SEOUL, Sept 13 (Askume) – South Korea’s Suwon Football Club has terminated the contract of midfielder Son Joon-ho by mutual consent after he was banned for life by the Chinese Football Association for alleged involvement in match-fixing and bribery.
Son Heung-min has denied the allegations by Chinese authorities , who announced on Tuesday that the South Korea international was one of 38 players banned.
The 32-year-old, who plays for Chinese Super League team Shandong Taishan Football Club, said he made the false confession under pressure to escape nearly 10 months of detention under harsh conditions.
“Taking into account that we can no longer confuse the fans who have supported the players and the team for a year, the club accepted Son Heung-min’s request to terminate his contract, taking into account his teammates and fans,” the club said in a statement.
The son and his agent could not immediately be reached for comment.
He hopes to continue his career with the Korean Football Association and joined Suwon FC after returning from China in March.
But his prospects became uncertain when South Korean media reported on Thursday that the Chinese Football Association had referred his case to global football governing body FIFA, which is expected to review it for possible disciplinary action.
(This story has been rewritten to correct spelling of player’s name in paragraph 1)
