“The K-League still needs to be seen and learned. I hope to have a conversation on the same topic in a few months.”
This is what Jurgen Klinsmann, coach of the national soccer team, said at a press conference for his appointment to Korea. In March, the Korea Football Association (KFA) officially announced that it had appointed coach Klinsmann, who had led the German national team and the US national team in the past, as the head coach of the A team. On the 9th of the same month, coach Klinsman attended a press conference for the new coach held at the Paju National Soccer Team Training Center (Paju NFC).
He was like a star player. Sharp questions were answered without interruption with a leisurely smile. When director Klinsmann left Hertha Berlin as manager in November 2020, he announced his intention to resign through his personal social network service (SNS), which caused controversy. Upon hearing the question, Director Klinsman smiled and said, “People make mistakes. I always learn. I will never announce my resignation on social media again. I think it is an experience. Isn’t it always difficult to make the right decision? I will try to reduce mistakes.” .
He was also full of confidence. He proudly revealed his lofty and specific goals. His first goal is to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup next January. In the 2026 International Football Federation (FIFA) World Cup in North and Central America, where his contract expires, he pledged to ‘four-final myth’. Coach Klinsman said, “Winning is important. As I said at Incheon International Airport, the first goal is to reach the top of the Asian Cup.” I will instill confidence that you can grab and do it.
He also gave the initial plan for the appointment. He emphasized that he was a ‘learning group’ leader. He promised to work hard to identify not only European players but also K-League players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich, then Napoli), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain, then Mallorca).
As he had just taken the baton, he must have done less power analysis. He is manager Klinsman who is proud of his 40-year football career. Coach Klinsmann, who has extensive experience not only in Germany but also in England and the United States, said, “I saw the skills of Asian teams at the Qatar World Cup. I learned a lot in the regional qualifiers for 6 years,” he said, emphasizing that he is a ‘school district leader’. It was a remark to emphasize that he was a member of the International Football Federation (FIFA) Technical Study Group (TSG).
He made domestic players also have expectations of joining the national team. He promised to find the K-League site himself. He also showed confidence as a veteran coach, saying, “Thanks to my 40-year career, I can understand a young player’s skills in 10 minutes.” Coach Klinsman, who pledged to “verify the field,” said directly, “Of course I will live in Korea.”
In fact he showed a willingness to fulfill his promise. That was the case at the beginning of his tenure. Coach Klinsman watched a total of 10 K League 1 matches, starting with the FC Seoul and Ulsan Hyundai match held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium three days after his inauguration press conference. In the A match at the end of March, before Klinsman’s debut, the 2022 Qatar World Cup members were convened. As it has been less than a month since he took office, the priority was to identify his existing power.
He is 3 months old. Klinsmann was scheduled to meet Peru and El Salvador. He also had a surprise appointment. Ahn Hyun-beom (Jeonbuk Hyundai, Jeonbuk Hyundai,
It was the evaluation of the Klinsmann Division. Coach Klinsman said, “I haven’t seen the game yet” about Ahn Hyun-beom after the announcement of the national team list in June. It was thanks to coach Michael Kim and advisor Cha Doo-ri touring the domestic scene. Of course, Ahn Hyun-beom was known as a top-notch wingback in Korea when he was selected for the A national team, but in fact, the Jeju game against Ulsan on June 10 was the only one on coach Klinsman’s list of games to watch.
Maybe it was because he was a player he couldn’t figure out himself, Klinsmann appointed Ahn Hyun-beom as the right fullback in the evaluation match against Peru. Ahn Hyun-beom’s greatest strength, explosive speed and attack power, were not utilized at all. In the meantime, coach Klinsman has traveled to England, Italy, and Belgium to focus on checking overseas players. This was the reason why the original stones Hong Hyun-seok (Belgium) and Park Kyu-hyun (Dinamo Dresden, Germany) were first selected.
It has been half a year since he took over as head coach of the Korean national team. 2 draws, 2 losses, not a single win. Although it is in the early stages of seniority, even the game with El Salvador (75th), which is considered relatively weak, was tied 1-1. It is taking the longest time to win the first victory after taking office among all foreign coaches.
In the meantime, even the controversy over ‘remote command’ came to the fore. Manager Klinsman is mainly staying abroad after taking a month-long overseas vacation after an A match in June. He traveled to Europe for personal reasons, including charity events, and spent time at his home in Los Angeles.
This means that the terms of appointment have not been met. The ‘residence conditions in Korea’ specified in the contract have become colorless. I am still staying at home in the US. In a video press conference held over two days with KFA reporters on the 17th and 18th, amidst the stigma of being a “cyber director,” he said, “The way we work may be different. We communicate with Coach Michael Kim and Advisor Cha Du-ri.” However, I am also a workaholic. I am grasping international trends and analyzing my opponents. I am by no means resting.”안전놀이터
The K-League is in full swing. However, coach Klinsman is not in Korea until the A match in September. He is set to join the national team in Wales, UK. As for the selection of domestic players, it seems that weight will be focused on the opinions of coach Michael Kim and advisor Cha Doo-ri, who have been on the field in Korea, as they did in June. Coaches Andreas Köpke and Paulo Stringara focused on inspecting foreign players in Europe.
About two months before the Asian Cup, when he was confident of winning the championship, he plans to visit the domestic scene in person. Coach Klinsman said, “The schedule for July and August was agreed upon before signing the contract with the KFA. That’s why I couldn’t spend much time in Korea.” He announced future plans.
It is a national team that has built a strong power such as Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Kang-in. As key players are enjoying their heyday, there are not many eyes that the Korean national team is aiming for the best ever.
However, until the World Cup three years later, it seems that the excavation of raw stones is a backfire. The player who will receive a new opportunity under the new coach system and grow into a new weapon for the A national team is developing competitiveness on the international stage in Korea. Kim Moon-hwan and Cho Kyu-seong (then Jeonbuk), who were key players in the Qatar World Cup, and Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), who played a big role in the match against Uruguay, were like that. The overall framework of the national team, which Bento has worked hard for over four years, seems to be flowing inconsistently under the Klinsman system.
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