Fans are smiling if they want an apology. Only players bowed their heads one after another.
Kim Min-jae posted on his social networking site on Sunday, “I apologize and thank the players, the coaching staff, and the fans who always supported us during the long tournament. We didn’t get the results that everyone wanted. I’m sorry that we didn’t show as much performance as our fans supported us.”
Son Heung-min blamed himself a day earlier. “As we played the Asian Cup that many people had been looking forward to, we were so focused on the game that we delayed our greeting,” Son said on social media on the 8th. “I felt heavy and sad when I returned to London after the game, but I arrived safely. I think I wasn’t good enough as captain and didn’t lead the team well.”
“I was so proud to be a Korean soccer player because you gave me so much love and support despite this situation. Thank you and I’m sorry,” he added.
Both Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae were conscious of the public criticism against the Korean national soccer team. Korea lost to Jordan 0-2 in the semi-final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. The team sought to win the Asian Cup title in 64 years, but it was far from winning the title.
Kim Min-jae couldn’t play in the semifinals. He couldn’t play due to accumulated warnings. Kim Min-jae’s absence was huge. The already weak Korean defense collapsed when Kim Min-jae was out.
This time, the Korean national team boasted the strongest performance ever. Many players were playing as key players in the big leagues, including Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Lee Jae-sung (FSV Mainz). The team seemed more likely than ever to win its first Asian Cup title since 1960.
However, their performance in the group stage was not as good as before. They tied with Jordan and Malaysia after poor matches, which were considered far inferior to Korea. They managed to advance to the round of 16 teams by ranking second in the group.
They advanced to the semifinals by beating Saudi Arabia in the round of 16 and Australia in the quarterfinals. However, the game itself was terrible. It was “zombie soccer” with good words. Considering the past, neither offense nor defense was satisfactory.
It’s not the players that blame is focused on, but coach Jurgen Klinsmann. The problems pointed out throughout the tournament have not improved in the end. With the absence of tactics and the football relying on star players, Klinsmann’s limitations were clearly shown.
More than anything else, Klinsmann offended Korean soccer fans with his smile even after the poor game from the group stage. There was no self-reflection or responsible attitude after the game.
Until now, Klinsmann has said, “I will tell you the results.” “Coaches are evaluated by their performance and results. It is difficult for a coach with poor results to stay in this job,” he said, stressing that he would take measures according to the results. 라바카지노도메인
However, he changed his mind after the tournament ended. “I am not thinking about resigning. I will go back to Korea and analyze the upcoming tournament. I will discuss with the Korea Football Association what I liked and what I didn’t,” he said. “We have to aim for the North-Central American World Cup for the next two and a half years. We need to develop further. We also have a difficult task of qualifying ahead of us right now,” he hoped to maintain his coach position.
He smiled brightly when he returned to Korea through Incheon International Airport on Tuesday. He was criticized for expressing emotions that are far from the current soccer fans’ sentiments. He avoided the issue by using his “out-of-body speech.”
At the airport, Klinsmann was also embarrassed. “I think part of the joys and sorrows we can get through football. In the round of 16 against Saudi Arabia and the quarterfinals against Australia, many of you were probably happy because we had a dramatic victory. On the contrary, if you come back with such a loss in a competition and you are eliminated, you will face (negative) public opinion,” Klinsmann said. “More negatively, I think there will be some extreme remarks as well.”
“I think a leader is a leader who can accept criticism. Still, I think this team is growing in the right direction,” he said. There was no responsible attitude, apology or reflection at all.
