Jürgen Klinsmann doesn’t have an easy time as South Korea’s national coach. The former FC Bayern professional failed with his protégés in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup, which increased the already great criticism of his previous work. To make matters worse, an internal team scandal has now come to light.
Jürgen Klinsmann had certainly expected headwinds, but then things got pretty personal. After the embarrassing semi-final loss against Jordan (0-2), the media in South Korea criticized the famous “Klinsi” grin, and the pressure on the former national coach continues to increase.
Klinsmann’s face was “filled with laughter,” complained “Sports Hankook”: “It was a scene that was extremely confusing, considering that he is the coach of the Korean national team.”
The Taegeuk Warriors wanted to win the title for the first time since 1960, but Bayern star Min-jae Kim, Tottenham captain Heung-min Son and Co. remained pale throughout the tournament.
The reaction at home was correspondingly devastating: the team’s performance was “shameful” and “humiliating”, or either a “disaster” or a “catastrophe”.
Son injured after altercation
It certainly fits into the picture that an internal scandal became public during the tournament. In the duel with Jordan, superstar Son surprisingly appeared with a bandaged middle finger – for alarming reasons.
The evening before the game, the former Bayer Leverkusen attacker had a physical altercation with some of his teammates. The South Korean association confirmed a corresponding report from the “Sun” to “Yonhap News”.
Apparently some youngsters had finished a meal together early so they could get to the table tennis table. This in turn disturbed Son and some older colleagues so much that a conflict arose that even became violent.
The result: Son dislocated his finger – and the next negative headline of the Klinsmann era was written.