The Korean Olympic Committee on Tuesday again recommended against the Korea Football Association’s appeal for Brazilian midfielder Enio Oliveira Jr.’s naturalization to qualify him for the national team for the 2014 World Cup.
This is the second time the KOC, which makes an advisory judgment, has decided not to recommend special naturalization for the Brazilian player widely known here as “Eninho.”
The KOC said the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors player lacked an understanding and knowledge of Korean culture and the language.
“As a citizen of the Republic of Korea, the individual needs to have a basic knowledge of the Korean language and Korean customs and culture,” said the KOC in a press release.
The committee also reiterated the gravity of such a recommendation and that it did not come to the decision lightly.
“As a committee that oversees 57 other sports and affiliated organizations we had to be fair to the other sports,” said a KOC official whose name was not disclosed to the media.
According to the KOC, it also considered issues such as the impact the naturalization would have on other clubs in the K-League. Currently, each club is allowed four foreign players.
Upon request of national team coach Choi Kang-hee, the KFA had sent the appeal for special naturalization on May 15. The KOC had denied the KFA’s original request on May 7 to consider special naturalization for Eninho so that he may play as a winger for the Korean national team during the World Cup in Brazil.
In the initial ruling, KOC officials questioned the timing of the request, as Eninho had qualified for the regular nationalization test, and said that officials should have prepared for his naturalization sooner.
Eninho has been playing in Korea since 2007 and meets the five-year requirement for naturalization.
The KFA had also requested for the naturalization of Suwon Samsung forward Dzenan Radoncic but withdrew the request after realizing that the player did not qualify for the national team because of a half-year stint in Japan.
“We will discuss the issue with coach Choi and decide other measures,” said a KFA official.
Special naturalization was created to attract international talent to Korea and is given to “talented persons with ample potential to contribute to the nation’s development.”
For athletes, the KOC provides a recommendation to the Ministry of Justice regarding matters of special naturalization.
Eninho played for Daegu FC from 2007 to 2008 and has been playing with Jeonbuk since 2009.
By Robert Lee (robert@heraldm.com)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
