The news broke on Friday in Seoul when Association President Chung Mong Gyu announced that Jürgen Klinsmann would no longer be serving as the coach of the South Korean national football team. This decision arrives after a series of unexpected failures from the team, particularly their unfortunate loss in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup.
The KFA association is taking this step as a response to the team’s performance. Klinsmann, who is 59 years old, had taken on the role of head coach of the team that had previously secured the fourth position in the 2002 World Cup. He had assumed this position just a year ago, with a contract that was supposed to last until the final of the 2026 World Cup.
Klinsmann expressed his gratitude towards his players, his coaching team, and the fans in South Korea on Instagram. He wrote, “Thank you for all your support in getting us to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup and for the incredible journey over the past 12 months in which we did not lose 13 games in a row until the semi-finals”.
However, Klinsmann faced a significant amount of criticism from commentators and fans in South Korea after his exit in the semi-finals of the continental championship last week.
Football fans held a banner calling for his dismissal
Adding to the disappointment, the South Koreans lost 2-0 to outsiders Jordan in the finals in Qatar. The team’s performance was subpar, and they didn’t manage to shoot at the opponent’s goal even once. This led to football fans in South Korea unfurling a large banner in front of the KFA building, calling for the national coach to be fired.
The criticisms against Klinsmann in South Korea began even before the Asian Cup. The 1990 World Cup winner didn’t manage to win any of his first five games with South Korea. Additionally, the fact that he spent more time abroad than in South Korea was not well-received, echoing similar sentiments from his time as national coach.
Despite the criticisms, Klinsmann and his team had an impressive debut in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Just a few days after their 5-0 opening win against Singapore, they secured a 3-0 win against China. Klinsmann had taken on the coaching role in Asia nearly three years after his unsuccessful coaching stint with Bundesliga club Hertha BSC. His initial goal was to win the Asian Championship.
This was Klinsmann’s third stint as a national coach. The 1990 world champion had previously managed Germany from 2004 to 2006, leading the DFB team to the third place at the home World Cup. From July 2011 to November 2016, the ex-professional served as the USA national coach.
