1990 World Cup champion German Jurgen Klinsmann has been appointed coach of the South Korean national football team, the local football federation announced on Monday.
“Klinsmann’s contract runs from March until 2026,” a report said, without specifying its value.
The 58-year-old will arrive in Seoul next week and lead the “Daeguk Warriors” in a friendly against Colombia on the 24th of next month, the federation added.
Klinsmann succeeds Portuguese Paulo Bento, who resigned following the 4-1 defeat to Brazil in the World Cup final in Qatar at the end of last year.
“I am very happy and proud to be the coach of the South Korean national football team,” the federation quoted Klinsmann as saying.
“I am well aware that the Korean national team has been continuously improving and achieving results for a long time,” he added, adding, “I am proud to follow in the footsteps of Dutchman Guus Hiddink and former South Korean coaches. Bento.
“We will do our best to achieve good results in the next Asia Cup (in summer) and the 2026 World Cup,” he added.
Klinsmann enjoyed a rich career as a striker and played for several clubs including Italian Inter, English Tottenham and Bayern Munich.
Internationally, he scored 47 goals in 108 matches, including three at the 1990 World Cup, as well as in West Germany’s 1–0 win over Argentina in the final.
He began his coaching duties in 2004 as head of the coaching staff of “Die Mannschaft” and led his country’s national team to third place in the 2006 World Cup before overseeing Bayern and then the US national team until 2016.
He last had a training stint with Hertha Berlin between 2019 and 2020.