German media reported that director Jurgen Klinsmann was "humiliatingly dismissed."
Bild, a German magazine, used the terms "humiliation" and "our Klinsmann" when it reported the dismissal of Klinsmann as the head coach of the Korean national soccer team on the 16th (Korea Standard Time). It seems to view his dismissal as a humiliation.
The media added, "Coach Klinsmann lost his position because he failed to produce a result at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. There were many difficulties as he reportedly laughed after losing the Asian Cup semifinal match against Jordan."
Earlier on the 15th, the media reported that "Coach Klinsmann was evaluated for failing to demonstrate leadership, such as failing to manage internal divisions in the team," while announcing the results of Hwang Ji-soo, head of the technical division of the Korea Football Association.
As it was revealed that Son Heung-min, the actual captain of the national team, and Lee Kang-in, the youngest, had a fight against Jordan in the semifinals of the Asian Cup, Korean fans' anger against Klinsmann, who failed to manage the team, grew and affected his replacement.
Kicker, another German media outlet, reported that Klinsmann, who was supposed to lead the Korean national team until the 2026 North-Central American World Cup, was dismissed in less than a year. Sky Sports' German version said, "Korea has parted ways with Klinsmann. Klinsmann's spending more time overseas than in Korea was not as welcome as it was when he was serving as the German national team coach."
Meanwhile, Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association, said after a meeting of the association's executives on the 16th, "After a comprehensive review, we decided to replace the national team coach."