Former US national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann (59, Germany) has emerged as the next head coach of the Korean national soccer team.
A European official familiar with German football news told the JoongAng Ilbo on the 22nd, “Negotiations between coach Klinsmann and the Korea Football Association have progressed considerably.” ”he said. Klinsmann is from Germany, but currently resides in California, USA. It is evaluated that Klinsmann has the qualifications for Korea’s next command tower in that he not only has a history of holding the helm of the national team and club teams, but also has experienced both the World Cup finals as a player and manager. In this regard, the German soccer magazine Kicker also reported on the 22nd, “On the 22nd, Klinsman is the top priority among the candidates for the new Korean national soccer team and is in negotiations.”
If Klinsman takes the baton, he will become the German commander who leads the Korean national team again in six years since former coach Uli Stielike먹튀검증 (69, Germany). Coach Stielike put down the baton due to poor performance in 2017 ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Klinsmann is a legendary striker in German football. He scored 47 goals in 108 A match appearances. During his playing career, he earned the nickname ‘Blonde Bomber’ due to his long blonde hair flying around the ground. He helped Germany win the 1990 World Cup by scoring three goals. He is familiar to domestic fans as he scored two goals in the group stage match against Korea in the 1994 World Cup USA. At that time, thanks to Klinsmann’s performance, Germany won a sweaty 3-2 victory over Korea.
Klinsman also has something in common with Korea’s captain and ace Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham). In the 1994-95 season, when he was active, he scored 29 goals in the Tottenham uniform and is treated as a club legend. He is Son Heung-min’s team senior.
As soon as he took off his football boots in 2004, he started his career as a firefighter for the German national team, which was in shock after being eliminated early from Euro 2004. He overturned the saying that star players cannot become successful leaders and led the revival of German football, which had been in stagnation. In the 2006 World Cup held at home, he proved his leadership skills by taking Germany to third place. Head coach Joachim Löw, who led Germany to victory at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and head coach Hansi Flick, the current head coach of the German national team, ate together as Klinsmann’s coach at the time.
Afterwards, he served as the coach of Bayern Munich (Germany) in the 2008-09 season and led the U.S. national team from 2011-16. During his tenure, he led the United States to the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. During last year’s World Cup in Qatar, he participated in tactical analysis work as a member of the Technical Study Group (TSG).