The Korea Football Association (KFA) officially lodged a racist abuse complaint with FIFA following an alleged racist remark directed at Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan during a preseason match against Italian club Como. The incident which reportedly occurred during the second half of the match in Spain, prompted an immediate and heated reaction from Hwang's teammates.
Official Statement
According to the official KFA's statement on their X account, the Association expressed "grave concern" over the incident. The statement read in part: "In an official letter sent to FIFA on July 18, the Korea Football Association expressed its grave concern over the racist abuse that Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) suffered from an opposing player during a recent practice match and requested that FIFA further strengthen sanctions against the perpetrators to prevent and eradicate racism on the football field. In order to eradicate it, we asked Fifa to further strengthen sanctions against perpetrators.”
Incident and Reactions
On the said day, the situation had escalated when Wolverhampton's Daniel Podence was sent off for punching a Como player in defense of Hwang Hee-chan. The Como player, who remains unnamed, allegedly referred to Hwang as "Jackie Chan," a comment the Italian club claims was not intended to be derogatory. Como released a counter-statement stressing their zero-tolerance policy towards racism. According to the statement, "Our club does not tolerate racism and condemns all forms of it in the strongest possible way."
Hwang Hee-chan also addressed the incident on his official Instagram account, decrying the issue of racism in sports. ‘‘Racism is intolerable in sports and in all aspects of life. After the incident, the coaching staff and my team-mates immediately told me that they would leave the field with me if needed, and they kept checking on my well-being. I am very grateful to my team-mates once again.” he stated.
Broader Implications
The KFA's complaint is the first step, and a significant milestone, marking the first time the association has officially approached the top football governing body regarding racial abuse of South Korean players abroad. The incident has received widespread media coverage in South Korea, with major outlets such as the Chosun Ilbo newspaper and leading television releasing several reports on the matter.
Hwang Hee-chan’s English club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, have also expressed their intent to file a complaint with UEFA. However, the European football governing body clarified that it cannot investigate incidents that occur outside of official competitions. "While UEFA will continue its fight to eliminate all forms of discrimination in football, the organization’s disciplinary bodies can only take action for incidents that take place in UEFA competitions," UEFA said in a statement. The KFA is expected to face a similar challenge with FIFA over jurisdiction.
It is hoped that the matter will be brought to a fair conclusion, but this incident also shows that there is more work to be done to address the current challenges in combating racism in football. There is a concerning need for stronger international cooperation and enforcement between all the tiers and jurisdiction of football, and sports in general.