By Humberto Viera
Aug 30, 2024, 7:45 PM EDT
Son Woong-jung, father of South Korean Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min (also known as Heung Min Son), was sentenced on Friday for physical and psychological abuse against underage players at his football academy.
In addition to paying a fine, Son Woong-jung will have to attend a course to prevent such behavior, Yonhap news agency reported.
The Chuncheon District Prosecutor’s Office, about 75 kilometers east of Seoul, determined that the defendants committed a misdemeanor of abusing young soccer players, although they did not reveal the amount of the fine imposed.
The case came to light after a complaint was filed in March by the parents of an underage player who was training at the Son Academy. According to the complaint, the school’s coaches hit the boy with a corner flag as punishment for not meeting the required physical standards.
The boy also claimed that Son Woong-jung verbally berated him for mistakes made during training sessions. During the investigation, Yonhap obtained videos showing academy coaches insulting and belittling players from the sidelines during a tournament in Japan.
To encourage his son during the extra training, Son Woong-jung was treinava or the same amount, sometimes even more than Son, so as not to leave him discouraged and show that he could execute or that he ordered
Woong is sad for being rigid like Son. Deu certo 😅pic.twitter.com/ZSavYAGpdC
— Heung-min Son Brazil | Fan Account (@HM7Brasil) December 20, 2022
In response to the allegations, the Academy and Son Woong-jung admitted that the language used by the coaches was inappropriate, but justified their actions by saying they were “under pressure” and “frustrated” by the players’ performance during the tournament.
This case highlights the problem of abuse in youth sports and the need to set clear boundaries to protect young athletes, who, in their training process, must be protected from inappropriate conduct by their coaches.
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