"Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, like Messi and Alvarez fighting"... 'Table Tennis Gate' rumors spread overseas
Argentine Football Commentator Mentions Takgu Gate During Commentary
The fact that the South Korean national football team had a physical altercation the day before the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup semifinal has even spread among Argentine football fans.
On the 17th (local time), according to local media, an Argentine football commentator revealed the news of the South Korean national team's 'table tennis gate' during the live broadcast of the Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between Bayern Munich and Lazio on the 14th. While mentioning Kim Min-jae of Munich in the second half, he said, "Young players including Lee Kang-in went to play table tennis after a meal, but Son Heung-min and the senior players opposed it, which eventually led to a physical fight, and Son Heung-min played in the Jordan match with a fractured finger."
Regarding South Korea's defeat to Jordan, he described it as a "shocking loss" and said, "In such cases, the football world needs to look into what happened in the locker room. This incident was a major cause of the defeat in the locker room."
As to why South Korean football fans are focusing on this incident, he analyzed, "Son Heung-min is the greatest football player in South Korean history, and Lee Kang-in is also a popular player already playing in European leagues at a young age," and compared, "To put it in perspective, it was like the top star and a promising player receiving public attention, that is, Messi and Juli?n ?lvarez (Manchester City), clashing and fighting each other." He added, "I don't know whether Son Heung-min couldn't hold back his anger or what made Son Heung-min, who is known to be very kind, so angry," and called it "an unbelievable event." The caster also defended Son Heung-min, describing him as a "player kinder than bread" (Mas bueno que el pan).
Son Heung-min is known among Argentine football fans who enjoy watching the English Premier League as the captain of Tottenham and a close friend of their own player Cristian Romero (Tottenham).
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Meanwhile, on the 17th, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, when asked about the internal conflict within the South Korean national team at a press conference ahead of the match against Wolverhampton, said, "I don't know the details, and since it's an internal matter, I don't want to know. It's something the Korea Football Association should handle," drawing a clear line. However, he expressed deep trust in the leadership of Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, saying, "What I do know is that Son Heung-min is showing leadership."
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