South Korean players leave Stadium 974 in Doha after losing to Brazil 4-1 in their round of 16 match at the FIFA World Cup on Dec. 6, 2022. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean online media outlet has shed light on the background behind why Son Heung-min’s personal trainer criticized the Korea Football Association (KFA) on his social media account during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Apart from the KFA’s medical team, Ahn Deok-soo, personal rehabilitation coach for the Tottenham star, stayed in the same hotel as the national football team players and provided physical therapy for them during the Qatar World Cup.
For his stay at the hotel, there was no support from the association and the cost was paid by Son.
For so long, players asked the KFA to hire Ahn as the team’s rehabilitation trainer but the association rejected their request, saying that his license had not been renewed, according to online newspaper Dispatch.
The K League, the operator of the country’s pro football competitions, abruptly changed the qualification requirements for rehabilitation trainers in 2014 and decided to acknowledge only the AT (Athletic Trainer) license issued by the Korea Athletic Trainer Association.
Ahn had no problem since he acquired the license in 2002. However, as some junior trainers with other licenses were at risk of losing their jobs, he confronted the K League and refused to renew his license.
However, unexpected news came during the World Cup period. A KFA official admitted that there was a trainer in the association who did not have a valid license.
As the players protested, the KFA admitted this fact and ordered the trainer concerned to stay within the hotel and not on the grounds throughout the entire World Cup period.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
