got angry and grabbed Lee by the collar, while the 23-year-old midfielder swung his fist at the captain's face.
Son avoided the attack, but while his teammates intervened, he dislocated his finger. The Tottenham star had to play the semi-final with his right index and middle fingers bandaged.
After this incident, many senior Korean players, including Son, asked coach Jurgen Klinsmann to remove Lee from the starting lineup against Jordan. However, the German coach did not do so, because the PSG midfielder was a mainstay of Korea in previous matches, with three goals at the Asian Cup.
Son and Lee both played the entire match, but South Korea lost 0-2 to Jordan, and were eliminated from the tournament.
According to Yonhap News , the Korean national team has been divided since late 2023. The group of young players under 25 years old, including Lee, often live separately. Son's group consists of players around 30 years old and above. The aforementioned table tennis match was the last straw, causing conflict to occur.
Lee, 23, was born in South Korea but trained at Valencia, Spain, from the age of 10. He played five seasons in La Liga, before moving to PSG in the summer of 2023. Lee has played for the national team since he was 18, scoring seven goals in 25 international matches.
Son, 32, first moved abroad for Hamburg, Germany, at the age of 16. He rose to prominence with Bayer Leverkusen before joining Tottenham in 2015. Son has been named Asian Footballer of the Year nine times and was the Premier League's top scorer in 2021-22. He has scored 44 goals in 123 appearances for South Korea. At the 2023 Asian Cup, Son and Lee both scored three goals, while no other South Korean player scored more than one.
Hoang An
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