Shocking national soccer team even bet on 'chips and stakes' and card gambling... Asian Cup failure announced

Amid controversy over the "relaxation of discipline" of the national soccer team due to the physical clash between Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) and captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) at the 2023 Qatar Asian Cup, some players and administrative staff of the Korea Football Association are known to have gambled their cards until dawn during off-season training just before the tournament.

According to the soccer community, some players of the national team and association staff dispatched to support the national team were found to have gambled cards at their accommodation during the training camp in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 2 to 10, just before the opening of the Qatar Asian Cup (January 13 to February 11).

The number of participants is not specified, but rumors are rampant. This newspaper confirmed that there is one player and a team leader-level employee of the association. "There are rumors that there are four or five participants, and there are rumors that they are more than that," a soccer player said.

They used the chips that the man had prepared himself in Korea. The chips were found to be worth 1,000 won to 5,000 won apiece. Usually, chips are traded as cash if they do not have cash or change, and later they settle the amount corresponding to the chip they own. If the chips were used overnight, the stakes would have been high.

The association admitted the fact. "The support staff participated in the game and played with the players until early in the morning, and there was also the stakes," an official from the association said. Another official also said, "Playing cards (for stakes) was played in the national team, especially ahead of the Asian Cup. We cannot be free from criticism that it is speculative gambling, as we have benefited from financial gains." "We should be scolded," another official lamented.

A person involved in the incident told Sports Dong-A, "The chip ceiling was not too high. It was like a bet that the national team often made when they convened the event. Shouldn't we bet something to win or lose? Chip and money exchanged there."

After the Qatar Asian Cup, the association, which was aware of the allegations, reportedly conducted its own fact-finding investigation on speculative nature. It was determined that it could be a problem.

However, the association also tried to downplay the incident, calling it a "simple play" as part of its breakthrough. It reiterated that it was not the Asian Cup but the training period, and that since it was held on a break day, it did not affect players' performance. This view separately reflects the team's poor performance at the Asian Cup and its card gambling.

Coincidentally, he changed his position at a time when the association's fact-finding mission coincided. The association explained that the change of his position has nothing to do with the incident and is a reminder of the team's atmosphere, raising suspicions over the fact that it is not common to adjust key positions simply to change the atmosphere during a non-regular personnel management season. A personnel committee is also expected to be held on the fact-finding mission.

Recently, there have been constant concerns over the national team's lack of discipline. Many in the soccer community point out that the association should thoroughly investigate whether card gambling took place not only during off-season training but also during competitions, and whether such behavior has become commonplace within the national team, and take responsibility for its management. Many within the association also say that it should be an opportunity to reflect on the overall management system of the national team, not an individual deviation.

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