Dismissal of Klinsmann as Coach of South Korea

The South Korean Football Association announced on Friday that it has dismissed the national team coach, German Jürgen Klinsmann, following the team's exit from the semi-finals of the Asian Cup amid criticism of his management style. The national team committee, an advisory body under the local football federation, recommended Klinsmann's dismissal on Thursday, while Kwan Hwang-bo, the federation's technical director, spoke of "many reasons" casting doubt on his ability to continue leading the team. After South Korea's exit from the Asian Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 defeat against Jordan, fans and politicians called for Klinsmann's dismissal (59 years old) after the team's failure to win the continental title for the first time in 64 years. The Korean national team has previously won the Asian Cup twice. Before the dismissal announcement on Friday, Klinsmann expressed his "sincere gratitude" to the players, staff, and fans via Instagram. The German coach said, "Thank you very much for all the support and for reaching the semi-finals of the Asian Cup, as well as for the wonderful journey over the past 12 months during which we remained unbeaten in 13 consecutive matches before (the defeat) in the semi-finals."