"Even if I can't stop a fight between two people, the Korea Football Association is the problem."

Jurgen Klinsmann made several remarks in a one-on-one interview with the German media outlet MSN on the 8th (Korea time) before the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. In particular, he once again defended his actions during his time with the South Korean national team.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) dismissed Klinsmann in February last year, holding him responsible for the failure to win the Asian Cup. Klinsmann's initial contract was until 2026. The Korea Football Association is said to have paid a penalty to Klinsmann's camp for the remaining two years of the contract.

Klinsmann, who was appointed as the South Korean national team coach in February 2023, is being evaluated as the worst coach. At the time of his appointment to the South Korean national team, he did not keep his promise to 'stay in Korea' and even abolished the 'national team roster announcement press conference.'

In fact, the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup was the decisive moment for Klinsmann's dismissal. South Korea, led by stars like Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, and Lee Kang-in, attempted to win the championship for the first time in 64 years but was eliminated in the semifinals after losing to Jordan.

During the tournament, issues arose in managing the team. Before the match against Jordan, then-captain Son Heung-min and youngest member Lee Kang-in clashed. When the British media outlet The Sun broke the story, Klinsmann shifted the blame, stating that the elimination from the Asian Cup was due to the conflict between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in.

As public sentiment soured, the Korea Football Association (KFA) convened its fifth executive meeting and decided to dismiss Klinsmann. Following his dismissal from the South Korean national team, Klinsmann received a penalty exceeding 7 billion won and is currently serving as a consultant for the UEFA.

Having done nothing and taken all his remaining salary, Klinsmann is still working as a columnist for ESPN in the U.S. Additionally, he has been active as a columnist for The Sun ahead of Euro 2024. This is the media outlet that first reported on the 'Lee Kang-in table tennis incident.'

Coach Klinsmann has messed up every team he has taken over. Despite his reputation as a player, he failed when he coached his former teams, the German national team and Bayern Munich. Klinsmann also led the U.S. national team from 2011 to 2016 but similarly failed. Despite the reported failures during his time with the U.S. national team, the Korea Football Association pushed for Klinsmann's appointment.

As a result, South Korea has painfully realized that the choice made at that time was wrong, leading to the payment of hundreds of millions of won in penalties and embarrassment in international competitions. Even U.S. legends Tim Howard and Landon Donovan targeted Klinsmann, calling him the worst coach during his tenure with the U.S. national team.

In fact, Klinsmann intentionally did not play veterans like Donovan to seize control over the U.S. national team. As a result, the team continued to decline. Donovan stated, regarding his exclusion from the World Cup squad in 2014 under Klinsmann, "It's not a coincidence that he has failed wherever he goes," pointing out the failures with the South Korean national team.

Donovan, who retired due to conflicts with Klinsmann, criticized him: "Klinsmann had us train in a 4-4-2 formation all week and suddenly switched to 4-3-3. Klinsmann said, 'I want you all to stand on your own toes.' I was a veteran with over 400 matches. I thought, 'Is this guy out of his mind?' I was ready to play.”

Recently, Coach Klinsmann talked about his time with the South Korean national team on his YouTube channel. Referring to Lee Kang-in as a selfish player, Klinsmann stated, "I think Lee Kang-in fell into the temptation to show something to the fans in several trial matches. I jokingly asked Lee Kang-in for a one-touch pass," adding, "But he did not listen to that."

When discussions about his dismissal from the South Korean national team arose, Coach Klinsmann said, "It was an interesting experience, but the ending was too sad. I had a contract until the 2026 World Cup and had planned for three years. It's really heartbreaking for me that South Korea, a team with great potential, got dismissed."

Some speculate that Klinsmann, having worked as an analyst for The Sun, is the instigator of the rumors of discord in the South Korean national team. He referred to the incident, stating, "We were heading towards winning the Asian Cup. However, on the day before the semifinal against Jordan, two players attacked each other."

Klinsmann stated, "Lee Kang-in injured his teammate Son Heung-min, dislocating his finger. You can't even imagine what happened," adding, "Frankly, it was crazy. The team spirit disappeared in just a few seconds, and the tournament was over. After losing to Jordan, KFA cut me for not properly managing the locker room issues."

Contrary to his claims, Klinsmann has not received any offers from teams since his dismissal a year ago. He emphasized, "I want to go to the World Cup. I am now someone capable of achieving balance. Especially since this World Cup will be held in the United States, where I live."

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