"Ripple effects of alleged rift within South Korea national team" Japan also taken aback by Son Heung-min being referred to as "Number 7" or "That Person"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

As suspicions emerged that some players on the South Korea national football team refer to captain Son Heung-min (34) as "Number 7" (his jersey number) or "That Person," Japan has also taken notice.

The Japanese media outlet The World reported on the 22nd, citing domestic reports, that "suspicions of a rift within the South Korea national team have escalated to the point of being raised during a National Assembly audit, with players allegedly calling Son Heung-min 'Number 7' or 'That Person,'" adding that "critical voices have also emerged regarding the Korea Football Association's response."

Previously, Jeong Yeon-uk (Rep.) of the People Power Party criticized Lee Yong-soo, Vice President of the Korea Football Association (Acting President), during the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit on the previous day by asking, "Are you aware that recently, among national team players, they do not call each other by name but instead refer to someone as 'Number 7'?"

When Acting President Lee Yong-soo responded, "Do you mean player Son Heung-min?", Jeong (Rep.) stated, "It appears to be true that within the squad, there is no use of names at all, and they simply call him 'Number 7' or 'That Person,'" adding, "I have several questions as to whether this is merely a nickname, or if team dynamics within the squad have become so uncomfortable that even mentioning his name directly feels awkward."

At the center of the controversy are so-called "96 LINE" players, including Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang In-beom (FC Porto), and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04), who had previously been linked to conflict rumors with Son Heung-min and speculation about a simultaneous retirement from the national team.

Jeong Yeon-uk (Rep.) pressed, "I have no intention of siding with or belittling any specific individual, but the fact that the results in the last four A-matches were 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, which is not good, and that the national team's leadership has caused discord and collapsed comprehensively, is the problem," asking, "Hasn't the accumulation of issues raised by so-called '96 LINE' players regarding Son Heung-min's captaincy system, which has continued for nine years, led to this?" Acting President Lee Yong-soo replied, "It is difficult for me to answer."

The World, citing these contents, reported that "attention has been drawn to past incidents surrounding Son Heung-min, including Kim Min-jae unfollowing his account on social media (SNS), and reports of a clash with Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) during the Asian Cup, among other instances where interpersonal relationships within the national team have become topics of discussion multiple times."

It added, "Given this history, there are also observations that dissatisfaction or conflicts between Son Heung-min's long-standing captaincy system and players born in 1996 in the LINE have been accumulating. The ripple effects of the suspected rift surrounding the South Korea national team appear likely to continue."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original