SEOUL: Jurgen Klinsmann was fired as head coach of the South Korean men's national football team Friday, days after the country suffered a disappointing exit at the top Asian tournament.
President of the Korea Football Association (KFA), Chung Mong Gyu, announced his decision to sack Klinsmann at a press conference following a meeting with senior executives, barely a year after appointing him, according to Yonhap news agency.
Chung acted on a recommendation made by the National Team Committee of the KFA on Thursday that Klinsmann could no longer function as the national team's head coach for various reasons.
The move comes after South Korea lost to Jordan 2-0 without a shot on goal in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar on Feb 6, with Chung in attendance.
The shocking loss to a team ranked 64 spots below ended South Korea's dreams of winning their first AFC title since 1960.
“When it comes to bringing out the best in the national team, managing players and his work habits, Klinsmann did not live up to our expectations of a national team head coach, nor did he demonstrate leadership. We decided that Klinsmann was unlikely to improve as head coach,” Chung read a prepared statement.
Chung said the KFA will “immediately” begin the process of hiring Klinsmann’s replacement, though he said no names have yet been thrown into the ring.
Soon after South Korea's elimination, Klinsmann began hearing calls to resign to take the fall for not taking his talented squad to the top. His team featured, among others, Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung Min, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang In and Bayern Munich defender Kim Min Jae.
South Korea had eight wins, six draws and three losses under Klinsmann.
Though the KFA has never officially disclosed financial details of Klinsmann's contract, he is believed to have been making US$2.2 million per year. By firing Klinsmann, the KFA will have to pay him for the remainder of his deal, which was set to run through the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Klinsmann won the 1990 FIFA World Cup as a player with West Germany and was considered one of the world's premier strikers in the 1980s and 1990s.
As a coach, however, he hasn't been able to match his sterling playing resume, aside from managing Germany to third place at the 2006 World Cup on their home soil.
His other coaching stops included Bayern Munich in the top German league and the United States men's national team. -Bernama
