Klinsmann looks set to be sacked

– Juergen Klinsmann (right) looks set to be fired as coach after top South Korean football officials said yesterday that “a change of leadership is necessary” following their Asian Cup exit and in-fighting among star players.

The Korea Football Association’s (KFA) national team committee met a week on from the 2-0 defeat to Jordan in the semifinals and with Klinsmann under huge pressure.

The committee is not a decision-making body but will make its recommendation to the KFA’s executive board, which will make a final ruling on the 59-year-old German’s fate.

A smattering of protesters gathered outside KFA headquarters in Seoul, demanding Klinsmann’s removal after just less than a year in the post.

“We’ve reached a consensus that Klinsmann cannot exercise his leadership as national team head coach for various reasons and that a change of leadership is necessary,” Hwangbo Kwan of the committee said.

After a three-hour meeting, Hwangbo said the committee had decided Klinsmann’s “tactical preparation fell short” during the team’s disappointing Asian Cup campaign in Qatar.

He added: “Klinsmann said there was discord among squad members and it affected their performance (in the Jordan match).”

Klinsmann attended the meeting on a video conference from his home in the United States, Yonhap news agency reported.

“There were opinions that Klinsmann failed to show his resolve to find new talent and that he failed to grasp internal conflict or mood among squad members in management,” said Hwangbo.

“There were also reviews that he is appearing to ignore the Korean public for his short stays in South Korea and that he had lost trust from them,” he added.

Yonhap previously reported, citing unnamed sources, that the KFA would consider a temporary appointment for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Thailand if Klinsmann is sacked.

He has never won over South Korean fans or media. –