Son Heung-min, Klinsmann rally behind Korean footballer arrested in China

Football

Published: 20 Jun. 2023, 09:01 Updated: 20 Jun. 2023, 17:35

Son Heung-min, Klinsmann rally behind Korean footballer arrested in China

Jurgen Klinsmann, left, and Son Heung-min speak to reporters at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon on Monday. [NEWS1]

Korea captain Son Heung-min and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann rallied behind Son Jun-ho on Monday, a day after news broke that Chinese authorities had formally arrested the Shandong Taishan midfielder.

“It’s so heartbreaking, we don’t know what’s going on,” Son Heung-min told reporters during a press conference at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon. “We used to be in touch all the time but now there’s no answer even if I send a text message.

“The only thing we can do is pray for Jun-ho. I hope he can rejoin the team as soon as possible.”

Son Jun-ho was detained on May 12 at an airport in Shanghai in what China has called a bribery investigation. Under Chinese law, police can detain suspects for up to 37 days before a prosecutor approves an arrest.

Now that he has been formally arrested, the investigation process can take one to two months, according to reports. He can be held for the duration of that investigation.

The arrest comes amid a crackdown on match-fixing in Chinese football, although the exact details leading to Son’s arrest have not been revealed. Son’s local agent in China was also detained earlier this month, according to the JoongAng Ilbo. He is also being held on bribery charges.

Son, 31, has played for Shandong since 2021 when the club went on to win the Chinese Football League. He has 20 caps for Korea, including appearing at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Son Jun-ho [YONHAP]

He was included in the squad for friendlies against Peru and El Salvador by Klinsmann as a show of solidarity.

“"We all feel for Jun-ho,” Klinsmann said on Monday. “We all pray for him and his family that his situation gets resolved as quickly as possible. We hope that we get him back as soon as possible."

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]