LEE Kang-in was included in the South Korea (South Korea) national team squad for the World Cup qualifying matches this month even though he had a dispute with captain Son Heung-min at the Asian Cup.
Son suffered a sprained finger after an argument with the Paris Saint-Germain striker before the Asian Cup semi-final match against Jordan. South Korea lost in the top four match.
Lee had apologized after Yonhap news agency reported the 23-year-old attacker attempted to hit Son. However, Lee’s representative denied these reports.
After the incident, Son uploaded a photo on social media of himself and Lee smiling and hugging each other. The post was followed by a message asking South Korean national team supporters to forgive Lee.
South Korea’s interim coach Hwang Sun-hong, who replaced Juergen Klinsmann, who was sacked after the Asian Cup, said he had spoken with Lee and Son before deciding which players would appear in the World Cup qualifying matches.
“Lee Kang-in hopes to have the opportunity to apologize to his supporters and colleagues in the national team. Son Heung-min said he was ready to hug Lee and forget about the incident that had occurred,” said Hwang.
Also read: South Korean Football Federation admits Son Heung-min fought with another player
“I don’t think there’s any problem between the two of them.”
“Everyone there, from players, coaches and support staff is responsible.”
“We must be ready to correct our mistakes in the Asian Cup when appearing in two matches in Thailand,” he continued.
The conflict between Son and Lee was triggered when the young South Korean national team players, including Lee, wanted to immediately leave the dining room to play table tennis.
This sparked anger among the senior players, including Son, who wanted to have dinner together before the match as an opportunity to bond with the players, triggering a fight. (AFP/Z-1)
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