From USA to South Korea: Klinsmann’s Dismissal History Costing Football Associations Millions

The recent dismissal of Jürgen Klinsmann as the head coach of the South Korean national soccer team within just a year has brought attention to the penalty fee that the Korea Football Association is obligated to pay. Criticism has arisen, drawing parallels with eight years ago when Klinsmann received a significant remaining salary after being terminated as the head coach of the U.S. national team.

Words in the soccer world on the 16th reported that Klinsmann, who took over the leadership of the national team at the end of February last year, was under contract until the main event of the North-Central America World Cup scheduled for June- July 2026. It is known that the contract includes a clause stipulating that the remaining salary must be paid in case of dismissal.

Klinsmann, whose annual salary is known to be 2 million euros (approximately $2.3 million), had a contract until the main event of the 2026 North-Central America World Cup, so the Football Association is obliged to pay approximately $59 million. If you add up the salaries of foreign coaches on the national team, the penalty is expected to exceed $84 million.

Chung Mong Gyu, president of the Football Association, announced Klinsmann’s dismissal on the day and said about the issue of paying the remaining salary, “I have to consult with a lawyer. If there is a problem, I will consider what I can contribute financially.”

It is not the first time that Klinsmann has collected the remaining salary after being dismissed during the contract period. He was in charge of the final qualifier for North-Central America of the 2018 Russia World Cup as the head coach of the U.S. national team in 2016. Still, he was at risk of dismissal after losing two consecutive games against Mexico and Costa Rica. At that time, Klinsmann said in an interview with The New York Times, “I’m not afraid; I’m sure of the first place in the group.”

However, Klinsmann was eventually fired in November 2016. At that time, he had a contract period until 2018, so he took the remaining salary for 20 months. According to The Washington Post, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) estimated that Klinsmann and his staff’s total compensation cost (including non-cash compensation) would be $6.2 million.

According to the USSF tax return reported by The Washington Post afterward, Klinsmann received more than $4.8 million after being fired. As a result, Klinsmann, who was unemployed, was also recorded as the highest-paid coach in American soccer.

This development has prompted mockery, with some cynically saying, “Invest like Klinsmann,” “It’s no different from a take-and-dash,” and “I envy Klinsmann, who sits on a big pile of money even if he messes up.”