Son, 29, became the first Asian footballer to win the Golden Boot by being the top scorer in the English Premier League last season with 23 goals.
South Korea’s football icon, the leading Asian goalscorer in English football’s top-flight history, was awarded the country’s highest sporting honor in June for his achievements.
But Son said the most memorable moment of his career was South Korea’s resounding 2-0 win over Germany four years earlier because of the racism he endured in the country as a teenager after joining Hamburg in 2010 .
Speaking to fans at an event in Seoul on Monday, Son shared his experiences of racism publicly for the first time.
“I moved to Germany when I was younger, and went through a lot of difficult, unimaginable moments,” said Son, who left Hamburg for Bayer Leverkusen in 2013.
“I faced a lot of racism. And going through such a tough time, I had so many thoughts that I should one day take my revenge.”
Germany were the defending World Cup champions in Russia, but a loss to South Korea meant they were at the bottom of their group, leaving many German fans in tears at the Kazan Arena.
Son, who scored the second goal in injury time to seal Germany’s early exit, said he had some sympathy.
“When people cry, I (usually) want to comfort them and give them a hug,” he said. “But seeing the German people cry, (I felt) I was able to take revenge by doing something of my choice,” he said.
Son has also faced racism during his Premier League career in England since moving from Leverkusen to Spurs in 2015.
Last year, eight people were arrested in addresses in England and Wales on suspicion of tweeting racist abuse at Son.
Son will be joined by his Tottenham teammates upon arrival in South Korea for pre-season games against the K-League All-Stars in Seoul on 13 July and Sevilla FC three days later in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul.
No comments:
Post a Comment