Lee Decides Against Move to Serie-A

“I think it’s better to stay here for my future ”

‘Chorongii’ Lee Young-pyo (29, Tottenham Hotspur) looked determined when he firmly said, “Considering my soccer career only, I should have gone to AS Rome. But taking all my life into consideration, staying here is the best choice that I can ever make.”

On August 31, he visited Incheon in order to participate in preliminary games of the 2007 Asian Cup beginning September 2 (Iran) to 6 (Taiwan). The Korean premier leaguer said, “My refusal was due to personal reasons. It is too personal to say in public. I believe that my fans would understand me. It was my decision and I stand with it.”

As reporters tenaciously asked to reveal the personal reason, he responded to the demanding press, “I do think it is my privacy. What if my plan goes wrong after letting everyone know about it? My explanation must be more or less ambiguous to some of my fans. But I bet they will stand with me as well for the long run,” and kept his lips sealed to the end.

Lee stated, “I know the abounding rumor that religion was the reason. It is completely nonsense. The AS Rome is a dream of every soccer player. I am personally so pleased with the transfer offer by the great team. My religion has nothing to do with this issue.”

Kim Dong-guk, the president of a sport agency called Jicen having advanced the initial negotiations with the AS Rome, explained, “We certainly used the term ‘religious belief’ in the course of the negotiation to convey Lee’s personality and his personal values. When the Italian club team asked about his possible apathy to Catholicism, we said clearly ‘no’ to them.”

Lee responded to the question whether he would lose his mandate in Tottenham due to his refusal to transfer, saying, “If I had been concerned about it, I would have made my way to AS Rome. My coach, Martine, said, “It was the right decision” when I decided to stay with him.

yjongk@donga.com