Uproar after South Korea player places his foot on Panda Cup following victory over China in Chengdu
- South Koreans apologise hours after thousands of Chinese fans demand an apology but organisers are reported to have taken the trophy back
- Koreans win the under-18 tournament in China with three wins, including a 3-0 victory over the hosts on Wednesday night
South Korea’s under-18 football side was forced to apologise hours after one of their players playfully placed his foot on the Panda Cup trophy following victory over China in Chengdu on Wednesday night.
After online protests, the latest reports are that the South Korean side have had the trophy taken off them by Chinese organisers.
Thousands of Chinese football fans protested on the official Weibo of the South Korea Consulate General in China. One of them commented: “I swear, we will never forgive Korean football! They put the foot on the Panda Cup trophy!” Another said: “Can the Korean player be more educated?”
The topic became the second highest “hot search” on Weibo with over two million hits and even the Communist Youth League of China expressing concern on its official Weibo channel.
South Korea won the international youth competition by defeating all three other teams in the tournament, which included New Zealand, Thailand and China. They defeated the hosts 3-0 in their last match at Shuangliu Sports Centre in Chengdu.
The home fans were already furious after the China side were beaten in all their matches and failed to score in any of their games, eventually finishing last in the tournament.