Son denies charges, calls detention blackmail

In an emotional press conference, South Korean international Son Jun-ho has denied match-fixing charges brought against him by the Chinese Football Association, describing his detention in China as blackmail. Son, who played for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, was among 43 people banned for life from football by the CFA over allegations of match-fixing and illegal betting. Son was deeply emotional during the press conference, crying as he spoke of his ordeal. He said his 10-month detention in China was a “huge shock”, alleging that he was threatened by Chinese police, who used his family as leverage to force him to confess to the charges. He added that he was threatened with his wife being arrested and brought to the detention centre, adding to the pressure to confess. Son said that the translation during his interrogation was inaccurate, that he was not given access to a lawyer and that when police accused him of bribery, he said he was stunned and rejected the charges. He said his family was used to extract a confession from him, with police showing him photos of his children and pressuring him that his confession would help his family. Son also claimed that he was offered a show by Chinese police, where he was told that if he confessed his guilt, he would be released quickly, noting that his fear for his family led him to agree to confess to charges he did not fully understand. Son, who returned to South Korea in March after being detained in May 2023, joined local team Suwon in June. He expressed his desire to clear his name transparently, stressing that the confession he made was under extreme pressure and was not true.