(LEAD) German icon Jurgen Klinsmann named new S. Korea men's football head coach

All News 17:52 February 27, 2023

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout)
By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) -- Jurgen Klinsmann, a German World Cup hero synonymous with the country's success in the 1990s, has been named the new head coach of the South Korean men's national football team.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Monday Klinsmann has agreed to a deal that will take him through the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The KFA said Klinsmann will arrive in South Korea next week and has agreed to live here for the duration of his contract.

Klinsmann, 58, will make his South Korea coaching debut on March 24 in a friendly against Colombia in Ulsan, some 30 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The Taegeuk Warriors will then host Uruguay four days later in Seoul.

Klinsmann will succeed Paulo Bento, who coached South Korea to the round of 16 at last year's World Cup in Qatar to cap off his four-plus years in charge. Klinsmann served on FIFA's Technical Study Group during the tournament.

Klinsmann helped West Germany to the 1990 FIFA World Cup title. Considered one of the greatest players ever, Klinsmann is the first player to score at least three goals at three consecutive World Cups.

He later coached Germany and also the United States men's national teams. On his watch, Germany finished third at the 2006 World Cup, and the U.S. reached the round of 16 at the 2014 tournament.

This EPA file photo from Dec. 17, 2022, shows Jurgen Klinsmann during a media briefing by FIFA's Technical Study Group on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup at the Main Media Centre in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Yonhap)

In addition to the 1990 World Cup crown, Klinsmann also won the UEFA European Championship in 1996.

He played at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He scored twice against South Korea in a 3-2 German win in the group stage at the 1994 World Cup in the U.S.

He finished his international career with 47 goals in 108 matches.

The former striker starred for a handful of clubs across Europe, most notably with VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich in Germany, Inter Milan in Italy and Tottenham Hotspur in England.

The KFA said Michael Muller, head of the National Team Committee who oversaw the hiring process, will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Tuesday on Klinsmann's appointment.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)