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Jurgen Klinsmann (left) and Son Heung-min (Yonhap) |
Faced with controversy over a scuffle involving two of its best players and growing demand for the head coach's resignation, the Korea Football Association will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the future of the South Korean men's national team.
The main agenda of the meeting, slated for 11 a.m., will likely be Jurgen Klinsmann, who has been subject to criticism from the public, the media and even politicians after the national team's disappointing semifinals exit at the Asian Cup 2023.
The KFA chief Chung Mong-gyu will reportedly hold a press conference after the meeting to talk about the outcome of the meeting.
Further doubts were cast over the KFA and Klinsmann's leadership Wednesday when it was reported that the team captain Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in -- the leading scorer for the Asian Cup and sole Korean to be named to the Team of the Tournament -- were among those involved in a physical altercation before the Asian Cup semifinal match against Jordan. The KFA confirmed the reports.
Lee posted an apology for the row late Wednesday on his social media page, saying he caused great disappointment with his "argument" with Son.
Dismissing Klinsmann will not be easy, as he has two years and five months left in his contract. According to local media reports, the KFA will have to pay as much as 8 billion won ($6 million) to him and his coaching staff to buy out their contracts.
