“Not a single opinion is accepted. Why would I go there?”
A member of the Korea Football Association (KFA) national team technical development committee responded when asked about attending a meeting. The KFA plans to hold a committee meeting this week to review the outcomes of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.
The situation is further complicated by Jürgen Klinsmann, 60, the head coach of the South Korean men’s national team, who returned to his home in the United States on Feb. 10. It remains uncertain whether the German coach will attend the review meeting, leading some committee members to question its necessity and express resistance, asking, “Why hold such a meeting? Should I even go?”
Established in December 2017 as the successor to the national team coach appointment committee, the technical development committee is responsible for scouting coaches for both the national and youth teams, as well as providing input on team management. However, the organization has essentially become ineffective after Michael Müller assumed leadership in January last year. “The members are extremely frustrated because it seems like Müller only communicates with the association’s senior management, effectively treating the committee members like scarecrows,” a KFA official said.
Under Müller’s leadership, the committee faced difficulties from its very first task of appointing a coach. Since the 59-year-old German took office on Jan. 25 last year, not a single in-person meeting was conducted. There were two video conferences, aside from the introductory meeting, which offered fewer opportunities for member participation compared to face-to-face meetings. Furthermore, progress was difficult to assess because Müller did not share details about his communications with potential coaches, citing security reasons. A committee member criticized, “When Paulo Bento was appointed, we reviewed all candidate portfolios and had thorough discussions. Shouldn’t we at least be informed about who the candidates are to provide our input?” Nonetheless, it is known that Müller ultimately did not disclose any candidates.
On Feb. 27 last year, Müller announced that the committee would be convened at 4 p.m. that day. He then informed them that Jürgen Klinsmann had been appointed as the coach. The committee members did not raise any significant objections, as their attempts to offer opinions were rejected several times. “There were talks among the committee members that Müller had no authority and merely informed them of the coach chosen from above,” said one football insider. Less than 30 minutes after the meeting, a press release announcing Klinsmann’s appointment as the national team coach was distributed to the press.
Even after the coach’s appointment, the committee did not function properly. The committee is supposed to meet regularly to discuss the operation of the national team. In 2019, former coach Paulo Bento decided to call up Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, who was then 18 years old, to the national team for international matches after a meeting with the committee. However, after Klinsmann took charge, not a single meeting was held. Last fall, a meeting was scheduled with a set time and place, but was canceled a few days prior due to Klinsmann’s schedule.
Throughout his tenure, Klinsmann faced criticism for his “no tactics” approach and failed to achieve the promised goal of winning the Asian Cup this time. Despite leading players like Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur, Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, who are highly regarded even in Europe, he struggled in every game against supposedly inferior opponents. As the tournament ended, calls for Klinsmann’s dismissal grew louder. Klinsmann’s contract extends until the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., with two years and four months remaining. It is known that terminating Klinsmann’s contract midway would require a penalty payment of around 7 billion won ($5.28 million).
This article was originally published on Feb. 12, 2024.
