Korean defenders between Europe and China refused to play due to overdue wages → Team has lost 3 consecutive games (media)

Mar 31, 2025

Korean defenders between Europe and China refused to play due to overdue wages → Team has lost 3 consecutive games (media)



Former national defender Park Ji-soo (31, Wuhan Three Towns) refused to play due to overdue wages, Chinese media reported.

On the 30th (local time), the Chinese portal 'Sohu Dotcom' is 'Wuhan captain Park Ji-soo the first player to strike in the Chinese Super League this season? He recently refused to participate in the game,' the report said.

The media reported that the problem of unpaid wages in Wuhan has not been fully resolved. As a result, Park Ji-soo missed the third round of the Chinese Super League home game against Zhejiang at Wuhan Sports Center Stadium in Wuhan, China on the 28th.




Wuhan, without Park Ji-soo, suffered an unusual 0-4 defeat. The power gap between Wuhan and Zhejiang is by no means four goals apart. 'If Wuhan had no unpaid wages and captain Park Ji-soo played, they could have won points using their home advantage,' he added.

For Wuhan, fortunately, the issue of overdue wages is expected to be resolved soon, the "Sohu dotcom" said. Wuhan recently welcomed a new sponsor.

Korean defenders between Europe and China refused to play due to overdue wages → Team has lost 3 consecutive games (media)
Park Ji-soo, who played in K-League Gyeongnam and Suwon FC, moved to Wuhan, China after briefly experiencing the European stage in Portimonense, Portugal, for seven months from January to July 2023. When he played for Portugal, his low salary drew attention. Park Ji-soo, who successfully settled on the European stage, made a surprise confession in an interview with a local broadcaster after the 2022-2023 season, saying he received only about 1/20th of an annual salary to challenge Europe.




In the meantime, "I tried for six months, but money is also an important part because I have a family. It's time to move for the home and the future," he said, hinting at a change in his future.

Portuguese media 'Oh Jogu' reported that Park Ji-soo received an annual salary of 60,000 euros (about 85 million won) from Portimonense and 1.5 million euros (about 2.14 billion won) from Wuhan. The annual salary rose 25 times vertically. Sohu Dotcom said Park Ji-soo is the highest paid foreign player in Wuhan.

Korean defenders between Europe and China refused to play due to overdue wages → Team has lost 3 consecutive games (media)
Sportschosun DB
Korean defenders between Europe and China refused to play due to overdue wages → Team has lost 3 consecutive games (media)
Sportschosun DB
Park Ji-soo, who played for Guangzhou Evergrande from 2019 to 2022, is a defender who is recognized for his skills on the Chinese stage. He played 29 games (one goal) in the last 2024 season, supporting Wuhan (11th) to stay.

Park Ji-soo was put under heavy pressure when he was the former national team coach Paulo Bento. It was a strong backup for Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan). From 2018 to 2023, he played 16 A matches.

Wuhan fell into a three-game losing streak in Park Ji-soo's absence. It is up to Park Jisoo to decide whether Wuhan will remain or not.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.