Ping Pong-Gate: South Korea infighting ends in Son injury

South Korea and Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min suffered a finger injury during an altercation with a teammate while on recent international duty. The incident occurred on the eve of South Korea‘s shock defeat to Jordan on Feb. 6. Despite being heavy favorites, the Koreans were beaten 2-0 by the Middle Eastern team in the semifinals of the Asian Cup.

Following a team dinner, several young players in the South Korean national team left the group to play table tennis. This, however, did not go down well with Son and other veteran players in the squad. As a result, the group got into a squabble over the issue and Son injured his finger.

“It happened when some young players went up to play table tennis, and Son Heung-min and other older players took issue with it,” stated a South Korean Football Federation official. “The players exchanged a few words and Son hurt his finger in the process.”

PSG player threw a punch at Son during fight

One of the key Korean players in the altercation with Son was Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in. The 22-year-old star recently joined the French champions in a $24 million deal from Mallorca. The Yonhap News Agency has reported that Son initially grabbed Lee in the fight. Lee then subsequently attempted to punch his teammate.

While the punch did not land, Son dislocated his finger during the quarrel. Following the news of how Son suffered the injury, Lee posted an apology for the incident on social media.

“We have caused great disappointment to the soccer fans who always support our national team. I’m really sorry,” Lee wrote on Instagram. “I should have taken the lead and followed my brothers’ instructions, but I’m just sorry for showing soccer fans a bad image. I apologize to the many people who were disappointed by me. From now on, I will try to help my brothers become better players and people.”

The surprise loss against Jordan not only dropped South Korea from the tournament but also put head coach Jurgen Klinsmann in a precarious position. The former USMNT manager could now lose his job due to the embarrassing defeat. South Korean officials will meet later this week to discuss Klinsmann’s future with the team.

Son makes instant impact in return to Spurs following exit from Asian Cup

Despite suffering the injury, Son quickly reported back to Spurs after the defeat to Jordan. The star forward came off the bench in the 62nd minute during a Premier League fixture against Brighton on Saturday. With the game level at 1-1, Son provided an assist to Brennan Johnson deep into stoppage time to win the game.

Having lost superstar striker Harry Kane this past summer, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou recently reiterated just how important Son is to his squad. “Maybe the nation he plays for works against him but I think he’s a world-class player,” stated the manager.

“You look at his record in the Premier League, the toughest league in the world, his goal contributions irrespective of how the team’s gone through the time he’s been here have always been right up there.”

Son and the rest of his Spurs teammates will next face Wolves on Saturday, Feb. 17. The north London side currently sits fourth in the Premier League table, just one point above Aston Villa.

PHOTOS: IMAGO