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Jurgen Klinsmann Fired As South Korea Manager and Criticized by KFA President

Originally posted on FanNation Futbol
By Robert Summerscales | Last updated 2/16/24

Jurgen Klinsmann has lost his job as manager of the South Korea men's national team.

The former USMNT boss was fired by the Korea Football Association on Friday, just less than 12 months after being appointed.

Klinsmann was in charge of South Korea for 18 games, winning eight, drawing seven and losing three.

His last match was a 2-0 defeat by Jordan in the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup.

After that loss, many fans, journalists and even politicians called for Klinsmann to go.

The 59-year-old German had faced criticism before the tournament even began, with some fans unhappy at his decision to continue living in California - 6,000 miles from his country of employment.

In addition to his team's failings on the field, there were also reports of a lack of discipline under Klinsmann.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, South Korea captain Son Heung-min dislocated his finger the day before the Jordan game during a fight with Lee Kang-in.

It is said that Son was unhappy with Lee for leaving a team dinner early to play table tennis.

The president of the KFA, Chung Mong-gyu, said in a statement on Friday: "Coach Klinsmann failed to demonstrate the coaching ability and leadership that we expect from a coach of the Korean national team, such as game management, player management, and work attitude that lead to the national team's competitiveness.

"The national soccer team is more than just a sports team, it is a team that represents the Republic of Korea in name and reality, garnering the attention and support of the people and returning that energy to the people. This must continue to be the case.

"However, as a result of various discussions and opinions, Coach Klinsmann's competitiveness and attitude as a coach did not meet the expectations and sentiments of the people, and it was judged that it would be difficult to improve in the future, so it was decided to replace the head coach before the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

"It is time to reorganize the national soccer team."

This article first appeared on FanNation Futbol and was syndicated with permission.

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