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Jürgen Klinsmann allegedly refused to stay at the Paju National Football Center because "it was too close to North Korea"

AKP STAFF
Posted by Sophie-Ha Monday, February 19, 2024

Recently, a German magazine called Der Spiegel wrote about how Jürgen Klinsmann became the coach of Korea's national football (soccer) team. Der Spiegel is well-known for reporting on important news from around the world.

The story starts with Klinsmann meeting Chung Mong Kyu, the president of Korea's Football Association, at the VIP section of the Qatar World Cup. Klinsmann jokingly asked Chung if he needed a coach, and this small talk led to them becoming friends.

The magazine claimed that Klinsmann liked the fact that Chung was the head of a big company. If Klinsmann didn't like something, he'd send a message to Chung Mong Kyu himself. This kind of direct communication was unusual but showed how close they were.


The magazine delved into Klinsmann's living arrangements, which became a focal point of critique during his time as the coach of South Korea's National team. Opting to reside in California, Klinsmann engaged in casual football matches at a local club every Sunday, sparking allegations that he preferred to stay in America than be in Korea. The magazine uncovered Klinsmann's dissatisfaction with the accommodations provided at the Paju National Football Center, criticizing its outdated facilities and that he was uncomfortable due to the location's close proximity to North Korea.

The relationship between Chung Mong Kyu and Klinsmann also came under scrutiny, with some accusing Chung of being overly accommodating to Klinsmann. Despite the criticisms, Chung defended his actions, insisting that the process to bring Klinsmann on board was conducted with the same due diligence applied to previous coaching hires.

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    wonyoungfied
    wonyoungfied-2,826 pts Monday, February 19, 2024 4
    Monday, February 19, 2024

    [+] This user has a poor community rating, click here to read this comment.

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    TheSquid
    TheSquid19,658 pts Monday, February 19, 2024 0
    Monday, February 19, 2024

    I'm amazed anyone thought he could do the job and not live in Korea at all, how the hell did he oversee anything if he didn't have contact with the players? It's not like a desk job where you can do it location-free as long as you have access to a computer.

    .

    I don't blame Klinsmann though, he would have done what he could get away with, same as anyone else, this is down to the KFA not setting the rules down and sticking to them. Why did his contract not state that he had to move to Korea?

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