The Korean Football Association (KFA) fired national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Friday following their elimination in the Asian Cup semi-finals and amid criticism of his leadership.
The National Teams Committee, an advisory body to the KFA, had recommended Klinsmann's dismissal on Thursday, with KFA technical director Hwangbo Kwan saying there were “several reasons” to doubt his ability to provide leadership over the equipment.
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South Korea's exit from the Asian Cup following a 2-0 loss to Jordan in the semi-finals this month, which extended their 64-year wait for a third title, led to calls from fans and some politicians for the coach to be fired. 59 years old.
KFA president Chung Mong-gyu said Klinsmann's tenure fell short of expectations.
“Coach Klinsmann failed to demonstrate the leadership we expected from the national team coach, including game management, player management and work attitude, which raise the competitiveness of the national team,” Chung said.
Klinsmann's popularity in Korea plummeted during the Asian Cup, with many criticizing his attitude after he was seen smiling despite his team's poor performances.
The German's leadership was also left in doubt after an altercation between players on the eve of the semi-final left captain Son Heung-Min with a dislocated finger.
The Tottenham striker played against Jordan with the index and middle fingers of his right hand joined together.
Throughout his tenure with South Korea, Klinsmann was often criticized for working primarily in Los Angeles, where he resides, despite having said he would spend time in South Korea.
Before Friday's announcement, Klinsmann expressed his “sincere gratitude” to his players, staff and fans in an Instagram post.
“Thank you very much for all your support in taking us to the semi-final of the Asian Cup and for an incredible journey over the last 12 months without losing 13 games in a row before the semi-final,” he said.
On Thursday, Yonhap News TV reported that former South Korean international Hong Myung-bo is among the names being considered to temporarily lead the team for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Klinsmann, a World Cup winner as a player in 1990 with West Germany, previously coached the German and United States national teams, as well as Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.
He replaced Paulo Bento as South Korea coach last year after the Portuguese coach resigned following their loss to Brazil in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup.
Prior to Klinsmann's appointment last year, Korean media reported that there was a lack of communication between members of the National Team Committee during the hiring process.
These reports were denied by the head of the committee, Michael Müller, after the announcement of Klinsmann's appointment, and Müller added that the German coach was hired after the committee members reached a “final agreement.”
Klinsmann's time with South Korea got off to a rocky start as they went five games without a win, losing to Uruguay and Peru and drawn by Colombia, El Salvador and Wales.
Their form improved ahead of the Asian Cup with a six-match winning streak and despite some poor performances in Qatar, they reached the semi-finals, an improvement on the 2019 tournament when they lost in the quarter-finals.
However, South Korea failed to register a single shot on goal in their semi-final against Jordan, which is 64 places below them in the FIFA rankings.
