Suwon FC Terminates Contract with‌ Son Jun-ho ⁢Amid Match-Fixing Allegations

Suwon FC has terminated the contract with Son Jun-ho, a‌ former member of the national ⁣football team, following his permanent expulsion from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) due to alleged involvement in⁣ match-fixing.

According to General Manager ​Choi Soon-ho, the ​decision was made by mutual agreement after‍ a conversation with the player. An official announcement from the club is expected soon.

The CFA has ⁣already informed FIFA, its superior organization, of Son Jun-ho’s disposal. If FIFA accepts ⁣this and informs the national associations,⁣ Son Jun-ho will ​be ⁤banned from playing as a professional player as well as the national⁣ team.

The CFA announced ⁤in an official statement that ‌Son Jun-ho earned illegal profits by fixing matches while ⁤playing for Shandong Taishan and ‌will⁤ be banned from related ‍activities in China for life.

Son Jun-ho admitted to receiving 200,000 yuan (about 37 million won) from Jin​ Jingdao, who was involved in illegal match-fixing and ⁣betting, but claimed that‍ this was ⁢a normal financial transaction between friends.

He ‌revealed that‍ he had no choice but to make‍ a false confession due to the compelling investigation by Chinese public security. ‍Son Jun-ho also explained the sentencing negotiation process, saying ⁣that he⁤ was told that if he admitted to receiving 200,000 yuan ‌from Jin Jingdao, he would be released within a few days.

Son Jun-ho specifically mentioned that the match the Chinese authorities were challenging‍ was “the match against SIPG Shanghai.” ⁣He⁤ claimed that as a defensive midfielder, he had never engaged in any ⁢actions that could have fixed the⁤ game.

Son Jun-ho made ⁤his professional debut at Pohang Steelers ⁣in 2014 and then transferred​ to China’s Shandong Taishan in 2021. He played 26 games for the Korean national team and ‍also took part⁣ in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.