Spurs star Son Heung-min dislocated finger during ping-pong battle with teammate
SON HEUNG-MIN dislocated his finger in a collision with a teammate on the eve of South Korea's shock exit to the Asian Cup.
An argument broke out over dinner before the semi-final meeting with Jordan, which South Korea surprisingly lost 2-0.
SunSport understands that some of the younger members of the squad finished their dinner quickly so they could enjoy a game of ping-pong.
But star player Son, the captain of the national team, was unhappy with the players leaving early as meals were often used as an opportunity for team bonding.
PSG ace Lee Kang-in, 22, was one of the younger members Son had problems with.
An altercation broke out after an altercation that left the 31-year-old Tottenham CEO with a dislocated finger.
A source told SunSport: “The row came out of nowhere.
“Some of the younger players ate very quickly and left the rest of the team to play ping pong
“Son asked them to come back and sit down when disrespectful things were said to him.
“Within seconds, the players poured into the dining room and the players were pulled apart.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
“Son seriously injured his finger trying to calm everyone down.”
The defeat to Jordan was completely unexpected, with South Korea ranked 64 places above them and rated as the third best team in Asia.
Incredibly, South Korea failed to get a single shot on target in last week's semi-final in Qatar.
Son was forced to play the game with two fingers of his right hand tied together.
He has continued to wear the armband since returning to Tottenham, coming on as a substitute in the 2-1 win over Brighton this weekend.
South Korea's Asian Cup journey
SOUTH KOREA were among the favorites to win the Asian Cup, which was eventually lifted by Qatar.
GROUP PHASE
South Korea 3 Bahrain 1
Jordan 2 South Korea 2
South Korea 3 Malaysia 3
ROUND OF 16
Saudi Arabia 1 South Korea 1 (2-4 on penalties)
QUARTER FINAL
Australia 1 South Korea 2
SEMI FINALS
Jordan 2 South Korea 0
4
4
4