Son Joon-ho (32) eventually terminated his contract with his team, Suwon FC. It has been less than three months since he joined the team in June amid a lot of controversy. Son Joon-ho is appealing his innocence, but considering the various situations, his career is also in danger.
Suwon FC officially announced the termination of the contract with Son Joon-ho through a statement in the name of Choi Soon-ho. Suwon FC originally planned to continue accompanying Son Joon-ho until FIFA’s definite disciplinary decision was made, but eventually decided to terminate the contract as the issue grew so big. Son Joon-ho first requested the termination of the contract, and the club reportedly accepted it, but it is virtually a disgraceful release.
Choi Soon-ho, the general manager, said in a statement, “The club has spent time carefully considering the disciplinary announcement of Son Joon-ho by the Chinese Football Association, thinking that it has an obligation to help the players show their best,” adding, “During the judgment that we can no longer cause confusion outside the game, the club decided to accept Son Joon-ho’s request to terminate the contract. We are sorry for the series of situations that have caused concern.” As a result, Son Joon-ho and Suwon FC’s companion will end early about three months after signing the contract on June 14. The contract between Son Joon-ho and Suwon FC was due this year.
It’s simply a twisted shape.
After being caught by Chinese police on his way home in May last year while playing for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, Son Joon-ho was barely released in March after being detained for as long as 10 months. However, even after his release, it was not known exactly what charges Son Joon-ho was investigated for or what kind of judgment he received at trial. This is because Son Joon-ho has remained silent. Instead, Son Joon-ho returned to the professional stage three months after his release, and recently scored a goal, creating a lot of buzz. Rumors have even circulated that he will return to the national team.
Meanwhile, controversy began when the Chinese Football Association announced the permanent expulsion of Son Joon-ho on the 10th. At that time, the Chinese Football Association announced, “According to facts recognized by judicial institutions, Son Joon-ho participated in unjustified transactions to promote unjust interests, manipulated soccer games, and gained illegal profits,” and “Banned any activities related to Son Joon-ho’s soccer for life.” The Chinese Football Association issued a permanent expulsion to 43 people, including Son Joon-ho, and a five-year suspension of eligibility to 17 people. 안전놀이터
Controversy intensified as the Chinese Football Association directly cited “match manipulation” as a reason for disciplinary action, with only the charge of “non-state workers” applied to cases where a person belonging to a company or other unit, not a government agency, illegally received property from others using their job convenience. Son Joon-ho’s side quickly prepared for a press conference as soon as the announcement was made by the Chinese Football Association. It seemed that there was so much to say that he planned a press conference even in the late afternoon on the day of the announcement.
Son’s press conference the next afternoon, however, left only questions instead of turning the situation around. Son shed tears as he looked back on the 10-month investigation and trial process from the time he was arrested. He pleaded not guilty, saying, “I have never participated in match-fixing nor admitted match-fixing during investigation or trial.” He also claimed that he was threatened and conciliated during investigation and trial. This is why he had to remain silent after returning home.”
However, at the press conference, he failed to clarify why he received a large amount of more than 200,000 yuan and 37 million won in Korean money from Jin Jing-dao (Kim Kyung-do), his teammate at the time and at the center of the match-fixing. He insisted on his innocence while looking back on the 10-month investigation process, but failed to provide convincing explanations or data other than appealing to emotions.
In the end, what was confirmed through Son after the press conference was that he received 200,000 yuan from Jin Jingdao five to six days after the match, which was designated by the Chinese investigation authorities as match fixing, and that he was guilty of receiving money and valuables during the trial. However, there was no convincing evidence other than Son’s claim that he did not receive match fixing or illegal money. The public’s view of Son, who had been pitifully looking at him, has also begun to become cold due to a series of dubious explanations.
The situation was even more complicated when the Chinese Football Association notified FIFA of the news of Son Jun-ho’s permanent expulsion. If the disciplinary action of the Chinese Football Association is cited through the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, the disciplinary action against Son Jun-ho will now be extended and applied worldwide. Son Jun-ho is confident that FIFA will not favor the Chinese Football Association, but the prevailing view in the soccer community is that Son’s situation will not be easy. In this case, Son Jun-ho’s soccer career will also be over.
Naturally, the spark also spread to Suwon FC. When Son was seeking to return to the K-League, other clubs that were seeking to recruit him withdrew from the contract negotiation stage. They either were aware of the risk or were concerned about it. Suwon FC, on the other hand, immediately embraced Son. He played a key role in the team’s midfield for a short period of time, but as a result, his contract was terminated in three months.
With the ranking battle in full swing, Suwon FC coaches, including head coach Kim Eun-joong, who lost his power, will inevitably suffer. Despite Son Joon-ho’s risk, the leadership of Suwon FC, the “citizen club” who pushed for and decided to recruit and paid a considerable salary, will also be held accountable.
