Senior South Korean football officials on Thursday recommended the dismissal of coach Jurgen Klinsmann, saying a “change of direction (was) necessary” following the Asian Cup semi-final elimination and disputes between players stars.
“We have reached a consensus that Klinsmann can no longer serve as national team coach for various reasons and that a change is necessary,” said Hwangbo Kwan, technical director and committee member. the national team within the Korean Football Federation.
This committee is not a decision-making body, but it will make its recommendations to the Executive Office of the South Korean Federation which will decide on the future of the 59-year-old German coach, who has been in office for a year.
At the end of a three-hour meeting, during which Klinsmann spoke by videoconference according to the Yonhap News Agency, Hwangbo declared that the committee had judged that Klinsmann’s “tactical preparation had not been up to the task. height” during the Asian Cup.
South Korea, one of the big favorites of the tournament, was eliminated in the semi-finals by the surprising Jordan (2-0), sensation of this edition.
The team’s laborious matches during this Asian Cup and rivalries between players drew criticism from the media and public.
According to Hwangbo Kwan: “Klinsmann said there had been discord among the team’s players and it had affected their performance (in the match against Jordan).”
A quarrel notably took place before this semi-final between Paris SG player Lee Kang-in and Tottenham star Son Heung-min, who injured a finger during the incident. Team executives like Son had wanted to call to order young players like Lee, who had gotten up from the table to go play a game of ping-pong.
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