Tottenham Hotspur, Son Heung-min’s father, Son Woong-jung, is facing allegations of verbally abusing a young player at his football academy in South Korea, according to a police interview transcript provided to AFP by a lawyer on Monday.
Son Woong-jung, a well-known figure in South Korea and author of a best-selling memoir about his role in his son’s rise to prominence as a top Premier League striker, is now at the center of controversy.
The family of a 12-year-old player, referred to only as Kim, reported to the police that he was subjected to inappropriate language shortly after starting at Son’s academy in November.
“I was called out by coach Son for making a mistake during a passing practice,” Kim alleged in the interview.
The coach then continued with a tirade of foul and abusive language and called the boy various offensive names on multiple different occasions, Kim told police investigating the academy.
The boy was also allegedly hit with a corner flag by Son Heung-yun, the brother of the Tottenham striker, leaving a large bruise on his left thigh.
Son Heung-yun previously said that he and Son Heung-min were “hit by our father a lot when training, which is unimaginable these days”.
“Some of our neighbours even doubted he was our real father,” he told AFP in a 2019 interview.
Son senior has described his actions at the academy as tough love designed to avoid his young charges becoming “failed athletes”.
Son Woong-jung asserts that he made efforts to address the situation with the family in a peaceful manner, but they reportedly sought an exorbitant settlement.
Ryu Jae-yool, Kim’s lawyer, described the case to AFP as indicative of a “long-standing pattern of child abuse masked as training methods.”
Son Woong-jung and his coaching staff are under investigation, and depending on the severity of the findings, they could face fines or, if necessary, the matter may be taken to court, Ryu added.
“I expect Son to be indicted and tried at court,” Ryu said, adding that this would “contribute to ridding the country of physical and verbal abuse against youth”.
Separately, Kim’s family have also reported Son senior to the state-run Korea Sport Ethics Centre for an investigation.
As part of the probe, authorities will question young players to determine if they have experienced verbal or physical abuse and will refer the case to law enforcement if wrongdoing is found.