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[도하(카타르)=뉴시스] Reporter Jo Seong-woo = Son Jun-ho of the Korean national football team is interviewed at the Al Egla Training Center in Doha, Qatar, on the afternoon of the 22nd (local time). 2022.11.22. xconfind@newsis.com
Son Jun-ho, a former national soccer team midfielder who was detained by Chinese authorities and released after about 10 months, is trying to return to the field through the amateur K5 League. There is interest to see if he can regain his condition quickly and ease the concerns of a defensive midfielder, which is currently a weak position for the Korean national team.
Son Jun-ho’s agent, NES CEO Park Dae-yeon, said in a phone call with Newsis on the 14th, “Son Jun-ho is trying to join Geonyung FC, a member of the K5 League.”
The K5 League, following the K3 and K4 Leagues, which are classified as semi-professional, is the highest level of domestic amateur leagues.
Since Son Jun-ho has not been able to play for about 10 months and is not in perfect condition, it seems that he has made a plan to improve his game stamina and practical sense in the less demanding K5 League and then return to the professional step through the upcoming summer transfer market.
Son Jun-ho, who played for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese professional football Super League, was arrested and investigated by Chinese authorities on charges of bribing non-state agents while returning to Korea via Shanghai Hongqiao Airport on May 12 last year.
There has been talk of the possibility that Son Jun-ho was involved in match-fixing or that money was exchanged during his transfer to Shandong.
The player’s team strongly denied these allegations, and he was eventually released at the end of March and returned to the country.
[고양=뉴시스] Reporter Baek Dong-hyun = Son Jun-ho protests to the referee during the Hana Bank national invitational soccer team evaluation match between Korea and Costa Rica held at Goyang Sports Complex in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do on afternoon the 23rd. 2022.09.23. livertrent@newsis.com
According to the Football Association’s player registration regulations, anyone serving a prison sentence or a heavier penalty or who is on probation cannot register as a professional or amateur player.
Although the Chinese authorities did not clearly state the exact decision they made to release Son Jun-ho, if the Korea Football Association approves the registration of players, Son Jun-ho can return to the field immediately.
Son Jun-ho is also known to have maintained the weight he gained when he played professionally through body weight training even while in custody, so he could continue his playing career quickly.
If Son Jun-ho recovers his skills mentally and physically as planned, it is expected to be of great help not only to the player but also to Korean football.
The national team is currently struggling with a defensive midfielder. Together with Hwang In-beom (Zvezda), we are looking for resources to add stability to the midfield of Korean football.
Jung Woo-young (Khaliz) took the stage until the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but after that, there are no suitable starting resources.
Park Yong-woo (Al Ain) was appointed in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which ended in Qatar last February, but he did not show a stable performance. He ended up being banned from the two-match international against Thailand in March.
Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham) played as a starter in the national team in March under the interim Olympic team coach Hwang Seon-hong, but he could not build a solid midfield because defense was not his strength.
[도하(카타르)=뉴시스] Reporter Jo Seong-woo = Son Jun-ho of the Korean national football team is interviewed at the Al Egla Training Center in Doha, Qatar, on the afternoon of the 22nd (local time). 2022.11.22. xconfind@newsis.com
Son Jun-ho has not only defensive skills, but also active activity and passing ability. Although he has never been used due to retention, he is a proven resource whose skills even former head coach Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany) constantly hopes for.
If Son Jun-ho regains his previous performance, it seems that the national team will be able to have stable power again.
◎ Newsis sympathetic media wlsduq123@newsis.com
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