After national skipper Son Heung-min claimed that the country’s poor playing conditions had harmed their World Cup chances, South Korean authorities have announced they will inspect the country’s elite-level football pitches.
Former Manchester United and England international Jesse Lingard, who is currently playing for FC Seoul, has also been a subject of discussion in South Korean football.
Son also criticized the replacement venues after two home World Cup qualifiers this month were moved away from Seoul because of the state of the capital stadium’s turf.
After Tuesday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Jordan in Suwon, Son claimed, “We’re supposed to enjoy the best playing conditions possible, but things have not improved at all.”
Beginning in April, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will thoroughly inspect the pitches at all 27 K League stadiums.
Officials will also examine how other nations’ playing surfaces are maintained, including Japan.
A ministry official said that “the condition of a stadium’s pitch directly affects not only player performance but also injury prevention and spectator satisfaction.”
We want to find practical solutions to improve the conditions of football pitches and strengthen cooperation with the league, clubs, and stadium operators in order to create a sustainable management system through this inspection.
Tottenham’s forward Son said: “I know we can play better than this, but when circumstances on our home soil get in the way, then I wonder where we should get our home advantage.” After drawing two games at home against Jordan and Guyang against Oman in the past week, Son said: “I know we can play better than that.”
South Korea are still in the top 16 spots in Group B heading for the 2026 World Cup in North America, but their successive draws wasted the chance to advance to the next competition.
Iraq, who could close the gap on the leaders by one point with a win, and Kuwait will play their final two matches in the qualifying campaign in June.
In their final games, Jordan are second with 13 points and will face Oman and Iraq.
In a 2-1 defeat on Thursday, Palestine’s late comeback negatively affected Iraq’s own chances of qualifying.
Source: Aljazeera
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