Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association (KFA), speaks at a press conference at KFA House in Seoul, Feb. 16. / Yonhap
It has been said more than once in these pages over the years that there is never a quiet week in Korean soccer. That has never been more true than the events of the past seven days or so. Incredibly, the dismissal of Jurgen Klinsmann as head coach, just a year after the world-famous German was hired, was not even the biggest story.
Still, it was significant. There were raised eyebrows when the former United States boss was hired and, in a recent interview, the man himself said that he suggested it to Korea Football Association (KFA) boss Chung Mong-gyu as a joke. Nobody is laughing now — except perhaps Klinsmann himself who is due to receive a multi-million-dollar payoff and also seemingly has a conviction that the Asian Cup was a fantastic tournament for Korea.
Few would agree but there is no reason to go back over a tournament that now feels like a year ago, rather than a couple of weeks. It is enough to say that while the Taeguk Warriors did reach the semifinal in Qatar, it was not an impressive or smooth campaign, but it will live long in the memory for the wrong reasons.
The Asian Cup may, however, prove to be a turning point, at least that is the hope. KFA boss Chung is under fire for going out on a limb to hire Klinsmann despite serious misgivings from others in the organization and the wider soccer community. The legendary striker was a great player but his record as a coach was mixed. The fact that Klinsmann proceeded to spend most of his time in California and Europe would not have been as serious if he was regarded as a top-class tactical coach and elite leader of men.
Klinsmann has gone, and deservedly so, but there is more anger at Chung, who has been in place since 2013. When he first took power, he made a point of trying to be more open and accountable but as time has passed, there have been complaints that he has come to treat the KFA as his personal fiefdom.
One example of this was his actions in 2023 when he suddenly pardoned 100 people who had been suspended or banned from soccer activities for such things as match-fixing. There was such an outcry that the decision was reversed, accompanied by an apology, four days later but it did not suggest that this was an organization run on systematic and efficient lines.
After more than a decade in power, it is not just that the organization needs to think about putting a new face at the top of Korean soccer but a whole rethink about how the KFA operates. The problem always is that the game gets in the way. With World Cup qualifying resuming in March, with back-to-back games against Thailand, if there are two wins — whoever the coach is and that is still up in the air — then thoughts will start to drift towards 2026 and the North American World Cup. Ideally, the current spirit of anger and outrage can be directed towards positive and lasting change but nobody will hold their breath.
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February 22, 2024 at 02:20PM
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Time for lasting change in Korean soccer - 코리아타임스
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