Korea-Saudi Arabia will clash in the round of 16 of the Asian Cup on the 31st.
Interest is pouring into the match between the two star coaches. Klinsmann's first win against Saudi Arabia last year"The tournament is different. “We will compete with determination in the finals.”
Directed by Jürgen Klinsmann
Korean national soccer team coach Jürgen Klinsmann (60) is aiming to turn the tide once again against Saudi Arabia, whom he had targeted for his first win in six games since taking office.
Korea will compete against Saudi Arabia to advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup at 1 a.m. on the 31st at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Education City Stadium is the place where Korea achieved a dramatic comeback win of 2-1 against Portugal in the final third game of the group stage at the 2022 Qatar World Cup and advanced to the round of 16.
Since being appointed as the head coach of the Korean national team in February of last year, Coach Klinsmann has received strong criticism from soccer fans as he has not achieved a win in five consecutive games (3 draws, 2 losses). It was the record for the most consecutive games without a win among all foreign coaches who have taken charge of the Korean national team.
The first opponent Coach Klinsmann beat after taking charge of the Korean national team was Saudi Arabia. Korea won 1-0 in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia in Newcastle, England last September. Coach Klinsmann used this as an opportunity to turn the situation around by reporting his first win in 6 games since taking office. Since then, they have won seven games in a row, including the first match against Bahrain in the Asian Cup group stage. However, Korea's mood sank again after a series of poor performances in the second and third rounds of the Asian Cup group stage. Fans' criticism of Coach Klinsmann has also intensified again. Coach Klinsmann, who is ahead of the round of 16 match against Saudi Arabia, said, “I have good memories of (winning) against Saudi Arabia last September,” and added, “The tournament, which is a single-game match, is different from the group stage. “I will treat every game as a final,” he said.
Director Roberto Mancini
Saudi Arabia, which Korea will be playing against, is led by world-renowned Italian coach Roberto Mancini (60). Coach Mancini served as the head coach of the Italian national team and Manchester City (England). After taking charge of the Saudi national team in August last year, he performed poorly in his first 4 games with 1 draw and 3 losses, but has been undefeated in 8 consecutive games since then (6 wins, 2 draws). In Group F of this Asian Cup, they took first place with 2 wins and 1 draw. Coach Klinsmann also said, “Saudi Arabia’s power has been getting better since the Mancini administration. “You have to prepare well,” he said.
The round of 16 match between Korea and Saudi Arabia is also attracting attention as it is a match between coaches Klinsmann and Mancini, who became famous as strikers representing German and Italian soccer in the 1990s, respectively. Qatari local media outlets are reporting articles about the two coaches with titles such as ‘Two leaders who make the Asian Cup even more spectacular.’ The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) selected the Korea-Saudi Arabia match as the 'most noteworthy match' among the round of 16 of this tournament.
While playing, the two coaches competed for three seasons in Italian professional soccer Serie A. Coach Klinsmann played as a striker for Inter Milan from 1989 to 1992, and Mancini played as a striker for Sampdoria during the same period. If one of the two coaches reaches the top of this competition, he will become the fourth coach in history to win two continental championships. Coach Klinsmann led the U.S. national team to win the North and Central America Gold Cup in 2013, and Coach Mancini led his native Italy to the top of the European Championship in 2021. 스포츠토토맨