South Korea teammate denies throwing punch at Son Heung-min in finger incident

Football365

·15 February 2024

South Korea teammate denies throwing punch at Son Heung-min in finger incident

Paris Saint-Germain star Lee Kang-in has once again apologised for a table tennis-related altercation with Heung-Min Son but denies punching the Tottenham captain.

Son appeared in the Asian Cup shock semi-final defeat to Jordan with a strapped finger last week and it later emerged that it had occurred during a scuffle with his teammates when they wanted to play table tennis on the night before the game.

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“It happened when some young players went up to play table tennis, and Son and other older players took issue with it,” a South Korean Football Federation official said on Wednesday. “The players exchanged a few words and Son hurt his finger in the process.”

Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in apologised on Instagram: “We have caused great disappointment to the soccer fans who always support our national team. I’m really sorry.

“I should have taken the lead and followed my brothers’ instructions, but I’m just sorry for showing soccer fans a bad image. I apologise to the many people who were disappointed by me. From now on, I will try to help my brothers become better players and people.”

But when reports in South Korea stated that Son had grabbed Lee by the collar and the younger player responded by punching his captain in the fact, lawyers representing the PSG man issued another statement:

“Lee Kang-in is deeply regretting and reflecting on his mistakes. Once again, he apologises for causing discomfort and concern to many soccer fans. “Considering that he was at the centre of the dispute, Lee Kang-in believed that an apology, rather than providing specific details of the incident, was the most appropriate course of action. “However, recent articles, including those from Dispatch, contained inaccurate information which is being exaggerated and reproduced as if it were true. “Therefore, it is necessary to correct any misinformation. “1) The articles stating that Lee Kang In threw his fist in Son Heung Min’s face when Son Heung Min grabbed his collar are different from the truth. “2) During the table tennis incident, there were also senior players present, and table tennis had been a common activity prior to that day. “We will clarify and address the remaining issues at a later time. Once again, sincere apologies to everyone who has been disappointed by Lee Kang In.”