Internal brawl night before led to South Korea's surprising Asian Cup exit!

Janak9955

South Korea's surprising exit from this year's Asian Cup, especially being defeated by Jordan, a team that had previously only made it to the playoffs, left everyone shocked. Immediately after the loss, media reports surfaced alleging internal discord within the South Korean team, particularly involving a heated conflict between captain Son Heung-min and rising star Lee Kang-in. The South Korean Football Association later confirmed the existence of this internal turmoil, raising questions about its cause.

The night before South Korea's elimination by Jordan, a dispute erupted during dinner. The main point of contention arose between captain Son Heung-min and the younger players, led by Paris Saint-Germain forward Lee Kang-in. Son had attempted to foster team unity by encouraging all players to gather after dinner, but Lee and his group opted to play table tennis instead. This led to Son expressing dissatisfaction and lecturing them, followed by disrespectful remarks directed at Son, prompting him to demand their return to the dining area. However, this escalated into a physical altercation, resulting in Son sustaining serious finger injuries.

The incident was swiftly confirmed by the South Korean Football Association, indicating a serious internal rift within the team. Son's taped fingers during subsequent matches served as further evidence of the altercation. This event caused a significant stir, with South Korean fans and the public demanding explanations from the team. Under pressure, Lee Kang-in issued an apology, acknowledging his lack of respect for senior players like Son. Son, in turn, urged to move on from the incident.

Although the internal conflict seemed temporarily resolved, the head coach, Klinsmann, faced the consequences and was dismissed following South Korea's unexpected elimination. The football association cited his tactical shortcomings and poor attitude, including frequent overseas stays, as reasons for his dismissal. However, Klinsmann attributed the team's loss to internal discord, implying that his premature termination would require substantial compensation from the football association.

Jatin255

A team divided within cannot win for sure!

Jiger955

Based on subsequent news, Son Heung-min hopes that the public forgives Lee Kang-in. If Son continues to play for the national team, he will inevitably interact with Lee Kang-in in the future. Given that Lee Kang-in is just in his early twenties, it's important to reconcile soon. Otherwise, their future performances may suffer due to potential conflicts.

Yamini003

It's truly unfortunate; internal discord has left everyone saddened. Let's hope the team can unite and achieve better results in the future.

Jiten171

Continuous conflict and internal strife aren't good either. Once the situation has passed, it's all right. I hope they can cooperate well in the future.

Kahn332

If there is discord within the team, then winning is definitely impossible.

Pooja193

Which team doesn't have disagreements? This seems like just a minor argument. Sometimes, they need a little conflict to get to know each other. Perhaps, their relationship will become even better. Let's not put too much pressure on them.