Returning to South Korea after the 2023 Asian Cup, coach Jurgen Klinsmann said: "We lost to Jordan in the semi-finals, people said it was the coach's fault, but football is like that, there are ups and downs. We also did something positive when we beat Saudi Arabia and Australia in this year's tournament.
The important thing is that we are on the right track. The team is developing positively to prepare for the World Cup in two years' time," added coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
Previously, right after South Korea was defeated by Jordan in the semi-finals of the 2023 Asian Cup on February 6, coach Klinsmann frankly said he would not resign, even though the pressure on the German coach is currently very great.
The Korean team (middle) did not compete successfully at the 2023 Asian Cup.
A few months ago, Coach Klinsmann publicly said he was ready to leave the Korean national team if the fans and football community in Korea did not like him. However, currently, Coach Klinsmann's point of view is very different.
Jurgen Klinsmann revealed: "I'm starting to really enjoy coaching this team. My job makes me travel a lot, I know I get criticized for that, but you have to get used to it. This is the life of a national team coach.
Coaching at the national team level is different from coaching at the club level, we have to travel more. If the fans ask me next time why, I will only answer the same, with all respect," Coach Klinsmann firmly affirmed.
And once again, Klinsmann's recent statement to the Korean media may have made the football world in the land of kimchi as well as fans in this country unhappy. Mr. Klinsmann spoke up: "I think the Asian Cup is still a successful tournament for the Korean team, when we reached the semi-finals. We finished this tournament as one of the four strongest teams in the tournament.
This is a very difficult Asian Cup because the tournament is in West Asia. It is difficult to face West Asian teams at home, this has happened throughout the history of East Asian and West Asian football, not just this tournament. I really want to win the Asian Cup. Actually, we were on the right track until the semi-final against Jordan. Now our task is to focus on the World Cup qualifiers in March."
According to Klinsmann and some of his supporters, South Korea have performed better at the 2023 Asian Cup than they did at the 2019 Asian Cup. Five years ago, the Korean team was eliminated in the quarterfinals (losing 0-1 to Qatar). This year, they were eliminated in the semi-finals, which means they went further than they did in the last tournament.
According to coach Klinsmann, he had two meetings with the president of the Korean Football Association (KFA) Chung Mong-gyu after the Asian Cup. After these meetings, the issue of firing coach Klinsmann was not raised, because if the Korean team fired the German coach at this time, the KFA would have to pay a huge compensation for early termination of the contract (coach Klinsmann's contract with the Korean team lasts until the end of the 2026 World Cup).
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