July 06, 2022

Son Heung-min Speaks Out Against Racism

Tottenham Hotspur star, Son Heung-min, has revealed that he faced racism as a teenage footballer in Germany.

While speaking to fans at a recent event in Seoul, South Korea, the 29-year-old mentioned that he was happy to get “revenge” when the national team (whom he also captains) knocked Germany out of the 2018 World Cup.

The player went on to explain: “I moved to Germany when I was young, and went through so many really difficult, unimaginable moments.

“I faced a lot of racism. And while going through such a really difficult time, I had a lot of thoughts on my mind [that] I should get my revenge one day.”

Last month, Son received the Cheongnyong Medal, the highest order of merit for achievement in sports given to a South Korea citizen. However, the player still regards the 2-0 victory against Germany four years earlier as the highlight of his career.

Sadly, the discrimination against him did not stop when Son left Germany. A group of 12 men racially abused the forward on Twitter after Spurs’ 3-1 home defeat to Manchester United in April last year.

Despite the mistreatment, Son has been labelled a peacekeeping figure. His latest act was breaking up an argument between two opponents during South Korea’s win against Chile in Daejeon, South Korea on 6 June 2022.

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