South Korean World Cup star Son Jun-ho broke down in tears Wednesday, denying allegations of match-fixing and accusing China of blackmail after receiving a lifetime ban from the Chinese Football Association (CFA).
Son, who performed for Shandong Taishan within the Chinese Super League, was accused of match-fixing by the CFA and detained for 10 months final yr.
The midfielder, who appeared in three of South Korea’s 4 matches on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, returned to South Korea in March after being launched from detention in May 2023.
This week, he was amongst 43 people banned for all times by Chinese authorities over alleged playing and match-fixing.
A weeping and visibly emotional Son instructed reporters that his arrest had been an “overwhelming shock.”
He claimed that Chinese police threatened his household, together with his youngsters, to coerce him into confessing to the costs.
“The Chinese police presented ridiculous charges,” he mentioned. “They threatened that if I didn’t admit to the charges, my wife would be arrested through the foreign ministry and brought to the same detention center to be investigated with me.”
Son additionally alleged that he was not supplied sufficient Korean translations or entry to a lawyer. He mentioned he was “dumbfounded” when he realized he was being accused of bribery.
“I said I hadn’t done anything like that,” the 32-year-old mentioned, incessantly pausing to wipe away tears.
Son was held “on suspicion of accepting bribes by non-state employees” with out receiving particulars in regards to the allegations. He claimed his household was used to extract a confession.
“While showing me pictures of my daughter and son on my phone, they pressured me, saying: ‘What did the children do to deserve this?’ They added, ‘If your wife comes here too, how will the kids manage? Don’t you think your children want to see their father? So admit it quickly.'”
False confession
Son mentioned Chinese police provided him a deal, promising fast launch if he confessed to the costs.
“Overwhelmed with fear and concern for my family, I had no choice but to admit to charges I didn’t even understand, just to return to my family quickly,” he mentioned.
He referred to as for the discharge of audio recordsdata from his interrogation to show “how they coerced a confession from me.”
“I want to clear my name with absolute transparency. The only evidence they had was my false confession, obtained through the intense pressure of their early interrogation tactics.”
Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has intensified its crackdown on corruption in Chinese sports activities, notably soccer, ensuing within the imprisonment of quite a few high officers. Xi, a self-described soccer fanatic, has expressed a need for China to host and win the World Cup.
However, repeated corruption scandals and disappointing outcomes on the pitch have made that purpose appear extra distant.
After returning to South Korea, Son joined the fifth-tier league earlier than making it to top-league group Suwon FC in June.
Son was not chosen for the nationwide squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers final week as a result of “risk” related to the Chinese allegations, in response to head coach Hong Myung-bo.
Source: www.dailysabah.com