'Massa's spinal fracture injury': Ulsan's Cho Hyun-taek faces no post-match sanction... concluded with a yellow card during the game

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korea Professional Football League (K-League) has reportedly decided not to impose any additional sanctions on Cho Hyun-taek (25, Ulsan HD) following the foul that led to Daejeon Hana Citizen's Massa (31) suffering a fracture of the transverse process of the spine.

According to the football community on the 29th, after reviewing the case at the K-League Professional Evaluation Panel meeting the previous day, the league concluded that it would not refer the matter to the Disciplinary Committee to consider post-match sanctions. As a result, Cho Hyun-taek's disciplinary action concluded with the yellow card (warning) issued by the referee at the time.

Earlier, on the 26th, during the second half's stoppage time of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 10 home match between Ulsan and Daejeon at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Cho Hyun-taek forcefully collided with Massa from behind.

Massa had no time to prepare for the collision as Cho rushed in from behind, and the impact was severe because Cho was sprinting at full speed. Concerns about serious injury arose immediately after the collision.

Consequently, Massa was unable to get up and was carried off the field on a stretcher, later transported to a hospital by ambulance.

Following a detailed diagnosis, Massa was found to have a fracture of the transverse process of the spine. Fortunately, while avoiding more severe injuries, he is now expected to focus solely on recovery for about a month.

With the K League 1 entering the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup break starting next month, Massa is unlikely to return before the break and is expected to resume play only when the season resumes in July.

Fans criticized Cho Hyun-taek's collision as a "foul lacking professional awareness," while also recalling his consistently rough play in previous matches, voicing strong condemnation.

The collision occurred immediately after Massa made a pass to the side, making it effectively a collision unrelated to the ball. Given that he struck the opposing player forcefully from behind, causing a serious injury, the possibility of post-match sanctions was raised.

Although the referee at the time issued a warning to Cho Hyun-taek, if the foul had been deemed serious, additional sanctions such as a suspension could have been imposed following a red card.

However, the K-League Professional Evaluation Panel concluded that Cho Hyun-taek's foul did not warrant referral to the Disciplinary Committee for post-match sanction deliberation, and thus his disciplinary action concluded with the warning issued by the referee at the time.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Cho Hyun-taek personally contacted Massa to repeatedly apologize. Massa, in turn, said via social media (SNS), "I don't think the injury is serious, so please don't worry," and added, "Since I received multiple direct apologies from the opposing player (Cho Hyun-taek), I kindly ask everyone to refrain from criticism."

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*This content was translated by AI.