The South Korean national team coach has been fired.

On February 16th, the Korea Football Association (KFA) decided to dismiss coach Klinsmann. The reason given by the KFA was that the coach "lacked tactical preparation, poor management, and lacked work ethic."

On his personal page, Klinsmann also sent a farewell message to the players and fans. But he still emphasized that he had done well. The German coach cited his unbeaten streak over the past year, including 13 matches, among which was a crushing 6-0 victory over Vietnam. However, Klinsmann did not include the semi-final loss to Jordan in his list.

KFA chairman Chung Mong-gyu has the final say on this matter. However, he has also been criticized for deciding to bring Klinsmann in despite the coach's failures over the previous two decades at Bayern, Hertha Berlin, and other clubs.

Klinsmann led the South Korean national team under a contract from March 2023 to July 2026. According to Dong-a, due to his early dismissal, the KFA (Korea Football Association) had to compensate the German coach approximately 7 billion won, equivalent to 5.3 million USD. In addition, compensation for other members of the coaching staff amounted to around 10 billion won.

Coach Klinsmann was tasked with leading South Korea to victory in the 2023 Asian Cup and qualification for their 11th consecutive World Cup in 2026. However, South Korea was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2023 Asian Cup after losing 0-2 to Jordan. Klinsmann was criticized for his weak tactics and ineffective substitutions, as well as his inability to manage his players, as evidenced by a scuffle between two of the team's biggest stars, Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, at dinner the day before the semi-final match.

Not only did coach Klinsmann fail in the Asian Cup, but he also lost points for his attitude, frequently working from abroad instead of being present in South Korea. The anger of South Korean fans reached its peak when he smiled after the defeat against Jordan, or when answering questions from the press at Incheon Airport, South Korea.

Klinsmann is the ninth foreign coach in the history of the South Korean national team, following Russian coach Anatoliy Byshovets from 1994 to 1995. Before Klinsmann, former Portugal coach Paulo Bento led the team from 2018 and parted ways after reaching the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup. The most memorable foreign coach in South Korea's history is Guus Hiddink, with his achievement of finishing fourth at the 2002 World Cup.

Klinsmann, born in 1964, is a legendary German striker who scored 47 goals in 108 appearances for the national team, winning the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1996. His club career included many prestigious clubs such as Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Tottenham, and Bayern Munich, scoring 232 goals in 514 matches.

The KFA will expedite the selection process for a new head coach as the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers takes place at the end of March 2024, where South Korea will play two matches against Thailand.