As the smoke from the Asian Cup in Qatar is clearing, the three East Asian soccer powers - China, Japan and South Korea - are facing a major reshuffle in the coaching ranks. According to South Korean media "Oh My News" reported that the national teams of these three countries have begun to rebuild. The Japanese team suffered Waterloo in the Asian Cup, but chose to retain the head coach Mori Baoichi, although his team performance failed to meet the expectations of the fans; the Chinese team has once again started the process of changing the coach; South Korea has been relieved of Klinsmann's position, but the successor is still pending.
Here is a detailed analysis of the three teams' coaching issues:
For the Chinese team, the Korean media noted, "The Chinese team has once again suffered a change of foreign coaches. Jankovic has been associated with Chinese soccer since 2018. However, he was eventually swept away after his unsatisfactory performances in the qualifiers, warm-up matches and the Asian Cup. Chinese fans were critical of him, believing that not only did he fail to lead the team to win the Asian Cup, but he also failed to deliver." In addition, South Korean media also mentioned several coaches who were rumored to be in constant contact with the Chinese team, "After Jankovic's dismissal, Choi Kang-hee and Seo Jung-mo became the favorites."
Talking about the Japanese team, the Korean media said, "Japan's failure to win the Asian Cup was seen as an over-achievement of 'individualism'. Despite the overwhelming strength of the Japanese team, made up almost entirely of EU players, they were accused of lacking fighting spirit throughout the Asian Cup. Mori's performance at the World Cup in Qatar earned the trust of the JFA, who promised to give him more support. Mori retained his position and the next task is to repair the crisis of confidence and reputational damage caused by the Asian Cup."
As for the South Korean team, South Korean media revealed: "After the Asian Cup, the South Korean team quickly fell into disarray, with numerous media calling for Klinsmann's dismissal. The team's internal 'ping pong door' incident also triggered a series of disputes. Under public pressure, the KFA dismissed Klinsmann on the 16th, which also helped to reconcile Son Heung-miao and Lee Gang-in. However, the appointment of a new coach remains confusing." Finally, the Korean media concluded, "The KFA has failed to explain Klinsmann's appointment and the chaos surrounding his coaching of the national team, and has not demanded that Hyeon-in be held accountable."
