Jurgen Klinsmann was fired as South Korea’s coach on Friday, following a loss to Jordan in the Asian Cup semi-finals and disclosures about a spat amongst prominent players.
The 59-year-old former Germany striker, who won the World Cup as a player, was in charge for just under a year and failed to win over South Korean fans or the media.
“The KFA has decided to change the national head coach following a comprehensive review,” said Korea Football Association president Chung Mong-gyu.
“Klinsmann has failed to display managerial capability and leadership expected of a national head coach in areas ranging from tactics and personnel management to work attitude and others required to bring about competitiveness to the team.”
Klinsmann, whose management record does not match his spectacular playing career, congratulated his team for “an incredible journey” in a social media message just before the axe fell.
The KFA was under tremendous pressure to remove Klinsmann. Its national team committee stated on Thursday that “a change in leadership is required.”
The South Korean team has been in the center of a maelstrom.
On Wednesday, details emerged regarding a player altercation that left Son Heung-min with an injured finger on the eve of the 2-0 loss to Jordan in the final four in Qatar.
After Yonhap reported that Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in attempted to punch skipper and Tottenham star Son, the 22-year-old tendered an apology.
Lee’s reps have disputed that there was a punch.
The conflict was allegedly sparked by younger players, including Lee, hurrying through their dinner so they could leave early to play table tennis.
This enraged several of the older players, including Son, who wanted to honor the long-standing custom of the pre-game dinner as a team bonding experience, resulting in the incident.
Lee and Son both played in Jordan’s loss, with the latter having two fingers taped together.
Klinsmann, whose contract was set to expire after the 2026 World Cup, promised to win South Korea’s first Asian title in 64 years.
Star brawl
The altercation on the eve of the Jordan game fueled calls for Klinsmann to be fired, with some claiming it was additional evidence of his poor management.
Chung, the president of the KFA, said “this incident reflects a lot to us for areas to pay attention to when it comes to managing a national team going forward” .
“The KFA will immediately embark on finding the next head coach for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers,” said Chung, who was under pressure to resign.
Yonhap previously reported that the KFA was considering a temporary appointment for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Thailand, both at home and away.
Klinsmann, a former United States coach, was under fire from the start due to his managerial record, and he refused to move to South Korea from the United States.
Some fans and media criticized him of smiling excessively, even after they lost.
The German is apparently entitled to full payment for the remainder of his contract, which runs until July 2026 and is valued at $2.2 million per year.
“If South Korea had been eliminated in the first knockout stage (of the Asian Cup) the KFA could have fired him without a package,” the article said.
Chung, a member of the family that created Korean automobile firm Hyundai, stated that if the firing resulted in a substantial financial hardship, “I will look into ways for me to contribute financially as head of the KFA”.