It happened once again. The image lingered more than the result. At the moment they stood atop the European stage, the protagonist was erased from the screen.
The "Asian passing" controversy resurfaced on the Premier League stage. At the center this time is Manchester City defender Abdukodir Husanov. He helped complete the team's title, but at the moment of lifting the trophy his image was not properly captured on the broadcast screen.
Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the 2025-2026 season Carabao Cup final held at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on the 23rd (Korea time). It was the first reclamation of the title in five years since the 2020-2021 season. City, recording their ninth overall title, closed in on the most-winning team Liverpool. It was another meaningful milestone under manager Pep Guardiola.
Arsenal, meanwhile, fell short once again at the threshold. Early defensive mistakes in the first half ceded momentum, and although they later attempted a comeback, bad luck with the goal frame added up and they ultimately could not overturn the result. The outcome of the match was decided relatively early.
Amid that, Husanov quietly fulfilled his role. He played the full time and held the defensive line. Born in 2004, he has quickly expanded his standing since joining City. He is gaining experience with flexible use between fullback and center back. With this title he also secured his first major trophy on the European stage.
Local evaluations were not bad either. Uzbek media Zamin analyzed Husanov's performance as a player who combines stability and calculated defending. They said he effectively contained opposing attackers and raised the team's defensive completeness. They also emphasized that it was a meaningful moment not only for his personal career but also in the history of his country's football.
But after the match all eyes turned elsewhere. One scene that occurred during the victory ceremony became the center of controversy. As players lifted the trophy in order, the camera closed in on each scene for the broadcast.
The problematic moment was brief. After John Stones lifted the trophy and passed it to Husanov, the next in line was clearly Husanov. But the camera suddenly changed angle. It switched to a shot of the entire stands rather than the individual player. Immediately afterward, a close-up of Erling Haaland followed. In that interval, Husanov's moment effectively disappeared from the screen.
It is not an unfamiliar scene to dismiss as coincidence. Similar cases have repeated in the past. Criticism has continued that not only Korean players such as Ki Sung-yueng, Son Heung-min, and Kim Min-jae but also Japanese players have experienced similar situations. The camera turning away at the symbolic moment of lifting the trophy has repeatedly appeared.
Of course there are broadcasting limitations that make it impossible to show every player equally. It is also possible to explain that some moments can be missed in the flow of direction. In fact, there are cases where key moments were fully captured, such as with Park Ji-sung.
But when repetitions accumulate, interpretations change. If similar scenes occur only with players from a particular group, it becomes difficult to view them as mere coincidence. The same applies this time. That brief blank during which Husanov's scene was missing sparked another controversy.
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