South Korea's Son Jun-ho denies Chinese accusations of soccer match-fixing

11/9/2024 20:14

        South Korean soccer player Son Jun-ho tearfully denied on Wednesday accusations by Chinese authorities that he participated in match-fixing and bribery when playing in the country and said he gave a false confession under duress.
        
        The Chinese Football Association (CFA) declared a lifetime ban the previous day on 38 players, including Son and five officials, following a two-year investigation into match-fixing and gambling that was part of a crackdown on corruption.
        
        The midfielder, who has lost his spot in the South Korean side since the scandal broke, was released and returned home in March after nearly 10 months of detention in China.
        
        Son said he had agreed not to talk about his experience during detention as a condition of his release but decided to speak up because he was shocked to be included in China's bans.
        
        He was not mistreated during detention, Son added, but described the conditions in which he was held as harsh.