The Korea Football Association’s National Strength and Conditioning Committee has recommended that Jürgen Klinsmann (GER) be sacked by the federation.
Klinsmann, who took over the reins of the Korean national team in late February last year, is facing the prospect of relinquishing the reins after just one year in charge.
The KFA’s National Strength and Conditioning Committee met at the Jongno-gu Football Hall in Seoul on Friday to discuss the results of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup and agreed that Klinsmann 스포츠토토 should step down.
“For various reasons, the committee decided that Klinsmann could no longer provide leadership and agreed that a replacement was needed,” Hwang Bo-kwan, head of the technical department at the Korea Football Association, said in a briefing after the meeting.
Klinsmann’s soccer team competed in the Asian Cup in Qatar starting in mid-March, but was eliminated in the semifinals against Jordan on March 7.
Criticism of the team’s failure to capitalize on its best-ever performance, as well as controversy over Klinsmann’s demeanor, including his frequent travels abroad, led to a public outcry after the tournament.
The revelation that there was infighting among the players, led by Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), also raised questions about Klinsmann’s ability to manage the team, leading to the KFB’s decision to dismiss him.
“The committee was of the opinion that the team lacked tactical preparation even against the second team they faced in the Asian Cup semifinals (after the group stage), and that the coach was not willing to look at and develop various players during his tenure,” Hwang Bo said.
“In terms of squad management, it was pointed out that he was unable to grasp the team’s atmosphere and internal conflicts, and that he lacked discipline and standards as a leader.”
“Regarding his working attitude due to his short stay in Korea, it was said that he ‘seems to ignore the people’ and that he ‘lost the trust of the people by not fulfilling several promises and it is impossible to regain it’.”
The meeting was attended by Michael Muller, chairman of the committee, and committee members Jung Jae-kwon, head coach of Hanyang University, Kwak Hyo-beom, professor at Inha University, Kim Hyun-tae, head of the Daejeon Hana Citizen’s power enhancement department, Kim Young-geun, scout for Gyeongnam FC, and Song Joo-hee, director of Gyeongju Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.
Pohang Steelers head coach Park Tae-ha, Incheon United head coach Cho Sung-hwan, and Chungbuk Cheongju FC head coach Choi Yoon-gyeom participated via video.
Klinsmann, who is based in the United States, also participated via video.
“Coach Klinsmann said that the discord within the squad affected the performance,” Hwang Bo explained, adding, “The members of the Power Enhancement Committee focused on the ‘lack of tactics,’ but Klinsmann did not acknowledge that part.”
The Power Enhancement Committee is a body set up to advise and consult on the management of the national team, but it does not have the authority to make direct decisions about the head coach.
The decision will be made soon by the KFA‘s executive board, which will weigh the results of the Power Enhancement Committee and the findings of a meeting of former players’ executives held earlier in the day, leaving only Chung Mong-kyu’s decision to make.
Klinsmann, an international star player who was a dominant striker for the German national team as a player, began working with the South Korean national team last year amid doubts.
On paper, he is arguably the best national team manager of all time, and he has had success as a coach, leading Germany to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but his time on the sidelines has been long and his tactical abilities have been questioned.
His behavior also raised concerns when he stepped down as head coach of Hertha Berlin (Germany) in 2020, announcing his departure on personal social media without consulting the club.
Since his appointment, Klinsmann has been criticized for his leadership, relying on the individual skills of his players without demonstrating much tactical ability, and for his attitude, including working from home and traveling frequently.
Despite the criticism, Klinsmann entered the tournament with the goal of winning the Asian Cup, but the team’s performance did not improve much, and the Asian Cup of the “Golden Generation” came to an abrupt end in the semifinals against Jordan, where the team lost in a close game with “zero shots on target.
Klinsmann’s departure for the United States just two days after returning home with the team on August 8 further angered fans and fueled rumors of player discord, leading to his eventual disgraceful exit.
Klinsmann’s contract ran through the World Cup in North and Central America, and it reportedly included a clause that required him to be paid the remainder of his salary in the event of his dismissal.
Klinsmann’s salary, as reported by overseas media, is in the neighborhood of 2.9 billion won ($2.9 million), and the KFA is owed around 7 billion won.
The national team is scheduled to play back-to-back home and away matches against Thailand in March during the A-match period of the North and Central American World Cup qualifiers. The first game is at home on March 21, and the call-up is expected to take place on the 18th, leaving the team with just over a month to prepare, raising the possibility of an interim coach leading the team during that time.