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Son Heung-min
The coach of the South Korean national soccer team has been fired in the wake of a brawl between star player and captain Son Heung-min and midfielder Lee Kang-in before the teams disastrous Asian Cup exit.
(Jürgen) Klinsmann has failed to show his competence in managing the game, the players, along with the expected attitudes as a South Korean coach, Chung Mong-gyu, chairman of the Korean Football Association (KFA) said announcing Klinsmanns ouster on Friday.
Klinsmanns competence and his attitudes do not measure up to the standard of the Korean nationals.
Anger over Klinsmanns management of the national team has been heating up in South Korea since its Asian Cup disappointment and news of the altercation between the hugely popular Son and rising star Lee.
Earlier Friday, a KFA official confirmed to CNN that Son, the Tottenham Hotspur superstar and captain, and Lee, who plays his club ball for Paris Saint-Germain in Frances Ligue 1, were involved in a fight the night before the national teams 2-0 loss to Jordan in an Asian Cup semifinal on February 6.
A physical brawl occurred between the Korean national football team players Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in during dinner the day before the Asian Cup semifinal match against Jordan, an official at the KFA said.
The official added that the KFA could not confirm any further details.
The loss to Jordan, No. 87 in FIFAs world rankings, was seen as a major embarrassment for the 23rd-ranked South Korean side.
Photographs and video from the day of the Jordan match show Son with two fingers on his right hand strapped together with a white bandage.
A statement from Lees lawyer said that the player deeply regrets and reflects on his wrongdoings.
The statement also said that local media reports alleging Lee threw a fist in Son Heung-mins face when Son Heung-min grabbed the back of Lee Kang-ins neck are not true.
In a post on Instagram, reported by CNN affiliate JTBC, Lee apologized to South Korean fans.
There was an article about me having a verbal argument with Son ahead of the Asian Cup semifinal, Lee wrote. I am very sorry to disappoint football fans who are always supporting the South Korea international team.
He added that, I shouldve taken the lead and followed senior players instructions, but I am sorry that I showed not nice behavior to football fans.
I will try to be a better player and person helping senior and older players from now on, Lee wrote.
Son has not made any public comment concerning the incident. CNN has reached out to his agency for comments.
On Thursday, a KFA advisory committee recommended the association fire Klinsmann for various reasons including his lack of leadership, not making enough efforts to discover new players, and for not spending enough time in South Korea while taking the job.
Klinsmann seemed to question his teams resolve after the Jordan loss, saying opponents wanted it more.
hen in a video meeting with KFA officials on Thursday, Klinsmann pointed a finger at South Korean players for the disappointing exit from the Asian Cup, according to Hwangbo Kwan, technical director of the KFA.
Klinsmann himself said the cause of failure lied in the internal conflict, Kwan told a briefing after the Thursday meeting.
Klinsmann had been head coach for less than a year and was under contract through the 2026 World Cup in North America.
It is hard to expect an improvement from him, association chairman Chung said Friday. We, therefore, have decided to replace our leader for the second round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
That begins in just over a month for the South Korean side when it is scheduled to face Thailand, which sits in second-place of the Group C standings behind Korea.
Shortly before his dismissal was announced Friday, Klinsmann went on social media to thank players and fans for their support during his tenure.
To all players, my coaching staff and all Korean football fans with sincere gratitude! Thank you so much for all your support taking us to the semi-final of the Asian Cup and an incredible journey over the last 12 months with not losing 13 games in a row! his post on X and Instagram said.
Keep on fighting, he added.(CNN)
