Korean footballer to visit Japan to apologise for sprinting from bench to elbow opponent
South Korean side Jeju United subject of complaint from Japan’s Urawa Reds after post-match melee in AFC Champions League
A South Korean footballer is set to visit Japan to apologise for elbowing an opponent in the head during a recent Asian Champions League match, local media reported on Wednesday.
Jeju United defender Baek Dong-gyu, an unused substitute, sprinted from the bench to throw an elbow at Urawa Reds captain Yuki Abe as tempers flared at the end of the last week’s game in Saitama.
Trailing 2-0 after the first leg in Jeju, the Japanese won 3-0 at home to advance to the quarter-finals but the tie ended in bitter acrimony as players squared up to each other after the final whistle.
Baek was shown a red card, while team-mate Kweon Hang-jin was also dismissed in the melee, and Urawa filed a formal complaint with the Asian Football Confederation, citing the poor conduct of the Jeju players.
“Baek wanted to meet Abe in person to apologise,” a Jeju official told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. “He is set to visit Japan in the near future.
“Baek apparently thought his team-mates were hit by Urawa players, so he threw an elbow. Baek was in agony after he realised that the family of the player he struck was at the stadium.”