After a four-week summer vacation, South Korea’s national soccer team coach Jürgen Klinsmann has returned to the country and will begin preparations for the Asian Cup.
An official from the Korea Football Association (KFA) said on the 24th, “Coach Klinsmann is returning this afternoon through Incheon International Airport. Afterward, he will resume national team operations, including direct observation of K League games.”
Klinsmann took a four-week break from the national team in June after the team’s exhibition matches against Peru and El Salvador.
Klinsmann traveled to Germany, where he was reunited with his former West German teammates in a celebration of Italy’s 1990 World Cup victory. He then spent time with his family in the United States.
Another vacation without a specific reason raised concerns in the soccer world.
When Klinsmann took over the reins of the South Korean national team in March, he pledged to stay in the country and lead the team. However, in his five-month tenure, Klinsmann has only spent two months in the country and watched the K League firsthand. The rest of the time, he was on a business trip to Europe and Qatar and took a seven-week vacation.
Since Klinsmann took over, South Korea have played four games at home, drawing two and losing two. The 1-1 draw against underdog El Salvador was enough to send shockwaves through the country, but Klinsmann quietly left the country after wrapping up the June A-match schedule.
After a four-week break, Klinsmann will now get down to business with his emphasis on winning the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. The Asian Cup kicks off in January 2024 in Qatar.
With little time to spare, Klinsmann will first visit the K League to check on the performance of the domestic players. According to KFA officials, during his time in the United States, Klinsmann received K League information from advisor Chaduri and coach Michael Kim to analyze the players.
Afterward, the team will begin preparations for the September trial against Wales in England. South Korea will play Wales in September and then pursue trials with other teams in Europe. 한국야동 South Korea will then play an exhibition match in October and begin the second round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America in November.
