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The Korean Football Association (KFA) has expressed “serious concerns” to FIFA after Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan was allegedly subjected to a racist remark by a Como player during a pre-season friendly in Marbella, Spain. The incident occurred on Monday, prompting Hwang to report the offensive comment.
Como acknowledged that one of their players referenced Hwang’s name but claimed the remark was not racist. The Italian club stated, “The reaction of certain Wolves players has seen the incident blown out of proportion.”
However, Wolves and Hwang maintain that the comment was indeed racist. The English club is collaborating with the English Football Association to formalize a complaint, which will be directed to UEFA and the Italian FA. Despite UEFA initially stating it had no authority to investigate the incident as it was not a UEFA competition match, the KFA has now escalated the matter to FIFA.
In an official letter dated July 18, the KFA urged FIFA to strengthen sanctions against racial discrimination in football. The association stated, “In order to eradicate it, we asked FIFA to further strengthen sanctions against perpetrators.”
The incident took place midway through the second half of the friendly match. Wolves forward Daniel Podence was sent off for throwing a punch in response to the remark. Wolves manager Gary O’Neil offered Hwang the option to abandon the game, but the 28-year-old chose to continue, leading Wolves to a 1-0 victory.
Hwang later addressed the incident on Instagram, asserting, “Racism is intolerable in sports and in all aspects of life.” He expressed gratitude towards his teammates and coaching staff for their immediate support and concern for his wellbeing during the incident.
