South Korea international Lee Kang-in of Atletico Madrid has denied online rumors linking him to discord within the national team and warned of legal action.
Lee's management agency, The Black Label, issued a statement Tuesday saying it had confirmed that false information concerning the player was spreading online.
"The series of claims currently being circulated have nothing to do with Lee Kang-in and are entirely false," the agency said.
"We are collecting evidence of posts and comments that constitute the dissemination of false information and defamation," it added. "We will take necessary legal action depending on the circumstances."
Rumors of friction within the South Korean squad have circulated online following reports that some players were considering retiring from international soccer and that there had been disagreements among members of the team during its four international matches in September and October.
Unsubstantiated claims that Lee was involved in the alleged disputes have also spread online.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)