Tottenham's 'Captain' Son Heung-min sympathized with the controversy over players' overwork ahead of the first round of the Europa League League phase in 2024-2025 season against Karabakh FC (Azerbaijan). He attended a press conference against Karabakh for Tottenham.
Currently, the world's soccer scene is shaking due to the players' 'opportunity controversy'. There is even a possibility of a strike. Rodri (Manchester City) collapsed and went wild.
Son Heung-min said "A lot of players said the right thing. It was very important for someone to say that. Sometimes players have to come forward and speak. There are certainly a lot of games, but as a football-loving fan, the important thing is quality rather than the amount of games. We want to see quality games rather than as many games as possible"I don't want to see the players suffer from injuries. No one wants that. A lot of games, a lot of movement. We have to manage ourselves, and sometimes it is very difficult. Playing without being mentally or physically prepared increases the risk of injury considerably. We are not robots. You have to manage these parts well, and it's certainly necessary to reduce the game. We should aim for better quality of the game."
Reuters Yonhap News
Reuters Yonhap News
He also said "Don't get me wrong, we love football and we enjoy playing games. That's clear. However, the problem is that there are many movements and games. Manchester City, for example, played on Sunday, played on Tuesday, and were not flexible. I could have moved it to Wednesday instead of Tuesday. So, it is natural that all players are exposed to the risk of injury. It's not fair. Rodri said the right thing, too. We're playing 50-60 games, and it doesn't make sense to play more than 70 games," he added.
Asked if he was willing to go on strike "It's different that he wants to go to the finals and play many games. But the current platform, or format, is geared toward playing more games. That's not the way to be considerate of the players. That is where we are talking. There are definitely parts that can be changed, and I think we can move in a positive direction so that we can take good care of the players."
Reuters Yonhap News
Reuters Yonhap News
Son started against Karabakh. Coach Enze Postecoglou rested Christian Romero and James Maddison, but Son Heung-min could not erase them.
There have been major bad news since the start of the game. Center back Radu Dragusin was forced into numerical inferiority by receiving a red card in the 7th minute of the first half. Fortunately, Tottenham won 3-0 in the 12th minute with consecutive goals by Brennan Jones and Pappesar and Dominic Solanke in the 7th and 23rd minutes of the second half despite the bad news of 10 people fighting.
But Son Heung-min collapsed. He complained of thigh pain and was replaced in the 26th minute of the second half. Postecoglou told a press conference after the game that `I haven't spoken to Son yet. He said he was a little tired, but he hadn't spoken to him and the medical staff yet."
Son Heung-min said in the mixed zone "That's fine. It's really nice." But it's not 'It's OK'. Son Heung-min, born in 1992, is 32 years old. If you overdo it, you can be a bigger painter. It can also be a fatal blow to Korean soccer.
