Debut in Friendly Match Against Colombia on 24th After Arrival Next Week
To Stay in Korea for 3 Years and 5 Months Term
J?rgen Klinsmann (59, Germany), who led the German national football team and was a world-renowned star striker, has been appointed as the head coach of the South Korean national football team, the Korea Football Association announced on the 27th. He will serve as the head coach for about 3 years and 5 months, from March until the 2026 North and Central America World Cup finals. He is the ninth foreign coach in history and the second German-born coach following Uli Stielike, who led the team from 2014 to 2017.
The salary was not disclosed by mutual agreement between both parties. However, it is known to be at the level of the previous coach Paulo Bento (approximately 1.8 billion KRW). Coach Klinsmann plans to stay in Korea during his tenure and will soon finalize the coaching staff to assist him. It is also anticipated that Cha Du-ri, FC Seoul Youth Development Director, who worked with him in the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, will join the team.
Klinsmann New Head Coach of South Korea National Football Team [Photo by Korea Football Association]
Starting his full activities in March, Coach Klinsmann will make his debut on March 24th against Colombia at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium.
After his appointment as the head coach of the South Korean national football team was confirmed, Coach Klinsmann sent a greeting message to the Football Association, saying, "I am very pleased and honored to become the head coach of the Republic of Korea national football team. I am well aware that the Korean team has been continuously developing and achieving results over a long period." He added, "I am honored to follow in the footsteps of great coaches who have led the Korean national team, including Guus Hiddink and the previous coach Paulo Bento. I will do my best to achieve successful results in the upcoming Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup."
As a player, Coach Klinsmann was a world-class striker representing Germany. He participated in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and consecutively appeared in the European Championships (Euro) held in 1988, 1992, and 1996. He also played in three consecutive World Cup finals from the 1990 Italy tournament to the 1998 France tournament.
He was a key player in Germany's victories at the Italy World Cup and Euro 1996. In the 1994 USA World Cup, he scored two goals against the South Korean national team.
In his professional career, he played for Stuttgart, Bayern Munich (both Germany), Inter Milan, Sampdoria (both Italy), Monaco (France), and Tottenham (England), recording a total of 620 matches and 284 goals.
Since retiring in 1998, he has been active as a coach. From 2004 to 2006, he served as the head coach of the German national team, achieving third place in the 2006 World Cup held in his home country. From 2011 to 2016, he coached the United States national team, winning the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup and reaching the round of 16 in the 2014 Brazil World Cup.
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