Klinsman ‘remotely attended’ in the United States
The Korea Football Association announced on the 13th that it will hold the first national team power reinforcement committee in 2024 at the soccer hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 15th.
Michael Müller, chairman of the power reinforcement committee, Jurgen Klinsmann, and seven members of the power reinforcement committee will attend to review Klinsmann’s performance at the Asian Cup and the preparation process for the tournament.
The power reinforcement committee consists of 10 members, including the chairman, and eight of them will attend the meeting. Coach Klinsmann, who suddenly left for the U.S. on the 10th, will appear at the meeting by video.
KFA executives, including Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, will make a final decision on Klinsmann’s future by referring to the evaluation of the power strengthening committee. The KFA held an executive meeting on Tuesday, and not a few people called for Klinsmann’s replacement. The KFA will likely have different opinions.
However, Chung Mong-gyu’s decision is considered to be important as he played a decisive role in recruiting Klinsmann. If Chung chooses to replace Klinsmann, he will likely be held accountable for himself, drawing keen attention to his decision.
Coach Klinsmann, who previously told reporters when he returned home through Incheon International Airport after completing his Asian Cup schedule on the 8th, left for the U.S. on the 10th, two days later.
South Korean soccer had a semifinal performance at the Qatar Asian Cup, which ended last year.
Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kim Min-jae (Munich) were considered the best players in the European leagues as well, but they failed to achieve their first victory goal in 64 years. The Klinsmann team continued to play poorly, sparking strong criticism from fans. In particular, the team lost 0-2 in the semifinal match against Jordan after a lethargic play of 0 effective shots, fueling public anger.
Even politicians who are not related to soccer are raising their voices to dismiss Klinsmann. While Daegu FC owner Hong Joon Pyo emphasized the immediate dismissal of Klinsmann and the compensation for Chung Mong-gyu’s penalty through SNS every day, Gwangju FC owner Kang Ki-jung also stressed the dismissal of Klinsmann on Sunday, saying that Klinsmann already received a red card from the public. Both the ruling and opposition parties are calling for Klinsmann to be fired as soon as possible.
In an interview with Klinsmann on Wednesday, he said, “Since I advanced to the semifinals, I can’t say it’s a failure. I have a very positive view on advancing to the semifinals. I would like to commend the players.” The reaction was in contrast to the players who expressed disappointment due to their failure to win the championship. His bright smile remained the same.
He also made it clear that he had no intention of resigning. “We met (with Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu) twice in Qatar and had coffee and had conversations about this and that. We talked about bad things and many lost points because we need to make up for them,” Klinsmann said.
“We also talked about how we will prepare for the second consecutive match against Thailand (the second qualifying round for the 2026 North-Central America World Cup). We will do our best to prepare for good results in the preliminary round for the North-Central America World Cup,” he said. South Korea will play a home game against Thailand on March 21 and then play an away match against Thailand on March 26. The national team will likely be convened on March 18. Klinsmann is naturally trying to continue leading the national team.
The soccer community also suggests that it is nonsense for a power-enhancing committee, which failed to exert all efforts when Klinsmann was appointed, to suddenly hold a meeting over his decision to move forward. This means that Chairman Chung should “make the decision.”
If the Korea Football Association decides to dismiss Klinsmann, a penalty of 10 billion won, including the coaching staff, will be an obstacle. The Korea Football Association has been conducting a large-scale civil engineering project called the Korea Football Center in Cheonan City since the COVID-19 period. 먹튀검증