Key summer for Ki and struggling Seoul
Former South Korean international Ki Sung-yueng, right, celebrates with his teammate Son Heung-min after Son scored a game winning goal against Qatar during the 2018 Russia World Cup qualification at the Suwon World Cup Stadium, Oct. 6, 2018. / Yonhap
By John Duerden
It has been a tough few months for Ki Sung-yueng. The talented midfielder who stepped down from the national team after the 2019 Asian Cup, and left the English Premier League and Newcastle at the end of January 2020.
After the 2018 World Cup, Ki retired from international duty but was persuaded to come back one more time by new South Korea coach Paulo Bento.
Ki was reluctant to do so. After a decade playing in Europe and also representing his country, he knew well the physical and mental demands that the travel involved. He also knew that he was just starting to settle in with Newcastle and starting to show everyone what he could do. Heading to the Asian Cup, which took place in the middle of the English Premier League season, could have jeopardized his place in the team.
That is what happened. Ki picked up an injury at the tournament and by the time he recovered, his place in the Newcastle team had gone. In January, Newcastle let him go and he was swiftly picked up until the end of the season by Spanish club Real Mallorca. To go from Newcastle near the border with Scotland and on the North Sea to the Mediterranean holiday island was a big step.
Unfortunately, it coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Owing to that, and injuries, Ki has spent just eight minutes on the field in Spain and his contract expires this week.
A long-awaited return home seems to be on the cards but there is a stumbling block as there was at the start of the year when Ki explored coming back to Korea.
His former club FC Seoul, which he left at the end of 2009, has the right to compensation of just over $2 million if he signs for any other Korean team. As the capital team does not seem to be interested in the player this fee will put off those K-League teams who do want Ki, which is most of them. Many feel that Seoul should waive the clause, already a decade old, as the whole league would benefit from Ki's return. Seoul seems to feel that it is not its responsibility to do what's best for the league.
Seoul has been struggling. The 2016 champion ended a run of five defeats on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Incheon United. The worst loss was a stunning 6-0 loss at Daegu FC on June 14. For a team seen as one of the biggest in Korea and which reached the final of the 2013 Asian Champions League and is representing Korea in this year's edition of the continental tournament, it is not good enough.
The capital club could do with Ki, and Ki could do with a return back home. He is still one of the most talented players in Asia and would be a star of the league and give Seoul the boost it needs.