Chung Mong-gyu, the President of the Korea Football Association, announced the outcomes of today's executive meeting during a press conference earlier today.
Among the topics discussed was the decision to dismiss coach Klinsmann, along with several other matters.
기자회견 요약
It was decided to dismiss Coach Klinsmann and to appoint a new head coach for the South Korean national team.
A new Selection Committee will be formed to strengthen the team, and it will be responsible for appointing a new coach.
The coaching staff and system will be restructured to prevent similar issues of player discord from occurring in the future.
The responsibility of the association regarding the series of events?
The responsibility lies with me (Chung Mong-gyu), and I will establish measures to address the situation.
How about the issue of penalties?
I will consult with legal advisors and, as the chairman, devise measures to address the issue.
Are you considering resigning as chairman? Will you seek a fourth term?
It seems there is a misunderstanding about the process, as Coach Klinsmann underwent the same process as Coach Bento during his appointment.
The proposal to limit the tenure of the football association chairman to three consecutive terms was suggested but not accepted. I will leave my response at that.
First of all, it was a good decision to dismiss Klinsmann.
I won't mention him further, as enough has been said about what kind of coach he is over the past few weeks.
It was a dirty experience being with him, and I hope never to meet him again.
Regarding this matter, I'd like to discuss two additional points.
" It seems there is a misunderstanding about the process, as Coach Klinsmann underwent the same process as Coach Bento during his appointment. "
When I first heard this, I had my doubts.
Of course, it's said that Klinsmann wasn't the top choice when he went through that process.
However, it seems he was still considered a fairly high-priority option, maybe around the 3rd to 5th choice.
That part is also hard for me to understand.
It's different from what I originally knew.
I had read several articles, and Muller, who was the head of the Power Reinforcement Committee at the time of Klinsmann's appointment, stated that he was not involved in Klinsmann's appointment.
As I mentioned in a previous post, what I originally understood was that Klinsmann was appointed directly by the chairman regardless of the process.
Whether it's a way to avoid responsibility, a case of it genuinely not happening, or simply a matter of differing perceptions of the same situation, one thing is certain:
There is a clear need to properly overhaul the process.
This leads me to the second point I want to address.
"Forming a new Power Reinforcement Committee and appointing a new coach through it."
If Klinsmann's appointment process truly followed the same process as Bento's, then those involved in that process should no longer be entrusted with similar responsibilities.
It indicates either a lack of capability or a mismatch for the position.
Alternatively, even if the process wasn't followed correctly in reality, the fact remains that we must now establish and utilize a proper system.
In any case, I sincerely hope that such a situation doesn't happen again in the future.
The next issue concerns the discord among the players.
It's truly heartbreaking, but numerous news stories have already covered the altercation between the players, particularly involving Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in.
I expressed my concerns about such events happening, and I believe the Football Association must have been aware as well.
" The coaching staff and system will be restructured to prevent similar issues of player discord from occurring in the future. "
This expression seems too generic, and I don't have much to say about it.
It's something that should be done naturally, and what disappoints me is that I should have apologized properly for this situation.
Along with that statement, he also said,
"You(the public) all must help the players recover from their wounds."
But before making that statement, he should have reflected on his(KFA's) self.
Did they, as individuals and as the Football Association, protect the players at the association level?
Before discussing whether the players should recover from their wounds, didn't the association open the door for the barrage of criticism?
At least in that regard, I believe an apology to the players themselves was necessary, rather than to the public.
Lastly, regarding responsibility.
Chung Mong-gyu acknowledged that all responsibility lies with him.
However, he did not clearly state how he would shoulder that responsibility.
Saying that measures will be taken is something anyone can say, and the public is curious about what specific measures will be implemented.
It's possible that immediate preparations haven't been made.
But at least, it would have been good if concrete measures were prepared and presented in a timely manner.
Stepping down is one way to take responsibility.
However, it's uncertain how he will proceed with stepping down.
The last statement,
"I attempted to revise the rules to limit the football association chairman to three consecutive terms, but it was not accepted. I will leave my response at that."
This statement sounds like he might challenge for a fourth term depending on the situation.
Personally, I oppose it.
There have already been too many incidents.
From the attempt to abruptly dismiss individuals involved in match-fixing to the failure in the Asian Cup following Klinsmann's appointment.
I don't think someone who has been at the helm during such significant incidents should continue to lead the organization.
At this point, all we can do is wait and see what happens next.