Tottenham and South Korea star Son Heung-min has revealed that he suffered from public racism in the German league but took revenge after the German team was eliminated from the first round of the World Cup in Russia.
At the age of 29, Son became the first Asian player to win the English Premier League last season, scoring 23 goals and sharing the honor with Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah.
In recognition of the position he has achieved at world level, Son received his country’s highest sporting honor last month, but the highlights of his football career remain for him to lead to Germany’s elimination from the first round of the 2018 World Cup. , due to the racism he suffered after joining the Hamburg youth in 2008 as a teenager, before defending the first team from 2010 to 2013 and then for Bayer Leverkusen until 2015.
This mural by Son Heung Min is epic ????????????
(by using @GasherMurals) pic.twitter.com/QajfmF95hC
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 29, 2022
Son first spoke publicly about the racism he faced while speaking to fans at an event held Monday in Seoul, saying, “I moved to Germany when I was young and went through many unimaginably difficult moments.”
And he continued: “I encountered racism. During this difficult period, I had many thoughts that one day I could avenge myself.”
Germany were world champions in the Russian World Cup, but a sudden loss to South Korea placed them bottom of the group and led to a first-round elimination, leaving many German fans “drenched in tears” in the World Cup stands. “Kazan Arena”.
Son, who scored the second goal in stoppage time to settle Germany’s early exit, said he had no sympathy whatsoever, explaining: “When people cry, I (usually) want to comfort and hug them, but watching the Germans cry made me (feel) able to avenge what I love.”
Son has also dealt with racism during his Premier League career since his move to Tottenham from Leverkusen in 2015, most notably last year when police arrested eight people suspected of posting offensive racist tweets against the South Korean stars on twitter.
Son will join his Tottenham teammates when they arrive in South Korea for two pre-season matches against K-League stars in Seoul next Wednesday and in Seville, Spain three days later in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of capital Cities.
Source: AFP