Coach Jurgen Klinsmann (60) was still a “man’s fault.”
Indonesian media “Compas” reported on the 24th (Korea Standard Time) that “the Bundesliga media round table press conference attended by former coach Jurgen Klinsmann was held by video.”
According to Compass, former South Korean national team coach Klinsmann mentioned the conflict between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in again at a recent press conference after South Korea’s unexpected elimination during the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup.
Former national team coach Klinsmann was replaced in February due to poor performance at the Asian Cup.
The Korean team was strong enough to be called the strongest ever. Son Heung-min, the “Tottenham captain,” and Lee Kang-in, the “main player of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG),” are on the offensive, while world-class defender Kim Min-jae is on the defense. In addition to these players, there are many players who have played key roles in European teams, including Hwang Hee-chan, the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ most prolific scorer this season, Jung Woo-young, No. 10 of VfB Stuttgart, and Lee Jae-sung of FSV Mainz 05.
He was also evaluated as having the heyday of Korean soccer.
However, the Clinsman team showed problems starting with the first match against Bahrain. Since then, the team has displayed poor performance not only in the second and third matches against Jordan, but also in the round of 16, Saudi Arabia, and the quarterfinals against Australia. The match against Jordan in the semifinals was a “slap” that will remain in the history of Asian soccer.
Klinsmann opened his mouth about two months after he was dismissed. He said, “The Korean team had everything necessary to pass the quarterfinals of the World Cup. That’s why we wanted to continue this work.”
“My performance at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar was the best performance Korea has made in the past 15 years. However, in Korean culture, someone had to take responsibility,” Klinsmann said. “The coaching staff had no choice but to take responsibility because the players had to participate in the next competition.” He also complained that his dismissal was unfair.
Coach Klinsmann, who did not perform properly, sat on the sidelines of the clash between captain Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, which took place on the eve of the Asian Cup semifinal match. 안전놀이터
According to Compass, former coach Klinsmann recently recalled the Asian Cup, “At that time, Korea showed a wonderful journey to the semifinals of the tournament with the mental strength that never gave up. It was really important to fight against every crisis because everything didn’t go as planned in the big tournament.”
He also mentioned the “table tennis scandal.” “The scandal took place on the eve of the Asian Cup semifinal match against Jordan, which was an important event,” former coach Klinsmann said. “This kind of behavior discourages the team’s morale.”
Coach Klinsmann, after being infamously replaced by the Korean national team shortly after the Asian Cup, claimed through overseas media that the problem was not him. In particular, coach Klinsmann argues that the conflict between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in divided the team.