The national football governing body will convene a meeting next week to discuss the status of the beleaguered men's coach, Uli Stielike, officials said Thursday.
The Korea Football Association will hold a technical committee meeting sometime next week to break down what's been ailing the men's squad in the ongoing Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
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South Korea men's national football head coach Uli Stielike waits for the start of the World Cup qualifying match against Syria at Seoul World Cup Stadium on March 28, 2017. (Yonhap) |
South Korea lost to China 1-0 in Group A action of the final regional qualification round last Thursday and eked out a 1-0 win over Syria on Tuesday in Seoul. South Korea are in second place in the six-nation group with 13 points on four wins, a draw and two losses, four points behind Iran but still in position for an automatic World Cup berth. But South Korea have not scored or won a match away from home, and each of the four victories has been by a single goal.
Stielike has taken a beating for his lack of tactical acumen, and frustrated fans have called for his head. Stielike also has a running feud with the media over his player selection and strategies.
A KFA official said the meeting will cover "the overall operations" of the national team.
Lee Yong-soo, the technical director, will chair the meeting.
He said he "won't rule out the possibility" that the discussions of the national team may eventually lead to the topic of Stielike's future.
Stielike is the longest-tenured boss ever for the South Korean men's team at just over 2 1/2 years. His contract runs through the 2018 World Cup, but if South Korea fail to qualify for the tournament, his deal will expire immediately.
Two of South Korea's three remaining matches will be on the road. The country's fate will most likely be determined in the final match against Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Sept. 5. Uzbekistan are just one point behind South Korea in third place.
The technical committee reserves the right to hire and fire national team coaches. Critics of Stielike say now is the time to sack him, since the men's team still has over two months before the next qualification match.
After playing Qatar on June 13, then it will be Iran on Aug. 31 and Uzbekistan five days later, a crucial stretch that may not be ideal for a last-minute coaching change.
If the KFA decides to stick with Stielike, the German coach will then likely stay on for the rest of the qualifying stage, regardless of South Korea's future performances. (Yonhap)
