The Sun, a British media outlet, reported on the 8th (Korea time) that Sterling, who suffered from a nightmare of a thief breaking into his house, was due to return to Qatar today ahead of the quarterfinal match against France. This is very welcome news for the English national team led by manager Gareth Southgate. To win the World Cup, you have to win the quarter-finals against France, because the addition of Sterling has created a power booster factor.
Sterling, Chelsea’s side striker was the main striker of the English national team this time. In the first leg of the group stage against Iran, he scored 1 goal and 1 assist, leading the team to a 6-2 victory. He also appeared as a starter in the second game against the United States. However, before the round of 16 against Senegal, he was suddenly excluded from the list of new candidates as well as starting.
The reason is that a thief broke into the house where his fiancee and three children live. Sterling, who had already experienced a burglary four years ago in November 2018, asked for permission from the team and flew straight to London out of concern for his family. The England team, including coach Southgate, fully understood Sterling’s circumstances and supported his decision to return home.
Fortunately, it is known that there is no problem with the Sterling family. Only about 300,000 pounds (480 million won) of precious metals were stolen. But Sterling has stated that he will not return to Qatar until his family is safe. It was his conviction that he could focus on the World Cup only when the criminals were caught and some security measures were in place. It could have been an impossible sortie for the quarter-finals against France.
However, Sterling eventually decided to return to Qatar. This is because the local police arrested two suspects on the 6th and security measures were prepared for their families. The Sun said, ‘Sterling is due to board a flight to Qatar today. Join the squad preparing for the quarter-final against France. In the game against France, there is a high possibility that he will be brought in as a substitute rather than a starter.”
Reporter Lee Won-man wman@sportschosun.com
