FC Seoul's permission to travel to Lingard UK is 'humanitarian'...Sometimes there's something more important than soccer
FC Seoul's permission to travel to Lingard UK is 'humanitarian'...Sometimes there's something more important than soccer
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FC Seoul's permission to allow captain Jesse Lingard to visit England during the season was a humanitarian decision.
This is also the club's consideration for Lingard, who has decided to be a witness in person to relieve the unfairness of his grandfather, who is being tried for sexual harassment. Lingard's day job is as a soccer player, but sometimes there is something more important than soccer.
Lingard boarded a flight to England after the ninth round of the "Hana Bank K League 1 2025" home game against Gwangju FC on the 19th. He decided to appear as a witness to defend his grandfather, who was in court on charges of sexual harassment.
According to local media, including the British public broadcaster "BBC," Lingard appeared as a witness at the trial at Liverpool Crown Court on the 21st local time to testify in defense of his grandfather, Kenneth Lingard. Lingard's grandfather Kenneth is currently charged with sexual harassment 17 times between the age of 5 and the age of 19.
The woman who sued Kenneth is now 60 years old, claiming that she has been sexually abused by Kenneth for years, saying she has been glorified as a good grandfather since the release of the documentary "Untold: The Jesse Lingard Story" about Lingard's life story in 2022.
After the documentary aired, the woman reportedly sent a message to Lingard to pressure him and his family.
Lingard, who usually did not hide his close relationship with his grandfather, decided to go to England despite the height of the season to empower him when Kenneth was indicted.
Lingard's team, Seoul, also gave permission to Lingard to visit the UK, although it is unusual, judging that the reason for Lingard's departure is an important personal history. Some said that they made a condition to accompany him to the Pohang Steelers away game on the 26th, but it is known that no specific conditions are at stake for Lingard's departure. Rumor has it that not only the club but also head coach Kim Ki-dong considered the special situation.
Lingard, who appeared before the Liverpool court in consideration of Seoul, said, "(This woman) showed up all of a sudden. She was a little bit stubborn. "It seems like jealousy of what my family has achieved," he said. "If I had known about the allegations (of my grandfather), I would have cut ties with my grandfather a few years ago, and my daughter and sister would not have been close to him."
She also said, "The woman was open about the documentary, and she told me that I had him on the documentary even though my grandfather did that. I thought, 'What are you talking about, I haven't heard anything about this,' and I told the woman, 'If you want, call the police.'
Lingard defended Kenneth, saying, "My grandfather is the one who made me who I am now," adding, "My grandfather taught me all the skills, including soccer, and he drove from Liverpool to various regions and watched me play soccer." 토토사이트
Lingard's several sponsorships scheduled in Korea were canceled as it spread that his grandfather was accused of sexual harassment, and other sponsorship contracts were reportedly put on hold.