Spurs skipper injured in pre-Asian Cup semis brawl with teammate as Korea erupts over loss
Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min injured his finger in a brawl with a teammate on the eve of South Korea’s humiliating loss to Jordan at the Asian Cup, the Korean football body said, with one player involved issuing an apology on social media Wednesday.
South Korea, ranked 23rd in the world, was beaten 2-0 by 87th-ranked Jordan in the semi-finals of the Asian Football Confederation competition in Qatar.
According to a report from British newspaper The Sun, Son dislocated his finger in a “bust-up” that erupted at dinner the night before the game.
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The incident reportedly happened after some younger players on the team - including Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain - rushed through their meal so they could leave early to play table tennis.
This displeased Son, the team’s captain, and some of the older players, as meals on the eve of big games are traditionally seen as a time for bonding.
An unnamed source told the newspaper that when Son asked his younger teammates to sit down, “some disrespectful things were said to him”.
“Within seconds, the row spilled into the dining area and players were being pulled apart,” the source was quoted as saying.
“Son badly injured his finger trying to calm everyone down.”
Lee acknowledged the incident on his Instagram account in a post on Wednesday and apologised for “disappointing” his fans.
“I caused huge disappointment to football fans who always support our national team,” he said, adding: “I’m very sorry.”
“From now on, I will try to help out the older players and try to become a better player and a better person,” Lee said.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency
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