[Anchor]
Meanwhile, it has been claimed that one of the reasons for our defeat in the final match against South Africa was discord within the team. It is alleged that a conflict arose among the players regarding the team's decision to boycott interviews, ultimately leading to Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung being excluded from the starting lineup. The Korea Football Association has stated that this is not true.
Reporter Hong Seok-jun has the story.
[Reporter]
Head coach Hong Myung-bo's decision to leave out captain Son Heung-min and key midfielder Lee Jae-sung from the starting lineup is being cited as one of the reasons for the loss against South Africa.
Questions have been mounting, especially since Lee Jae-sung, who brings vitality to the second line with his high work rate, did not play at all—to the point where Lee Kang-in was even spotted appearing to suggest that Lee Jae-sung should be substituted into the game.
Amid this, a claim has emerged that the reason for the exclusion of Son and Lee was discord among the players.
Representative Jin Jong-oh of the People Power Party stated, "I received reports that there was discord within the national team ahead of the South Africa match." He claimed, "After some reporters were heard mocking Son Heung-min's military service exemption, the players declared an interview boycott following the Czech Republic match. However, after the Mexico match, younger players followed head coach Hong Myung-bo's instruction to resume interviews, leading to a conflict with Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung, who insisted on continuing the boycott."
Representative Jin argued that as a result of this conflict, coach Hong ultimately excluded Son and Lee from the starting lineup against South Africa.
[Jin Jong-oh/People Power Party lawmaker: I was told that after the Mexico match, it was decided after much deliberation to exclude Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung from the starting lineup for the South Africa match. It appears that head coach Hong Myung-bo was failing to demonstrate proper leadership.]
This claim contradicts the explanation given by former coach Hong during the press conference after the South Africa match.
[Hong Myung-bo/Former National Football Team Head Coach (After the South Africa match): I do not think there are any problems within the team at all.]
The Korea Football Association denied Representative Jin's claim, stating, "It is true that we coordinated the resumption of interviews through meetings with the players," but added, "It is not true that Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung were excluded from the starting lineup due to this situation."
Reported by Hong Seok-jun | Video by Hwang In-seok | Video Editing by Hwang Ji-young | Graphics by Kim Ye-ji
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