Hong Jun-pyo "Klinsmann is a zero-point coach... We must not let him run away without responsibility"

"Penalty Fee, Paid by Chung Mong-gyu's Personal Funds"

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo harshly criticized J?rgen Klinsmann, the head coach of the national soccer team, calling him a "zero-point" coach.

On the 9th, Mayor Hong appeared on CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Match' and said, "What makes me angry is how little respect there is for South Korea that the coach comes here without intending to connect with the players, just playing around outside and coming to Korea as a part-time job." This appears to be a criticism of Klinsmann residing in Germany and only briefly coming to Korea during training camps.

Image source=Yonhap News

"I was the owner of Gyeongnam FC for 4 years and 4 months, and now I am the owner of Daegu FC," said Mayor Hong, evaluating, "(Klinsmann) may have been excellent as a player, but as a coach, he is a complete failure." Regarding the zero score, he pointed out, "Look at his coaching career, how he did when he was the coach of the German national team, and how he managed professional teams." The performance as a player does not guarantee coaching ability.

Regarding some media reports that if Klinsmann, who earns 2.9 billion won annually, is dismissed before the contract period (the 2026 World Cup), the penalty fee could reach 6 billion won, he said, "A coach is a professional. What penalty fee? If the performance is poor and incompetent, firing is natural." He added, "When the Gyeongnam FC coach caused the team to be relegated to the second division, I dismissed the coach. The coach sued us demanding the salary for the contract period, but we won," emphasizing again, "The term of office means nothing to a coach; if they do wrong, they get fired."

"I think this is the first time I am experiencing that there are coaches who run away after getting paid," he said. "I don't know the details of the side agreements, but if there is a penalty fee, it should not be paid by the Korea Football Association's money but out of pocket by (Chung Mong-gyu), the president of the Football Association," he stressed.

On the 8th, Mayor Hong also posted on Facebook, "Can we entrust the next World Cup baton to a coach proven to be incompetent and powerless? The Korean football's servility that cannot do without foreign coaches must now be abandoned," and angrily stated, "The penalty fee should be paid by the Football Association president who made the wrong contract."

The Korean national soccer team, coached by Klinsmann, lost 0-2 to Jordan in the semifinals of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup held on the 6th (local time) at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, failing to advance to the final. It was a complete defeat with no shots on target during the full 90 minutes.

Despite having the best players, the team failed to produce satisfactory results, leading to strong criticism of Klinsmann. However, the coach clearly stated he has no intention of resigning, presenting the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup as the next goal.