South Korea captain Son says players have resolved their differences

SEOUL – South Korea captain Son Heung-min said on Thursday he and four teammates had resolved their differences and that they wanted to set a good example for the next generation of players.

In a joint statement posted by the Korea Football Association, Son, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Kim Min-jae apologized to fans and said they had cleared the air during their ongoing training camp in Doha.

Reports of a rift in the dressing room began after the team’s early exit at this year’s World Cup, which led to the departure of coach Hong Myung-bo.

“At this call-up, we came together and honestly shared our thoughts about the national team,” the statement read.

“By listening to each other directly and explaining things we hadn’t been able to discuss fully until now, we came to understand each other’s positions better.”

Reports in local media had said some players were frustrated with the squad’s veteran leadership group, and that Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Kim Min-jae were ready to retire from the national team after a match against Uzbekistan last month.

“It is not true at all that we tried to push through specific demands by making retirement a condition,” the players wrote.

“The reason we did not explain each of the related reports until now is that we believed issues concerning the national team should first be thoroughly discussed and resolved internally.”

The players said they were keen to move on.

“Respecting and trusting each other’s roles and responsibilities, we will work together to set a good example for the young players who will write the next page of Korean football,” they added.

South Korea plays Saudi Arabia in Al Rayyan on Friday before taking on Qatar in Doha on Tuesday.