S. Korean football fans express fury national federation head over Jurgen Klinsmann's dismissal

SEOUL -- South Korean football fans are expressing outrage towards Chung Mong-gyu, the head of the country's football federation who fired Jurgen Klinsmann, the former head coach of the South Korean national men's football team. Although Chung fired the German coach amid controversies over his insufficient leadership, football fans claim South Korea's football federation head bears greater responsibility.
The 59-year-old German manager was fired by the Korea Football Association (KFA) on February 16. Chung cited his dismissal due to controversies over his inadequate leadership and a lack of diligence in his work attitude. The head coach faced intensified criticism following South Korea's 2~0 loss to Jordan in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup semifinals in Qatar earlier this month. South Korea ranked 23rd in FIFA rankings as of February 7, while Jordan was in the 86th position.
South Koreans still showed their anger despite Chung's announcement that Klinsmann would be replaced. "The main problem is Chung Mong-gyu. Until Chung and the current football association step down, no issues will be resolved," zeuspark4408, a YouTube user said. Another commentator named LoTAWN also criticized on YouTube that Chung is not taking responsibility even though he picked Klinsmann.
Klinsmann, who was appointed on February 27 last year, will step down from his position as head coach even before completing one year in his office. Amid growing calls for the dismissal of the German coach, media outlets reported that there were conflicts among football players, centered around captain Son Heung-min and midfielder Lee Kang-in. According to Dispatch, a South Korean online media outlet, Son grabbed Lee’s collar and Lee swung his fist towards Sun.
Kim Joo-heon Reporter [email protected]
<본 콘텐츠의 저작권 및 법적 책임은 아주경제(www.ajunews.com)에 있으며, 토토힐는 제휴를 통해 제공하고 있습니다.>