"Uncomfortable": Hwang Hee-chan stays silent at airport, makes brief 11-minute appearance in return match with "0 shots, 1 yellow card"... Schalke suffers painful 1-2 comeback loss

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Hwang Hee-chan (30, Schalke 04), who has recently been embroiled in speculation about his retirement from international duty, came on as a substitute in his return match for his club but failed to register an attacking point.

On the 12th (Korean time), at Europa-Park Stadion in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, during the away match against Freiburg in Round 5 of the 2026-2027 German Bundesliga, Hwang Hee-chan was substituted on for Moussa Sylla in the 34th minute of the second half while the score was tied at 1-1, playing for approximately 11 minutes.

Given his limited time on the pitch, he did not record any shots and received one yellow card during an aerial ball contest in the 43rd minute of the second half.

Schalke gained a numerical advantage after Freiburg midfielder Yuto Suzuki was sent off in the 19th minute of the second half, but conceded the decisive goal to Keisuke Goto in the 40th minute of the second half, losing 1-2. Schalke remained in 13th place in the league with a record of one win, two draws, and two losses (five points), while Freiburg rose to first place with four wins and one draw (13 points).

Hwang Hee-chan, who left Wolverhampton, relegated to the English Championship (second tier), and joined Schalke on loan this summer, has come on as a substitute in three consecutive league matches since his transfer. It is reported that Schalke holds an option to make the transfer permanent for 3 million euros (approximately 4.5 billion won) at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Hwang Hee-chan found himself at the center of controversy after speculation arose about his retirement from the national team following the completion of the September-October international match schedule, alongside Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang In-beom (Porto), and others born in 1996.

When approached by reporters for an interview at Incheon Airport on the 7th as he prepared to depart, he said, "It is not an official setting, so it feels a bit uncomfortable." Regarding the possibility of retirement, he stated, "Nothing has been decided yet," withholding a definitive answer.

The incident was temporarily settled after teammate Hwang In-beom denied the retirement rumors, but the aftermath, including speculation about internal strife within the national team, continues as Hwang Hee-chan has not clarified his stance.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original