Failed South Korea hunt for Jurgen Klinsmann successor unmasks deeper issues
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South Korea are sticking together but are finding it tough to move forward without a permanent head coach.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEOUL – South Korea began 2024 vowing to win the Asian Cup, but they have so far endured a year of turmoil and are still without a coach three months after the sacking of Jurgen Klinsmann.
Led by skipper and Tottenham Hotspur ace Son Heung-min, the Taegeuk Warriors are on course to reach the next stage of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
But all is not well in South Korean football.
Despite boasting the likes of Son and Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, the South Koreans were beaten 2-0 by heavy underdogs Jordan in the Asian Cup semi-finals in Qatar in February.
Crucially, there is currently instability in the coaching set-up. Facing a fan revolt, Klinsmann was fired after the tournament after only a year in charge.
But the Korea Football Association (KFA) has failed to secure a replacement and were rebuffed by top target Jesse Marsch earlier in May, when the former Leeds United boss chose Canada instead.
Now the South Koreans head into the World Cup qualifiers in June under an interim coach whose previous job ended after he appeared to headbutt an assistant from an opposing team.
South Korean football journalist Hong Jae-min said the country was going through a football “dark age” and laid the blame at the feet of KFA president Chung Mong-gyu.
“All of the problems come from president Chung – he has been in that post for 11 years and the results are terrible,” Hong said. “He has dragged Korean football backwards, absolutely.”
The KFA reportedly talked to American Marsch and Iraq’s Spanish coach Jesus Casas, with Senol Gunes from Turkey and former Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard also in the picture.
None of the negotiations were successful and Kim Do-hoon was this week named to lead the team on an interim basis against Singapore away on June 6 and China at home five days later.
Kim’s last job was at Singapore’s Lion City Sailors, where he left after being suspended for three matches for violent conduct for an alleged headbutt during an ill-tempered game.
His temporary appointment comes after Under-23 coach Hwang Sun-hong was put in interim charge for South Korea’s home and away World Cup qualifiers against Thailand in March.
Hwang led the team to a 1-1 home draw and a 3-0 win in Bangkok, and was seen as a strong candidate for the job on a permanent basis. But his stock plummeted when he failed to qualify the Under-23s for the Paris Olympics.
Referring in particular to the failure to find a replacement for Klinsmann, national broadcaster KBS said “fans’ trust in the KFA is hitting the bottom”.
Chung has come in for fierce criticism, with fans and media holding him responsible for appointing and initially standing by the deeply unpopular Klinsmann.
Journalist Hong also said South Korea’s track record with their way of appointing coaches means fans should not expect the eventual man in the dugout to be someone from the very highest level.
Before Klinsmann, the hot seat was occupied by the relatively unknown Paulo Bento, now coach of the United Arab Emirates. Even Guus Hiddink, who led South Korea to their best World Cup performance by reaching the semi-finals in 2002, arrived after he was sacked by Real Betis.
“Hiddink, Bento, Klinsmann – they were all at a low point in their careers when they came to Korea. Which means they were cheap,” explained Hong. AFP
