The captain of Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korean national team, Son Heung-min, injured his finger during an altercation with his teammates on the eve of the country’s exit from the Asian Cup.
The players brawled during a team dinner before their 2-0 semi-final defeat to Jordan last week, extending their 64-year wait for another Asian Cup title.
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“It happened when some young players went to play table tennis, and Son Heung-min and other older players objected to it,” a South Korean Football Association official told Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.
“The players exchanged a few words and Son injured his finger in the process.”
The Korean Football Association could not immediately be reached for comment, but Son’s teammate Lee Kang-in apologized for the incident.
“We have caused great disappointment to the football fans who always support our national team. I am truly sorry,” the Paris Saint-Germain player told me in an Instagram story.
“I should have taken the initiative and followed my brothers’ instructions, but I’m just sorry for showing a bad image to football fans. I apologize to the many people who were disappointed because of me.”
“From now on, I will try to help my brothers become better players and people.”
After returning from the tournament in Qatar, Son came on as a substitute in Tottenham’s Premier League match against Brighton on Saturday and had his right ring finger and middle finger taped together.
The 31-year-old helped Tottenham to a 2-1 win after providing an assist in the 96th minute for his top scorer. Brennan Johnson.