Lars Veltvik, 31, is set to be released from his contract with Suwon FC after a drunk driving arrest.
According to the Gangnam Police Department in Seoul, Lars was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol at around 4 a.m. on July 7, two days after his match against Suwon. Police responding to a call stopped Lars on a road in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and tested him for alcohol, and he was found to be intoxicated to the point of license revocation. He had no passengers. Police are investigating the specifics of the case and will file charges against Rath.
According to the Korean Professional Football Association’s disciplinary rules for drunk driving, a player who falls under the criteria for license revocation will be suspended for not less than 15 games and not more than 25 games and fined 8 million won.
Ras started his career in the K League with Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2020, but after a lackluster season, he moved to Suwon FC in the K League 2 midway through the season. At Suwon FC, he flourished as a key striker. He finished the 2021 season with 18 goals and six assists, ranking second in all of K League 1. In 2022, he added eight goals and seven assists.
This season, the foreign striker was again the mainstay for Suwon FC. With nine goals and five assists in 22 games, he is second in all of K League 1 in offensive points. He even scored the winning goal in the 26th minute of the Suwon derby against Suwon Samsung on May 5.
However, unlike his on-field performance, Rath’s off-field demeanor has been a problem for Suwon FC. Kim Do-gyun, the head coach of Suwon FC, has also criticized Lars’ attitude. He even left him out of the starting lineup.
In a press conference before the match against Gwangju FC, Kim Do-gyun said, “As you all know, there were transfer issues during the break. Both his mind and physical condition are not good. It’s time for us to show our fighting spirit on the field. I thought it was right for a player with a will to play,” and criticized Rath for his insincere attitude.
Afterward, Kim Do-gyun decided that Ras had made up his mind and started him in the derby against Suwon. In a pre-match interview, Kim Do-gyun said, “I was also struggling with the transfer window issue. We talked about it during the break. He told me that he needs to focus on the team now, and it’s time to do that. I prepared a lot and trained hard.”토토사이트
However, Rath lost the faith of coach Kim Do-gyun. A day after the match against Suwon, he was charged with drunk driving. It is likely that Suwon FC will terminate his contract. Earlier this season, K League 2 foreign striker Jonatan Moya (31) also left the team after being caught drinking and driving. Last year, it was Jeonbuk Hyundai midfielder Takahiro Kunimoto (25).