“North Korea calls violent behavior ‘anti-sport'”…Japan sends letter to FIFA, AFC

The Japan Football Association has submitted a letter to the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) criticizing the behavior of North Korea’s players and medical staff at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

According to Japan’s Nikkan Sports, the JFA forwarded video footage to FIFA and the AFC on Wednesday, saying the actions of North Korean players during the men’s soccer quarterfinal match at the Xiaoshan Sports Center Stadium in China’s Zhejiang province were “anti-sporting. “A video of certain scenes was sent to the two organizations (FIFA and AFC), but it was not disclosed what they were,” Nikkan Sports added.토토사이트

Japan had won the match 2-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals. But as the final whistle blew, North Korean players ran up to the referee to protest. They were apparently unhappy with the referee’s decision to award a penalty kick that led to Japan’s winning goal. Some players pushed the referee with their bodies and arms. North Korean coaches came out and shushed the players.

One player was even warned for threatening a Japanese medic who entered the field during a brief stoppage in play with his arm. “It’s true that (the players) were a little excited about the wrong call today. I think it’s an insult to soccer when referees are not fair,” said North Korea’s coach.

Earlier, the referee denied Japan a chance in the 35th minute of the 1-1 tie after the North Korean goalkeeper threw himself to block a shot, which resulted in a collision. The referee ruled that North Korea had been fouled in the defense and awarded a penalty kick. The North Korean players then furiously protested to the referee for a while, but the protest was not accepted.