Jurgen Klinsmann was dismissed as head coach of the South Korean national football team after a year, following a series of controversies and a disappointing performance in the Asian Cup.
Chung Mong-gyu, the president of the Korea Football Association (KFA), announced Klinsmann’s dismissal at a press conference held in Seoul’s Jongno District on Feb. 16. This decision came after a disappointing 0-2 loss to Jordan in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup on Feb. 6.
Chung stated that “Klinsmann failed to show the leadership expected from a South Korean national team coach.”
Klinsmann replaced Paulo Bento as head coach of the national team on Feb. 27 2023, after Bento’s contract ended following the Qatar World Cup.
Fans had doubts about Klinsmann from the beginning. Despite his successful career as a former German national team striker, which led to victories at the 1990 World Cup in Italy and Euro 1996, he had not achieved significant success as a coach since leading Germany to third place in the 2006 World Cup.
In particular, Klinsmann was criticized for stepping down just 10 weeks after taking charge of Hertha Berlin, his most recent coaching position before leading the S. Korean team, earning him a reputation for being irresponsible. After a three-year hiatus from coaching, he took the helm in S. Korea in Feb. 2023.
In March last year, Klinsmann made his debut as the head coach of S. Korea leading the team to a 2-2 draw in a friendly match against Colombia.
However, during his time as the coach, the team failed to secure a win in five matches - three draws and two losses. This made him the first head coach to not win any of the first five games in charge since the introduction of the full-time coaching system to the S. Korean national team in 1992.
He was frequently involved in controversies due to his absence from Korea. Instead of staying in the country to scout for new talents among K-League players, he spent most of his time in the United States, where he resides, and Europe, where players like Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Kang-in, whose skills had already been proven, were active.
After returning to Korea on Sep. 15, 2023, which was a month and a half after leaving on Aug. 1, he stated, “We are currently preparing for the Asian Cup. Please wait for the results of the tournament”.
After securing its first victory in six matches by defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0 , Klinsmann’s team went on to win against weaker Asian teams such as Vietnam, Singapore, and China.
However, the Asian Cup, which they entered with high hopes of winning, became a ‘dark history’ for S. Korean team.
Klinsmann, who was criticized for his lack of a clear strategy during his tenure, struggled to find a distinctive style in the Asian Cup.
The team faced difficulties in every match, and despite relying on the individual skills of players like Son Heung-min, S. Korea barely managed to win against Saudi Arabia in the round of 16 and Australia in the quarter-finals.
However, in the semi-finals against Jordan, ranked 87th, S. Korea was completely outplayed and suffered a 0-2 defeat, leading to their elimination.
Throughout the game, Jordan had complete control, and S. Korea failed to come up with effective strategies to counter Jordan’s dominance. Klinsmann’s inability to create effective tactical plans resulted in S. Korea’s disappointment as they were unable to register even a single shot on target.
After the Asian Cup, there were growing demands for Klinsmann to be dismissed due to the team’s disappointing performance.
The situation worsened when it was reported that Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in had gotten into a physical altercation during a pre-match dinner. This raised concerns about Klinsmann’s leadership capabilities.
