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Ki Sung-yueng benched for 2nd straight game
South Korean midfielder Ki Sung-yueng on Sunday was left off the roster for the second straight game, giving weight to a rumor that his stint with the Welsh football club may be drawing to a close.
Swansea City played an away game against Tottenham Hotspur without Ki and fell 1-0, marking their second straight loss in the Premier League’s 2013-14 season. They have yet to score a single goal.
It was also the second straight game for which Ki failed to even make the roster. Out of two Premier League games and three UEFA Europa League playoffs Swansea played this season, Ki only played the field in two.
The 24-year-old Ki is rumored to be seeking a new team in Europe, a move that will cut short his tenure with Swansea that began when he signed a three-year, 6 million pound (10.4 billion won) deal with the team in 2012.
Yonhap News Agency, citing a source well acquainted with European football, reported last week that Ki is looking to leave the team after a fallout with his head coach Michael Laudrup.
According to Welsh media, Sunderland AFC is one of the potential suitors for the South Korean. Ji Dong-won, Ki’s teammate on the Korean national team, is currently playing for Sunderland.
Ki, who made a name for himself for his physical play, passing prowess and accurate kicks, made the move to Britain’s top league after a successful run with Scottish Premier League champion Celtic FC.
Ki also represented South Korea in 51 international matches. He was a member of the 2010 FIFA World Cup team that reached the round of 16 in South Africa and 2012 Olympic squad that took home the bronze medal.
Ki married actress Han Hye-jin in July.
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsiyoon@heraldcorp.com)
