Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in after the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup semifinal match between Jordan and Korea held at the Al-Rayyan Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on the 6th (local time).
While the Korean national soccer team is at the center of controversy over the so-called ‘table tennis conflict’ ahead of the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, Son Heung-min’s past interview covering Lee Kang-in is becoming a hot topic.
On the 14th, an article titled ‘Son Heung-min’s evaluation interview with Lee Kang-in’ was receiving a lot of attention in an online community.
The article contains an interview with Son Heung-min that was conducted during a friendly match against El Salvador held in June last year.
At the time, the Korean national team took the lead with Hwang Ui-jo’s first goal in the second half of the game, but conceded a goal in the 42nd minute of the second half before the end of the game, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
When asked for an interview by reporters after the game, Lee Kang-in said, “I will only miss today. “Please just take a look,” he said, refusing to be interviewed by reporters and leaving the stadium.
Recognizing this, Son Heung-min said in an interview, “Please evaluate Lee Kang-in’s performance,” and said, “I don’t want to put too much burden on Kang-in.” wrapped around
Son Heung-min said, “I don’t want to put any pressure on myself. I had similar experiences when I was young, and it made me think, ‘I could have done better than this.’ Kangin is truly an incredibly talented player. “I hope we can see and enjoy this talent together,” he said.
Also, attention is being drawn to Son Heung-min’s interview with Lee Kang-in after the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup 2nd qualifying match against Singapore in November last year.
In an interview after the 5-0 win at the time, Son Heung-min said, “It’s so fun to see Lee Kang-in’s growth. “I am very grateful that many soccer fans like Kang-in,” he said. “Kang-in is a player who is clearly expected to grow further in the future, so I think we should try to prevent talented players like now from collapsing under pressure.” “He said.
Son Heung-min said, “I also want to be by my side and help Kangin a lot. I don’t know what Kangin will think, but I hope he takes it well and can grow into a better player. “That’s the wind,” he said, expressing his fan sentiment.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed that a physical fight broke out within ‘Klinsmannho’ in a situation where it was not easy even if all members desperately wanted to win with one mind. It was revealed that team captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and key midfielder Lee Kang-in got into a fistfight with a collar grabber, and in the process, Son Heung-min suffered a fractured finger.
An official from the Korea Football Association said, “Son Heung-min was displeased with the fact that several players, including Lee Kang-in, played table tennis the day before the game. He spoke bitterly because he was the captain. However, Lee Kang-in did not accept it and instead became irritated, and Son Heung-min got angry and grabbed Lee Kang-in by the collar.”
As the controversy spread, Lee Kang-in posted on his SNS on the 14th, “An article reported that he had an argument with Son Heung-min ahead of the semifinals of the last Asian Cup. It was a huge disappointment to soccer fans who always support the national team. “I’m really sorry,” he said, bowing his head. 고스톱