The 59-year-old German was hired in February of last year, with a contract that expired at the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
South Korea’s 64-year wait for the championship was extended on February 6th as they fell to Jordan in the Asian Cup.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) declared that a change “is necessary” and criticized Klinsmann’s leadership.
Following their semi-final loss in Qatar, fans, politicians, and the Korean media demanded that Klinsmann be fired. There were also rumors of internal strife among the best players during the competition.
Before their shocking loss to Jordan, South Korea’s captain, Son Heung-min, reportedly got into a fight with teammates over dinner, breaking his finger.
“Coach Klinsmann failed to demonstrate leadership that we expected from the national team coach, including game management, player management and work attitude, which elevate the competitiveness of the national team,” Chung Mong-gyu, president of the KFA,
After the defeat to Jordan, who are ranked 87th in the world, 64 spots lower than South Korea, Klinsmann declared he had no intention of stepping down.
But on Thursday, the KFA advisory committee National Team Committee suggested firing the former forward for Tottenham and Bayern Munich, who represented West Germany in the 1990 World Cup.
