Klinsmann, First to 'Unfollow Korean Football' After Dismissal Notice, Showing Pettiness

Boasting 13 Consecutive Unbeaten Matches Ahead of Official Announcement
"Penalty Over 7 Billion Won" Forecast Sparks 'Muk-Twi' Criticism

J?rgen Klinsmann, who became the dishonored figure as the foreign head coach dismissed in the shortest period in the history of Korean football, quickly unfollowed the official SNS account of the Korea Football Association immediately after being notified of his dismissal. His petty aftermath also disappointed Korean football fans.

Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, held a press conference at the Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 16th and officially announced Klinsmann's dismissal. President Chung admitted, "Coach Klinsmann did not demonstrate the leadership and coaching abilities we expect from the national team coach in terms of match management, player management, and work attitude to enhance the competitiveness of the national team."

[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Korea Football Association informed Klinsmann of his dismissal by phone before the official announcement. Coach Klinsmann immediately unfollowed the association’s SNS accounts. His 'unfollow' was faster than the dismissal announcement. He also quickly changed his X (formerly Twitter) profile from "Coach of Korea, formerly USA and Germany" to "Managed Germany, USA and Korea."

He also hinted at his dismissal just before the official announcement. On that day, he wrote on SNS, "I sincerely thank all the players, coaching staff, and Korean football fans. I also appreciate the support for the amazing journey of 13 consecutive unbeaten matches over the past 12 months, up to the Asian Cup semifinals." In the short message, he did not forget to boast about his achievement of '13 unbeaten matches.'

Attention was also drawn to the severance pay he would receive upon dismissal. Klinsmann, who took charge of the Korean national team on February 27 last year, had a contract period until the North and Central America World Cup finals scheduled for June-July 2026. It is known that the contract included a clause requiring payment of the remaining salary in case of dismissal. Since his annual salary is reported to be 2 million euros (2.9 billion KRW), experts estimate that the remaining salary to be paid to Klinsmann exceeds 7 billion KRW. This is also why Klinsmann has been criticized for 'eating and running.'

On the day of the announcement of Klinsmann's dismissal, Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, said regarding the issue of paying the remaining salary, "We need to consult with lawyers," and added, "If any problems arise, I will consider what financial contributions I can make."

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