Japanese Reporter Reports Klinsmann's Contract Terms: "The Penalty Must Be Huge..."

"If the coach is dismissed, a large penalty fee must be paid"

"Coach Klinsmann's contract seems to have two and a half years remaining, and the penalty fee appears to be quite high."

As the South Korean national football team, challenging for the Asian Cup title for the first time in 64 years, suffered a shocking defeat to Jordan in the semifinals and missed out on advancing to the final, calls for accountability regarding Coach Klinsmann have arisen. Amid this, claims have surfaced that terminating his contract would require paying a huge penalty fee.

Coach Klinsmann. [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 7th, Kaz Gakiuchi, a reporter for the Japanese sports media outlet "Sponichi," stated on his SNS that if J?rgen Klinsmann, head coach of the South Korean national football team, were to be dismissed, a substantial penalty fee would have to be paid.

He said, "I heard some interesting information from a Korea Football Association official," adding, "After Korea's defeat to Jordan, Klinsmann's future is under scrutiny, but since reaching the Asian Cup semifinals is considered the minimum threshold, automatic dismissal does not seem possible." He continued, "If they had been eliminated in the quarterfinals, he might have been dismissed without a penalty fee."

Gakiuchi began covering Italy's Serie A in 1998 and currently covers the J-League for the Japanese media outlet Sponichi Annex.

Klinsmann's annual salary is estimated to be about 2.8 billion KRW, and if he is dismissed, it is expected that a significant portion of the remaining contract salary, exceeding 7 billion KRW, would have to be paid as a penalty fee. Previously, the Korea Football Association appointed Klinsmann in March 2023. His contract period lasts until July 2026, after the North and Central America World Cup, leaving about two and a half years remaining.

Gakiuchi also reported on the training atmosphere of the South Korean national team. He mentioned, "It seems the players handle everything themselves, including the team's tactics. It's bottom-up."

Son Heung-min Thoroughly Prepared, Jordan Came Out Ready
Photo by Yonhap News

Despite harsh criticism that Coach Klinsmann conducted a lackluster performance without special tactics during the Asian Cup, the South Korean national football team miraculously advanced to the semifinals. However, on the 7th (Korean time), they lost 0-2 to Jordan in the Asian Cup semifinals. Although they entered the tournament shouting for their first championship in 64 years, they ended the competition with zero shots on target against Jordan, ranked 87th in the FIFA rankings.

As a result, calls for Klinsmann's dismissal, who had been criticized even before the tournament for working remotely from abroad and showing an unprofessional attitude, intensified. There are doubts about whether he, who relies on individual player abilities without clear tactics, can continue to lead the team through the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.

Meanwhile, Coach Klinsmann stated, "I will return to Korea to analyze this tournament. The team must further develop over the next two and a half years with the goal of the North and Central America World Cup," effectively refusing to resign voluntarily. Klinsmann and 13 domestic players from the national team will return home through Incheon International Airport at 9 p.m. on the 8th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.