Klinsmann’s laissez-faire football

Chung Jeh-won
The author is the director of culture and sports news at the JoongAng Ilbo.

“Hey, listen! Our team has only two problems. You know what that means? That’s defense and offense!”

That’s a legendary tale from the peak of Korean college basketball in the 1970s and 1980s. More specifically, that was an instruction allegedly given by legendary Korea University basketball team manager Park Han during a timeout.

As far as I know, the instruction is only half true. But regardless, the Korea University basketball team led by the outstanding manager was on a winning streak with no interruption. That could be related to his “empty yet substantial” leadership for victory.

While watching Jürgen Klinsmann — a former German footballer and current head coach of Korean national football team — lead Team Korea through the ongoing the Asian Cup in Qatar, I thought of the university head coach’s leadership. Despite the difference in sport, the two have a similar leadership style: They choose to leave detailed instructions — and athlete management — to their staff. They trust players and draw a big picture, though it may look lax at first glance.

But Klinsmann looks shaky. Instead of aggressively mingling with players, he seems to be on his own on the ground and in the press conference. In Korea’s match with Jordan last Saturday, the former lagged 1-2 until the end and barely tied at the last minute after a Jordanian player scored an own goal. Jordan is weak in football, but Korea barely tied it.

Audiences were enraged by Team Korea’s lethargic play throughout the game. And yet, Klinsmann met with his Jordanian counterpart near the half line, held his hands tightly and talked for quite a while, still smiling. Did the two head coaches really exchange their cheers for a 2-2 draw? That was a sharp contrast to Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min, who left the ground with a long face after admitting to “much room for improvement.”

Striker Cho Gue-sung’s conduct was also criticized. Ahead of the Asian Cup in Qatar, where Korea hopes to win in 64 years, Cho appeared in an entertainment program by a television. After the striker, wearing his hair tied back during the game against Jordan, repeatedly lost decisive chances to score goals, his fans demanded that he cut his hair and wake up.

That’s football, a major issue for the people and the common language of the world. After Lee Kang-in, a midfielder from Paris Saint-Germain, scored two goals in the first game with Bahrain, his fans at the French football club cheered. Football is that volatile and explosive — and powerful enough to excite the whole country and make the people fall into despair. Striker Cho Gue-sung, who emerged as a hero in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, has become a “national traitor” this time. The conduct of Klinsmann and Cho falls way short of public expectations.

I still have vivid memories of the hot moments of the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. Just think of the fighting spirit of Team Korea and the unforgettable uppercut ceremony of its head coach, Guus Hiddink. He recently appeared in a JTBC variety program. After another guest asked him if striker Ahn Jung-hwan’s header was just lucky, Hiddink immediately said, “It was a perfect header!” While watching the unique bond between the head coach and the players again, their fans still feel their chemistry 22 years ago. Hiddink’s leadership, based in a delicate mix of criticism and praise, is still an object of admiration.

Team Korea has its third match with Malaysia on Thursday. If Korea advances to the Round of 16, matches with strong teams will await. What Team Korea can rely on is a close analysis of the opponents and thorough preparations. But considering the way our team fought in the first and second matches, I cannot help but wonder if the team had thoroughly prepared for those games. The head coach’s distinct football strategy, after all, borders on laissez faire.

Korean football fans want Klinsmann to cry and smile alongside Koreans. They desperately hope Cho Gue-sung successfully makes up for his mistakes as Ahn Jung-hwan did after missing a penalty kick in a match with Italy 22 years ago.

Hiddink demanded that members of Team Korea in 2022 “enjoy the game.” But only those who did their best to prepare for the games can enjoy the games. If our players enjoy the game without doing their best, they cannot be Team Korea.