South Korea’s Son Jun-ho denies match-fixing, accuses China police of threats, blackmail
Tearful South Korea footballer says charges he faced were ‘ridiculous’, claims police threatened wife and children
South Korea World Cup player Son Jun-ho broke down in tears on Wednesday as he denied match-fixing and accused China of blackmail after they banned him for life.
Son, who played for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, was accused by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) of taking part in match-fixing and was detained for 10 months last year
The midfielder, who appeared in three of South Korea’s four matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, returned to South Korea in March after being detained in May 2023.
But he was one of 43 people banned for life this week by Chinese authorities over alleged gambling and match-fixing.
A weeping and visibly emotional Son told reporters his arrest had been an “overwhelming shock”.
He said he had been threatened by Chinese police with his family, including his children, used as bargaining chips to force him to confess to the charges.
