Public opinion toward coach Jurgen Klinsmann is at its worst, and the theory of crisis in Korean soccer is emerging. He left Korea again at this time when he had to analyze the failure of the Asian Cup and prepare for the next one.
According to the Korea Football Association on the 11th (Korea time), Klinsmann left for the U.S., his residence, a day earlier. It is known that no specific schedule has been set for his return.
Klinsmann leaves the U.S. in two days
Klinsmann was eliminated in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Cup. After completing their schedules, the Korean team returned home through Incheon International Airport at 10 p.m. on the 8th.
European players, including Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in, returned to their teams directly from Qatar. On the same day, 13 players who mainly play in the K-League and coaching staff, including Klinsmann, entered Incheon International Airport.
At the interview in Korea, Klinsmann said that he will leave the country around next week. However, Klinsmann flew to the U.S. two days later.
According to “Dalsune Live,” a YouTube channel run by soccer commentator Park Moon-sung, Klinsmann left for the U.S. without reporting to the Korea Football Association. Soccer fans’ anger is at its peak.
The main point of criticism is that coach Klinsmann’s insincerity, neglect of work, and irresponsible behavior, which has been going on for the past year, and furthermore, he ignores Korean soccer.
Unsupervised Power Enhancement Committee?
Analysts said the 2023 Asian Cup was the right time to win the title in 64 years with the strongest squad ever. On criticism against him, Klinsmann stressed that he would prove it by winning the Asian Cup.
After two extra-time matches, the Klinsmann team dramatically advanced to the semifinals, but suffered the worst performance in each match. The team had a 3-3 draw with Malaysia, ranking 130th in FIFA, and zero effective shots in the match against Jordan, ranking the semifinal. It has allowed a whopping 10 goals in six matches.
Nevertheless, Klinsmann said, “I can’t say that advancing to the semifinals of the Asian Cup is a failure. I felt how difficult the competition was. As the competition was held in the Middle East, East Asian teams like Korea, Japan, and China struggled against Middle Eastern teams. Middle Eastern teams played in a home-like atmosphere. I felt how emotionally motivated they were. I want to give a positive impression on advancing to the semifinals and praise my players.”
He also indicated that there will be no change in the way he works. “I think the national team and the club team coach are different. I respect your thoughts and criticisms, but I don’t think there will be any change in the way I work,” he said.
After the Lunar New Year holiday, the team was scheduled to hold a committee meeting to review the Asian Cup and conduct a review on the national team’s management. It was a meeting that Klinsmann had to attend along with Michael Mueller, Hwang Ji-soo, head of the competition’s technology division, and members of the power reinforcement committee. However, chances are high that Klinsmann, who must be present, will not attend the meeting.
Klinsmann said right after the team lost the semifinal match against Jordan, “If you have finished the tournament as a coach and failed to achieve the goal you wanted, you should analyze and take responsibility. We need to analyze more and look back on more matches. We need to analyze more carefully.” This is a different move from what Klinsmann said after the team lost the semifinal match against Jordan.
Unfortunately, there is no one within the Korea Football Association to sanction Klinsmann’s behavior. Reportedly, Klinsmann was appointed by Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association. How will the future of Korean soccer go, which is regressing after Klinsmann’s appointment.