Jurgen Klinsmann Fired as Coach of the South Korean National Team

Seoul, Beritasatu.com – Jurgen Klinsmann has been sacked as head coach of South Korea after just 12 months in the role. The 59-year-old German was appointed in February 2023, with his contract running until the end of the 2026 World Cup.

But South Korea was defeated in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Cup earlier this month, extending the country's 64-year wait for a title. Then within the South Korean national team itself there were also reports of clashes between top players.

South Korea captain Son Heung-min reportedly injured his finger during a clash with his teammates before they were beaten 2-0 by Jordan last week.

The incident occurred during a team dinner, according to the Korean Football Association (KFA).

Following the loss to Jordan, who are ranked 64 places below South Korea, Klinsmann said he had no plans to resign from his job.

But on Thursday (15/2/2024), South Korean football officials said the former Tottenham striker and German World Cup winner was running out of time to turn things around.

“We have reached a consensus that Klinsmann cannot carry out his leadership as head coach of the national team for various reasons and a change in leadership is necessary,” said KFA's Hwangbo Kwan.

Klinsmann has become an unpopular figure among South Korean football fans since taking over from Paulo Bento. He was criticized for spending less time in South Korea, preferring to remain in California.

In his first six months in office, a newspaper in Seoul calculated that Klinsmann spent just 67 days in the country, a contrast to previous foreign coaches who were all based in the South Korean capital.

Klinsmann led the German national team to third place at the 2006 World Cup and took the United States to the knockout stages at the 2014 World Cup