Racist fan gets three-year ban after abuse aimed at Son Heung-min

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min [REUTERS/YONHAP]

A Crystal Palace fan has been banned from football for three years after making a racist gesture toward Korean midfielder Son Heung-min during a Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London in May last year.

The fan, which Britain's Daily Mirror identified as a 44-year old male, was clearly visible in footage of the game between Tottenham and Crystal Palace in the away end making a racist gesture aimed at Son, who appears to see it while walking toward the touchline.

The footage quickly spread online, causing widespread condemnation from fans.

He was initially given a fine and required to do community service earlier this year, but prosecutors filed for an additional ban on attending any games for the next three years.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the three-year ban and also warned that it will not tolerate any discriminatory behavior in football, saying that it has a “massive impact” on the game, players and fans.

Racism is a chronic problem in the Premier League and in football across Europe. Son was the target of abuse a number of times last year, including when West Ham fans called Son a “dog eating [expletive]” on social media during a game in February.

In 2021, a Chelsea fan was caught on camera making a racist gesture at Son, two weeks after Wolverhampton Wanderers complained to UEFA due to racism aimed at Hwang Hee-chan during a friendly in Portugal.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN AND JIM BULLEY [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]