Revealing the 'huge' compensation amount that has prevented the Korean Football Federation from deciding to fire coach Klinsmann

According to Money Today, the Korea Football Association (KFA) will have to pay up to 10 billion won (equivalent to 183 billion VND) in compensation if it decides to fire coach Jurgen Klinsmann. This compensation includes salary for more than 2 years remaining in coach Klinsmann's contract and penalties according to other terms.

Previously, the Korean press said that the amount of compensation that KFA would have to pay if they parted ways with Mr. Klinsmann would only be around 5 billion won (over 100 billion VND). The compensation amount would be around 4%-10% of KFA's operating expenses in fiscal year 2024.

Financial barriers are the reason why KFA president Chung Mong-gyu has yet to make a final decision on coach Jurgen Klinsmann's future.

The 2023 Asian Cup was a failure for the Korean team. Son Heung-min and his teammates were eliminated from the semi-finals. Failing to achieve the championship goal, the Korean team was also criticized for their unconvincing performance, often being made difficult by weaker opponents from the group stage to the knockout round.

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s tactical imprint is quite faint and he does not show that he is a talented strategist. The Korean team often has to come back against weaker opponents and score goals at the last minute. The Korean team’s playing style lacks highlights and does not show superiority.

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann mainly relies on the individual brilliance of stars playing in Europe such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (PSG), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton). When these players do not play at their best, the Korean team falls into a deadlock.

The recently revealed conflict between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in further proves the weakness in coach Klinsmann's management.

Mr. Klinsmann took the job in Korea in March 2023, replacing his predecessor Paulo Bento. The former player did not help the Korean team improve much in terms of skills. The victories of Son Heung-min and his teammates mainly came from matches against weaker opponents.

Mai Phuong