Jurgen Klinsmann has been sacked as the head coach of South Korea after less than a year in charge.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) confirmed on Friday the former USA, Bayern Munich and Tottenham manager had been dismissed following South Korea's Asian Cup semi-final exit and amid criticism of his leadership.
KFA Technical Director Hwangbo Kwan said there were "various reasons" to doubt Klinsmann's ability to exercise leadership over the team.
South Korea lost 2-0 loss to Jordan in the Asian Cup semi-finals earlier this month, which extended their 64-year wait for a third title and led to calls from fans and some politicians for the 59-year-old's sacking.
KFA President Chung Mong-gyu said Klinsmann's tenure fell short of expectations.
"Coach Klinsmann failed to demonstrate leadership that we expected from the national team coach, including game management, player management and work attitude, which elevate the competitiveness of the national team," Chung told reporters.
Klinsmann's popularity in Korea nosedived during the Asian Cup, with many criticising his attitude after he was seen smiling despite poor performances from his team.
The German's leadership was also called into question after an altercation between players on the eve of the semi-final left captain Heung-min Son with a dislocated finger.
Throughout his tenure with South Korea, Klinsmann was often criticised for mostly working in Los Angeles, where he currently reside, despite having said that he would spend time in South Korea.
Ahead of Friday's announcement, Klinsmann expressed his "sincere gratitude" to his players, staff and fans in an Instagram post.
"Thank you so much for all your support taking us to the semi-final of the Asian Cup and an incredible journey over the last 12 months with not losing 13 games in a row before the semi-final," he said.
On Thursday, Yonhap News TV reported that ex-South Korean international Hong Myung-bo is among the names being considered to temporarily lead the team for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Klinsmann's time with South Korea got off to a rough start as they went five games without a win, losing to Uruguay and Peru and being held by Colombia, El Salvador and Wales.
Their form improved ahead of the Asian Cup with a run of six straight victories and despite some poor performances in Qatar they still made it to the semi-finals, an improvement on the 2019 tournament when they lost in the quarters.
However, South Korea were unable to register a single shot on target in their semi-final against Jordan, who are ranked 64 places below them in the FIFA rankings.
