Coach Jürgen Klinsmann has made a last-minute change to the schedule.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Wednesday that “the South Korean national football team will return home via Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on flight KE908 (London, England → Incheon, South Korea) at 15:55 on Thursday. An interview with coach Klinsmann is scheduled at the arrival hall.”
Initially, it was reported that Klinsmann would travel to Germany after the A match to check on Kim Min-jae, who plays for Bayern Munich. It looked like he would be working remotely, but the schedule has changed. According to the KFA, Klinsmann had a coaching staff meeting and decided to prioritize “visiting European clubs, meeting officials, and analyzing local conditions” instead of “checking on K League players.
The change in schedule is curious. Klinsmann had promised to be based in Korea after his appointment, but this was not the case at all. Instead, he has been away for much longer periods of time as an advisor to UEFA, a panelist for global media outlet ESPN, and other personal commitments.
The performance was disastrous. Last year, South Korea showed promise by reaching the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. But Klinsmann hasn’t made much of an impact in a country where the golden generation was born. In March, South Korea fell to South American underdogs Colombia (2-2 draw) and powerhouse Uruguay (1-2 loss). In June, they played poorly against underdogs Peru (0-1 loss) and El Salvador (1-1 draw). In September, they drew with Wales (0-0) and finally got their first win, beating Saudi Arabia (1-0).
However, eyes are still on Klinsmann. Perhaps conscious of public opinion, he decided to come to South Korea and check on the homegrown players first. It will be an important time to get a better understanding of Krieger, 바카라 who has been criticized since his appointment to the national team.
The 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup is just around the corner. South Korea hasn’t been crowned champions in 64 years after winning the 1956 and 1960 Asian Cups. This time, the time is right. Led by captain Son Heung-min, who captained Premier League (PL) BIG6 Tottenham Hotspur this season, and center back Kim Min-jae, who was bought outright by mega-club Bayern Munich. Add to that the number of Korean leaguers playing in Europe, including Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang In-beom, Cho Kyu-sung, Oh Hyun-kyu, Hong Hyun-seok, Yang Hyun-joon, and Kim Ji-soo, and you have an “epic” number.
Klinsmann’s team got off to a strong start with a win over Saudi Arabia. The Taeguk Warriors will return to their clubs and then reunite for the October A-Match. South Korea will play Tunisia and Vietnam.