South Korea's Son Heung-min hurt finger in brawl before Asian Cup loss: Football body

SEOUL: Tottenham Hotspurs captain Son Heung-min injured his finger in a brawl with a teammate on the eve of South Korea's humiliating loss to Jordan at the Asian Cup, the Korean football body told local media, confirming earlier reports.

South Korea, ranked 23rd in the world, was beaten 2-0 by 87th-ranked Jordan in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation competition in Qatar.

According to a report from British newspaper The Sun, Son dislocated his finger in a "bust-up" that erupted at dinner the night before the game.

The incident reportedly happened after some younger players on the team - including Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain - rushed through their meal so they could leave early to play table tennis.

This displeased Son, the team's captain, and some of the older players, as meals on the eve of big games are traditionally seen as a time for bonding.

An unnamed source told the newspaper that when Son asked his younger teammates to sit down, "some disrespectful things were said to him".

"Within seconds, the row spilled into the dining area and players were being pulled apart," the source was quoted as saying. "Son badly injured his finger trying to calm everyone down."

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that at first, Son tried to talk to the younger players, but the situation turned physical when they refused to listen.

Son got furious and grabbed Lee, who in turn tried to punch him, Yonhap reported, citing sources familiar with the incident.

The two players had to be pulled apart and Son dislocated his finger in the process.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) confirmed on Wednesday (Feb 14) that the reports were true.

"It happened when some young players went up to play table tennis, and Son Heung-min