Men’s national soccer team coach Jürgen Klinsmann, who promised to stay in South Korea for an extended period of time to observe several players, is gone again. Due to his personal schedule, Klinsmann plans to check on European players after leaving for the U.S. to be with his family, but the sincerity of his intention to develop domestic players is being questioned.
Klinsmann left for the U.S. on July 1 to spend time with his family for his birthday (July 30). He plans to work remotely in the U.S. and then travel to Europe to inspect players playing in foreign leagues, including Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham), Kim Min-jae (27, Bayern Munich) and Lee Kang-in (22, Paris Saint-Germain).
“He is not on vacation,” a KFA official said in a phone call on Sept. 7, “but is expected to fulfill his charity work schedule before taking over as national team coach, watch the English Premier League opener and then return to Korea in September. “The power analyst and goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke are in the country,” he said. “Klinsmann will hold an online press conference on the 17th and 18th to discuss the preparations for the September A matches, the World Cup second qualifying round draw and more.”
While it’s good to have time to recharge, there are critics who argue that Klinsmann is away too often. Klinsmann has already had more than a month off after playing two domestic A matches against Peru and El Salvador in June. With the K League coming to a close, he was expected to focus on domestic preparations for next month’s away trial against Wales and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup early next year, but he left South Korea again.
Football insiders criticize the lack of willingness to develop domestic talent. “You say you’re going to check overseas players, but if Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in aren’t in good shape, you’re not going to pick them,” said one coach in the K League, adding, “I don’t think you’re going to look at players who fit your style and find them, but you’re just going to keep using the players who are already doing well.” He also cited the lack of motivation among K League players and the lack of time for young players to gain experience with the national team.스포츠토토
If you only look at the Asian Cup, it’s okay to run a team centered on Europeans, but if you want to do well at the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America, which is the ultimate goal, you need to change the generation. Kim Dae-gil, a sports commentator, said, “By the time we play the North American World Cup, Son Heung-min will be in his mid-30s. Coach Klinsmann needs to find a replacement (in the long run),” and pointed out that “both the main wingers and center backs are old, so he should focus on finding alternative resources in these positions.”
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