Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked as coach of the South Korean national team after the Asian Cup defeat.
Korea Football Association (KFA) Deleted To the coach of the national team on Friday, Jurgen KlinsmannAfter unchecking South Korea In the semi-finals Asia Cup And amid criticism of his leadership.
The KFA's advisory body, the National Teams Committee, recommended Klinsmann's sacking on Thursday, with KFA technical director Hwangbo Kwan saying there were “many reasons” to doubt his ability to provide leadership to the equipment.
South Korea crashed out of the Asian Cup this month after a 2-0 semi-final loss to Jordan, extending their 64-year wait for a third title, leading to calls from fans and some politicians to scrap the team. A 59-year-old technician.
KFA president Chung Mong-gyu said Klinsmann's tenure fell short of expectations.
“Coach Klinsmann has failed to demonstrate the leadership we have come to expect from a national team coach, including game management, player management and work ethic that enhances the national team's competitiveness,” Chung said.
Klinsmann's popularity in Korea plummeted during the Asian Cup, with many criticizing his attitude after seeing him smiling despite his team's poor performances.
Germany's leadership was also in doubt after an altercation between players in the semi-final involving left-wing captain Son Heung-min's marching finger.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker played against Jordan by linking the index and middle fingers of his right hand together.
Throughout his tenure with South Korea, Klinsmann has often been criticized for working in Los Angeles, where he lives, although he has claimed to spend time in South Korea.
Before Friday's announcement, Klinsmann expressed his “genuine gratitude” to his players, staff and fans in an Instagram post.
“Thank you so much for all your support in getting us to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup and the incredible journey over the last 12 months without losing 13 games in a row before the semi-finals,” he said.
On Thursday, Yonhap News TV reported that former South Korean international Hong Myung-po is among the names to temporarily lead the team for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Klinsmann, who won the World Cup as a player with West Germany in 1990, previously coached the German and United States national teams, as well as Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.
He replaced Paulo Bento as South Korea coach last year after the Portuguese coach resigned following their 2022 World Cup round of 16 loss to Brazil.
Before Klinsmann was appointed last year, Korean media reported that there was a lack of communication between members of the national team committee during the hiring process.
The reports were denied by committee chairman Michael Muller, who said the German coach was hired after the announcement of Klinsmann's appointment and after board members had reached a “final agreement”.
Klinsmann's time with South Korea got off to a successful start as they went on a five-match winless run, losing to Uruguay and Peru and drawing against Colombia, El Salvador and Wales.
Their form improved ahead of the Asian Cup with a six-match winning streak and despite some poor performances in Qatar, they reached the semi-finals, an improvement on their quarter-final defeat at the 2019 tournament.
However, South Korea failed to register a single goal in the semi-final against Jordan, which is 64 places lower in the FIFA rankings.
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