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South Korea's football association has filed an official complaint with the global governing body over an alleged racist comment made towards Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan, despite the denial of the accusations by Italian club Como.
During a pre-season match in Spain on Monday, an unnamed Como player was accused of referring to Hwang as "Jackie Chan," a well-known Hong Kong movie star famous for his martial arts films.
Como has stated that their player "did not say anything in a derogatory manner" and criticized the reaction of certain Wolves players for blowing the incident out of proportion.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) has informed FIFA of its "serious concern about the racist acts suffered by Hwang Hee-chan" in an official letter sent on Thursday. The KFA urged FIFA to take action to eliminate racism on the soccer field.
Hwang had previously stated on Instagram that his coaching staff and teammates had offered to leave the field with him "if needed" after the alleged abuse. He emphasized that racism is unacceptable in sports and in all aspects of life.
Como claimed that their unnamed player's remark was in reference to Hwang's name and the constant references to 'Channy' made by his own teammates on the pitch.
Wolves head coach Gary O'Neil expressed full support for Hwang and his teammates. Hwang is not the first South Korean player to face racist attacks while playing in European leagues, with previous incidents involving Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min.
