Suwon FC has dropped key striker Ras, 32, from the team after he was caught drinking and driving. However, instead of terminating his contract unconditionally, the club has opted for other measures to prevent a recurrence in the future.
Suwon FC revealed the news of Lars’ DUI arrest and the process of disciplinary discussions through the club’s social media on the afternoon of August 8. Suwon FC said, “In response to Lars (Lars Veltvik)’s drunk driving arrest, the club urgently held a squad management committee. In this committee, the club recognized the gravity of the situation and held a long discussion on the matter, which sounded the alarm on player drunk driving that has not been eradicated in the K League and has been socially condemned despite the club’s continuous education of the players.”
Lars was immediately suspended from team training and matches. However, unlike previous cases such as Jonatan Moya (formerly of Anyang), the club will not be terminating his contract unconditionally.
“In response to the unforgivable crime committed by a foreign player who plays a pivotal role in the team, we have immediately excluded him from training and participating in matches,” Suwon FC said. “We are of the opinion that unconditional termination of contracts, like the recent cases of other clubs, is not helpful in preventing future recurrences, and after the results of the Federation’s penalty committee on August 10, we will once again hold a meeting of the club’s player management committee to make a final decision.”
“All professional soccer players in the K League have a great responsibility as public figures, and we have made this decision based on the judgment that driving under the influence of alcohol for any reason is an unacceptable criminal offense, and we apologize once again to the fans who love Suwon FC and all soccer stakeholders for the distress caused by this incident.”
Lars was arrested for drunk driving on July 7. According to the Seoul Gangnam Police Department, he was caught by police responding to a report of a drunk driver near Sinsa Station in the early morning hours. Rath, who was driving alone without a passenger, did not cause an accident, but was reportedly intoxicated at the time of his arrest.
A Suwon FC official said, “(The arrested player) is Lars. We are discussing follow-up measures.” It is common for foreign players who are caught drinking and driving to have their contracts terminated and be sent home. Anyang also terminated the contract of Jonatan Moya after he was caught drinking and driving earlier this year.
Suwon FC, however, has a different plan. We’ll have to wait and see how the federation’s punishment committee and the club’s player management committee proceed, but it’s likely that other measures will be taken, such as a conditional termination. This is because it has been suggested that unconditional termination may not be the best thing for the player.
After all, if a foreign player is terminated after a DUI, he can simply find a new team overseas and move on. They can also avoid any sanctions imposed by the Korean Football Association. As a player, you don’t lose much by committing a crime. This is why some people are worried that foreign players who want to leave the team may take advantage of the contract termination after a DUI.
Regardless of any further discipline, Suwon FC has a lot to worry about. Ras has scored nine goals this season, ranking fourth in the league behind Lee In-jong-kyu, Bacco, and Na Sang-ho (all with 11). He also made a comeback in the derby against Suwon Samseong on May 5, scoring the winning goal.
It’s even more betraying because it happened right after Rasu’s return from a transfer rumor. He had been excluded from the game, which was detrimental to the team’s mood, but after a meeting with coach Kim Do-gyun, he was finally reinstated. However, upon his return, the team suffered a major setback and threw cold water on the team’s eight-match winless streak.메이저놀이터
Suwon currently sits in 10th place in the relegation zone with 23 points. The gap between them and ninth-place Jeju (31 points) is eight points. Suwon FC needs to get out of the relegation zone as soon as possible, but with the departure of ‘Cannon’ Lars, the team has lost its strength. The registration period for additional players has long since ended, so coach Kim Do-gyun’s woes are deepening.