 |
Referee Kim Woo-sung entering the Korea Professional Football Federation reward and punishment committee
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Sung-min ='Referee Kim Woo-sung enters ahead of the 14th reward and punishment committee of Jeonbuk Hyundai Thanos in the K-League 1 held at the Korea Football Association in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 19th.
Coach Thanos was embroiled in a controversy over racism for his eye-pointing behavior in a game against Daejeon Hana Citizen on the 8th. 2025.11.19 |
|
 |
Director Michael Kim waiting for the Korea Professional Football Federation reward and punishment committee
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Sung-min = Jeonbuk Hyundai Director Michael Kim is waiting to attend the 14th reward and punishment committee of the Korea Professional Football K League 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Thanos on behalf of the Korea Professional Football Federation in 2025 held at the Korea Football Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 19th.
Coach Thanos was embroiled in a controversy over racism for his eye-pointing behavior in a game against Daejeon Hana Citizen on the 8th. 2025.11.19 |
|
The Korea Professional Football Federation held the 14th reward and punishment committee on the 19th and decided on five games of suspension and 20 million won in sanctions for coach Thanos in Jeonbuk.
Coach Thanos was warned of excessive protest during the extra time of the second half against Hana Citizen in the 36th round of the K League 1 on the 8th, when the referee did not immediately declare the opponent's handball foul, and was subsequently sent off.
After the decision to leave, coach Thanos strongly protested to the referee and made a gesture of putting both index fingers in his eyes. The referee considered this an act that meant racism, so he entered it in the judgment report and submitted an affidavit to the reward and punishment committee.
The reward and punishment committee determined that coach Thanos' actions were racist. Coach Thanos claimed in an affidavit submitted to the reward and punishment committee that he only pointed his eyes to the effect of 'Didn't the referee see the handball foul in person?'
 |
14th Korea Professional Football Federation reward and punishment committee in 2025
(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Sung-min = The 'hand motion controversy' of Jeonbuk Hyundai Thanos coach in the K-League 1 held at the Korea Football Association in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 19th. Before the 14th reward and punishment committee in 2025 of the Korea Professional Football Federation, Chairman Cho Nam-don and others are examining the data.
Coach Thanos was embroiled in a controversy over racism for his eye-pointing behavior in a game against Daejeon Hana Citizen on the 8th. 2025.11.19 |
|
 |
| 중계화면 캡쳐 |
|
 |
| 중계화면 캡쳐 |
|
However, the reward and punishment committee determined that in the video of the situation at the time, coach Thanos opened his eyes thinly by touching his index finger to the center of his eyes and pulling it to the edge, and that this gesture was used to disparage the appearance of a specific race regardless of East and West, consistent with the actions that have already been disciplined by FIFA several times.
According to Thanos' affidavit and video at the time, the reward and punishment committee also considered the situation in which Thanos repeatedly used the word 'racista' with swear words before and after this action.
The reward and punishment committee proposed the principle that the evaluation of a specific behavior should be based on the universal meaning of the actions expressed externally rather than the actor's own intentions. Whether or not it is a derogatory or insulting act should be the standard for the form of the act itself and the feelings generally felt by the other party of the act, and the intention of the actor to do the act is a secondary factor to consider.
The reward and punishment committee explained that Thanos's actions are subject to disciplinary action because they are the same as Asian disparaging gestures widely known as 'slant-eye' and are sufficient to make the other party feel insulted by racism.
The reward and punishment committee said it referred to disciplinary cases related to racial discrimination by the International Football Federation, Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and British Premier League in the decision, and took into account that coach Thanos's actions were accidentally caused by overheated games in setting specific sentences.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
