South Korea sacks Klinsmann after failure in the Asian Cup

Jurgen Klinsmann was dismissed from his position as coach of the South Korean national team after their exit from the Asian Cup.

Korea Football Association (KFA) Disqualified Friday for the national team coach. Jurgen Klinsmannafter deselecting South Korea In the semi-finals of Asia Cup Amid criticism of his leadership.

The National Teams Committee, an advisory body to the KFA, recommended Klinsmann's dismissal on Thursday, with KFA technical director Hwangbo Kwon saying there were “several reasons” to doubt his ability to provide leadership in the squad.

South Korea's exit from the Asian Cup after losing 2-0 to Jordan in the semi-finals this month, which extended its 64-year wait for its third title, led to calls from fans and some politicians to dismiss the team. 59 years old technician.

South Korean Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu said that Klinsmann's tenure did not live up to expectations.

“Coach Klinsmann failed to show the leadership we expected from the national team coach, including play management, player management and work behavior, which raises the competitiveness of the national team,” Chung said.

Klinsmann's popularity in Korea declined during the Asian Cup, as many criticized his behavior after he was seen smiling despite his team's poor performance.

The German's leadership also became in doubt after a quarrel between players on the eve of the semi-finals left captain Son Heung-min dislocated his finger.

The Tottenham Hotspur striker played against Jordan with the index and middle fingers of his right hand together.

Throughout his time with South Korea, Klinsmann has often been criticized for primarily working in Los Angeles, where he is based, although he has said he will spend some time in South Korea.

Before Friday's announcement, Klinsmann expressed his “sincere gratitude” to his players, staff and fans in an Instagram post.

He said: “Thank you very much for all your support in reaching the semi-finals of the Asian Cup and for an amazing journey over the past 12 months without losing 13 consecutive matches before the semi-finals.”

Former South Korea international Hong Myung-bo is among the names being considered to lead the team temporarily in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Yonhap News reported on Thursday.

Klinsmann, who won the World Cup as a player in 1990 with West Germany, previously coached the German and United States national teams, in addition to German club Bayern Munich.

He replaced Paulo Bento as South Korea's coach last year after the Portuguese coach resigned following the loss to Brazil in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup.

Before Klinsmann's appointment last year, Korean media reported that there was a lack of communication between members of the national team committee during the recruitment process.

Committee Chairman Michael Muller denied these reports after Klinsmann's appointment was announced, and Muller added that the German coach was hired after the committee members reached a “final agreement.”

Klinsmann's reign with South Korea began poorly, as the team did not achieve a win in five matches, losing to Uruguay and Peru and drawing with Colombia, El Salvador and Wales.

Their form improved ahead of the Asian Cup with a six-game winning streak, and despite some poor performances in Qatar, they reached the semi-finals, an improvement on the 2019 tournament when they lost in the quarter-finals.

However, South Korea failed to register a shot on target in their semi-final match against Jordan, who are 64 places behind them in the FIFA rankings.