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Arsenal to lose Park by 2013

Comment: 0 October 11th, 2011 by: admin

Arsenal’s new signing Park Chu-Young announced that he would be forced to leave the club after two years due to unavoidable national service.

The striker, originally from South Korea, explained that all able-bodied citizens over the age of 20 are mandated by law to serve military duty.

And although the law provides an exemption for athletes, it only applies to those who have acquired either medals from the Olympics, or gold medals from the Asian Games.

In 2002, with the World Cup held in Japan and South Korea, an exemption was granted to the national football squad, as well as Manchester United’s Ji-Sung Park.

‘It isn’t really possible to be excused,’ the 26-year old striker told reporters.  ‘That can’t and won’t happen, which is another reason I chose to come here.’

Park added that his military service will include playing for the army’s football club; he reckons seeking a professional career in Europe after that would prove difficult.

‘I’ll have to leave Europe in two year’s time and I thought this would be an incredible place to finish,’ he said, referring to Arsenal.

Despite questions regarding his inexperience in the Premier League, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had lauded Park with confident praises in the past, describing him as an all-around striker.

‘Park is very good in every area,’ Wenger had said.  ‘He is good in the air, good technically, he is mobile and that’s why he is an adaptable striker who can play up front behind the striker.

‘That’s why we went for him.  What I like wit him is that he is very mobile and that’s the basis of our game.’

As of this writing, the South Korean is yet to make his first appearance for the Gunners in the Premier League competition.  He has, however, managed to make his debut during a Carling Cup match against Shrewsbury.

Park officially signed with the Gunners last 30 August of this year, after playing for the French club AS Monaco for three seasons from 2008-2011.  Previous to that he played for South Korea’s FC Seoul from 2005-2008.

The striker has scored a total of 21 goals in his 35 overall appearances for national team Korea Republic since 2006.  This includes 4 goals in 2 appearances in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

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