neoeraadmin 
In a deeply concerning development, the Korean Football Association (KFA) has written to FIFA to express “serious concerns” after Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan was subjected to an alleged racist remark by a Como player during a pre-season friendly in Marbella, Spain.
South Korea forward Hwang reported the incident, which occurred during Monday’s friendly match. Como acknowledged that one of their players made a remark referencing Hwang’s name but insisted it was not racist, accusing certain Wolves players of blowing the incident out of proportion.
Wolves and Hwang, however, maintain that the remark was racist. The club is collaborating with the English Football Association to formalize a complaint, which will be sent to UEFA and the Italian FA. Despite UEFA previously claiming it lacked the authority to investigate since the match was not part of a UEFA competition, the KFA has now escalated the matter to FIFA.
In an official statement, the KFA said: “In an official letter sent to FIFA on July 18, the Korea Football Association expressed serious concern about the racist behaviour suffered by Hwang Hee-chan from an opposing team player during a recent practice match, and issued a call to prevent racial discrimination occurring on the soccer field. In order to eradicate it, we asked FIFA to further strengthen sanctions against perpetrators.”
The incident reportedly took place midway through the second half of the match. Wolves forward Daniel Podence was sent off for throwing a punch in response to the remark. Wolves’ boss 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 Hee-chan later addressed the incident on his Instagram, stating: “Racism is intolerable in sports and in all aspects of life. After the incident, the coaching staff and my teammates immediately told me that they would leave the field with me if needed, and they kept checking on my wellbeing. I am very grateful to my teammates once again.”
This incident has sparked significant concern and debate within the football community, highlighting the ongoing issue of racism in sports. The KFA’s call for stronger sanctions aims to ensure such behavior is unequivocally condemned and eradicated from the game.
