Ahn Jung-hwan, who mentioned Son Heung-min's early substitution, effectively takes aim at 'football YouTubers' with a sharp critique of result-based criticism: "They are creating buzz over things that never happened."

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahn Jung-hwan (50), a legend of Korean football and a broadcast personality, expressed strong displeasure over provocative public criticism directed at the South Korean national football team. It is interpreted that his remarks were specifically targeted at certain "football YouTubers" who produce provocative content under the guise of expertise, rather than ordinary fans.

On the 22nd, Ahn Jung-hwan revisited the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup group stage second match against Mexico through the "Say What You Want, Don't Call Me" segment of the TikTok variety show "Tiki Tika Taka Talk Talk Show."

At that time, Coach Hong Myung-bo's team conceded a winning goal to Luis Romero (Guadalajara) in the 5th minute of the second half, losing 0-1. After the goal, Coach Hong deployed a tactical move by substituting captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) with Oh Hyun-kyu (Besiktas) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), but ultimately failed to turn the match around.

Following the match, fierce criticism arose against Coach Hong Myung-bo's tactic of substituting Son Heung-min early again, following the first match against the Czech Republic. Some football-related creators and experts pointed out the substitution timing, stating, "Son Heung-min's movements were light in the Mexico match, so he was taken off too early."

However, Ahn Jung-hwan held a different view. Regarding this, Ahn Jung-hwan said, "They ask, 'Why was Son Heung-min taken off early?' Look, if Jo Gyu-sung (Midtjylland) had scored with a header in the final minutes of the second half, then it would be 'that's it' (meaning Hong's tactical use of players was correct)," while clapping his hands. This was a sharp critique that the criticism was merely result-based.

In particular, Ahn Jung-hwan continued with high-level remarks directed not at football fans simply expressing regret, but at those who pour out criticism for the sake of criticism. This is interpreted as an attack on certain "football YouTubers" who produce provocative content to chase views.

Ahn Jung-hwan said, "Don't just talk like that without thinking. That's the last thing you should do," and added, "Ordinary football fans can say that, but they make a fuss about things that never happened in a strange way," while expressing his sharp disapproval.

He further stated, "I am on the side of our national football team, not on the side of Coach Hong Myung-bo," clearly drawing a line, but also revealed his honest feelings: "But when I see it, they try to attract attention (buzz) with such things. I can't stand seeing it at all."

The reason Ahn Jung-hwan is so angry is to protect players who are competing on the big stage of the World Cup, which is held every four years. He expressed concern that "it looks too bad, and the players who hear such (provocative) words get hurt," and warned that indiscriminate undermining could negatively affect the national team's atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the team, with one win and one loss in the group stage, arrived in Monterrey, Mexico, ahead of the final group stage match against South Africa, and began full-scale local adaptation training.

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*This content was translated by AI.