park Ji-sung’s Early National Team Retirement: Knee Injury Confirmed as Decisive Factor 14 years Later
Seoul, South Korea – Fourteen years after his surprising departure from the South Korean national team at age 30, the reason behind Park Ji-sung’s early retirement has been definitively linked to a chronic knee problem. While initial reactions at the time sparked criticism and speculation, recent reports confirm the injury substantially hampered his ability to compete at the international level, ultimately leading to his decision to step away in 2011 and fully retire from professional play in 2014.
Park’s declaration in 2014 prompted Dutch media outlet NU to report that he had been unable to play for the national team as 2011 due to the ongoing knee issue. Park himself acknowledged the pain, stating, ”I thought about surgery, but the pain did not entirely go away.” He revealed he had been contemplating retirement since February of that year, concluding his knee “wouldn’t last even one season.” despite acknowledging the potential of what coudl have been without the injury, Park expressed a lack of disappointment, focusing rather on his career as a whole.
The severity of the condition was visibly apparent during a farewell Icon Match, where Park started but requested a substitution at halftime, stating, “I think I need to play a little more.” He later re-entered the game as a substitute, leaving again in the 56th minute and immediately applying an ice pack to his knee. “I’ll probably be limping around for another two weeks,” he told fans,underscoring the lasting impact of the injury.
Park’s commitment to the national team, which included frequent travel from his club at PSV Eindhoven to Korea and Asia for international matches – approximately 5-6 times annually – ultimately became unsustainable given the physical toll. His “retirement from the national team at age 30” was, as he implied, a tough but unavoidable outcome dictated by his physical limitations.
