Jurgen Klinsmann stakes it all on Asian Cup glory with South Korea

DOHA – It is all or bust at the Asian Cup for Jurgen Klinsmann, who has declared that anything but a first title since 1960 for South Korea will be a failure.

It is a bold target for a coach who did not win any of his first five games in charge and has never hit the same giddy heights he scaled as a player.

South Korean fans were sceptical about the legendary German forward’s appointment 11 months ago, given his coaching record and he quickly came under fire following a poor start.

The former coach of the United States also faced criticism from media and fans, who said Klinsmann, 59, spends more time at home in California than he does in South Korea.

Results have improved but Asian Cup failure over the next month in Qatar could spell the end of a patchy coaching career, which had fallen off the map until he took the South Korea job.

His previous post was a 10-week stint at Hertha Berlin in 2019-2020.

Nevertheless, Klinsmann believes it is “right” that South Korean fans expect a team led by Son Heung-min to win the Asian Cup for the first time in more than 60 years.

“We have to aim for the highest goal, and if we don’t reach it, then it’s the fault of the coach – no problem,” he said.

He has one of the strongest squads in the tournament, led once again by Tottenham Hotspur striker Son, who has long been South Korea’s focal point but his teammates have come into form at just the right time.

Fellow attacker Hwang Hee-chan has impressed for Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, scoring 10 goals in 20 Premier League matches.

Attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in has played his way into the Paris Saint-Germain side and the 22-year-old could be one of the breakout stars of the Asian Cup.

At the back, central defender Kim Min-jae is a regular for Bayern Munich after winning the Serie A title with Napoli.

South Korea reached the last 16 of the Qatar World Cup – losing 4-1 to Brazil – under Paulo Bento, but his side was functional rather than thrilling.

Klinsmann is a more attack-minded coach and has encouraged the younger players to “be more courageous, to express themselves and to grow faster”.

“The best example is Kang-in,” he said. “With Kang-in now, compared to six months ago, you have a completely different rhythm of the game with his qualities.”

South Korea have won their last six games, scoring 20 goals with none conceded.

But Klinsmann is still under fire from critics who accuse him of spending too much time abroad and ignoring the domestic K-League.

Klinsmann argues that he is an “international coach”, and has resisted calls for him to change his approach.

South Korea start their title charge in Qatar against Bahrain on Jan 15. Malaysia and Jordan are also in a group they should top with ease.

Whoever they meet after that, Klinsmann’s message to his players will be the same: Bring home the Asian Cup.

“I believe in this Korean team that they can make it happen because we have so much quality with so many good players doing really well,” he said.

“We are capable of winning this tournament. It takes a lot of work, but it’s absolutely doable.” AFP