'How could this happen?' Son Heung-min rushed to the emergency room in the early hours, and 'gimbap went missing'... Former national team captain reveals the Football Association's 'complete chaos'

*This content was translated by AI.

Former South Korea national football team captain Ki Sung-yueng (37) criticized the poor treatment of players in the past and the immature administration of the Korean Football Association (KFA).

On the 2nd, the YouTube channel 'Shoot for Love' uploaded a video titled 'The problems Ki Sung-yueng felt with the KFA, even going so far as to make these efforts?'. In the video, Ki Sung-yueng shared various anecdotes from his time on the national team.

First, he mentioned the 'missed meal' incident that occurred during a friendly match against Northern Ireland just before the 2018 Russia World Cup. Ki Sung-yueng explained the situation at the time, saying, "After finishing an interview with Son Heung-min, I went into the locker room, and only the two of us had no gimbap." He added, "We had lost the match, so my mood was already bad, and we had to head straight for the airport, so I got angry."

He continued, laughing, "Later I found out that enough gimbap had been prepared, but a few people ate from multiple lines until it was all gone. It was a mistake where no one realized that Son Heung-min and I were moving as the last group to depart. Looking back, I even wondered if I was being too sensitive about food."

The inadequate system for away-team accommodations also came under scrutiny. Recalling his time on an away trip to Poland, Ki Sung-yueng stated, "When we arrived in Poland, the bus took a detour, and the accommodation was at the level of a motel." He revealed that he had looked up nearby hotels via Booking.com and suggested, "Shouldn't we secure accommodations suitable for the national team?"

In response, a staff member from the Jeon (CEO) team who appeared on the broadcast explained that the issue arose because they were using accommodations provided by the Polish Football Association as the inviting party. As a result of this incident, the KFA introduced a system to conduct advance site inspections for overseas away trips.

He also pointed out the lack of an adequate health management system during the 2015 Asian Cup. Ki Sung-yueng said, "After the first match, several players showed symptoms of colds and gastroenteritis, and Son Heung-min even had to go to the emergency room in the early hours." He added, "Judging the situation to be serious, I immediately requested a meeting with the medical team and the administrative team."

He also proposed direct alternatives. Ki Sung-yueng explained, "I suggested that we create health management rules for players to follow, such as drinking plenty of water when flying. From then on, whenever the national team was called up, relevant guidelines began to be shared in group chat rooms."

Ki Sung-yueng said, "When I retired from the national team, my only thought was that the players who would come after me should not have to experience such inconveniences." He explained the background of his leading efforts to improve systems as captain by stating, "So I spoke strongly to both the players and the staff when necessary."

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*This content was translated by AI.