A possible incident of World Cup spying has caused a stir in South Korea after media reports said the team’s private training session in Zapopan was monitored by a drone ahead of their second Group A match against co-hosts Mexico.
The drone was spotted on Tuesday at the start of training as the players warmed up. The incident was confirmed by coach Myung Bo Hong.
"Timing was very important here. During our training session, a drone suddenly appeared in the sky. Fortunately, it was spotted just before our tactical drill. That was the most important part of the training session, so it won't have any impact," he said.
A member of the Mexican military stationed at the team’s base camp reportedly brought the craft down.
But according to the South Korean reports, the suspected perpetrators were able to retrieve the drone and flee. The South Korean football association has informed football governing body FIFA about the incident.
South Korea started their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic and now face Mexico on Thursday near Guadalajara. The co-hosts had previously won their opener 2-0 against South Africa.
A recent spying scandal involving a training session in English football led to Southampton being thrown out of the play-offs to reach the Premier League.
