Football: FIFA suspends player for two matches

SEOUL: Fifa has suspended a South Korean player for two international matches over a post-match political gesture at the London Olympics, the South’s football body said yesterday. Fifa’s disciplinary committee has also slapped a fine of $3,781 on Park Jong-Woo following his actions, which relate to an island dispute with Japan, the Korean Football Association (KFA) said. The association itself was warned for failure to properly instruct players on rules of conduct. “We’ve decided to humbly accept Fifa’s decision after consultations with Park Jong-Woo,” the KFA said in a statement. The 23-year-old midfielder was excluded from the awards ceremony for his country’s bronze win in August after he held up a sign reading ‘Dokdo is our land’ while celebrating the Korean team’s 2-0 victory over Japan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2012.