"Something that shouldn't have come out has come out. Let's not watch Klinsman again."

Former national soccer player Lee Cheon-soo commented on the rumors of discord among the 2024 Asian Cup team.

On the 15th, Lee Cheon-soo posted a video titled 'Lee Cheon-soo's thoughts on the rumor of discord in the team' through the YouTube channel Lee Chun-soo.

In the video, Lee Cheon-soo mentioned the recent rumors of discord within the national team. He said, “It is serious because they say there was a physical fight,” and “I think the fact that this is being said means that something that should not come out is coming out.”

He continued, “The atmosphere within the national team is disappointing. That has led to the results. I feel regretful that I was not able to achieve it with the best members.” He continued, “Korea is a country of courtesy in the East, and the relationship between seniors and juniors is important. The education system has changed. Players have been studying abroad since they were young. “It is true that the emotional aspect is different from our time, but shouldn’t there be discipline between seniors and juniors?” he said.

In particular, Lee Cheon-soo said, "They say they expect me to be my seniors, but I have never done that to my older brothers. In my time, there was no system in which disharmony could occur. Of course, you can talk behind people's backs without being heard," and "People with different characteristics have different characteristics." “Because this gathering, there may be an internal problem, but this is not the case,” he said.

Despite his disappointment, Lee Cheon-soo raised his voice and said that coach Jurgen Klinsmann was most responsible. He said, “What I regret the most is the coach. The reason we gave Klinsmann as coach while giving him 2.9 billion won is because he is the commander in charge of everything.” He added, “It is the coach’s responsibility to not only achieve results but also discipline and bring the team together. He only wants to do what is good for himself. "There is no leadership. We need to know how to punish players when they do something wrong, but they are laughing without knowing what they are doing," he said, raising his voice.

He previously compared Coach Hiddink, who made it to the semifinals in the 2002 World Cup, and Coach Klinsmann, saying, "When there is a problem, you have to swear like Hiddink and do your part, but they just smile. This is the first time I've seen anything like this national team. They are players with leadership." He said, “There is a difference between holding on to people and then giving them freedom and ‘doing whatever you want’ from the beginning. This problem did not arise as a result of a single rift. It is because they were left to do as they please after taking office.”

He also expressed his disappointment with the Football Association. Lee Cheon-soo emphasized, "They actually didn't say anything about Klinsmann's dismissal, but when the players said they fought, they immediately acknowledged it. It's unfortunate that it feels like they're covering up the Klinsmann issue as an issue for their juniors."

Lee Cheon-soo continued to express his regrets about coach Klinsmann until the end, saying, "I recognize Klinsmann as a player, but I can never acknowledge Klinsmann as a coach. Running away is number one. He ran away already. What is this? It's not a joke." He said, "I will never run away again at Incheon Airport." He strongly criticized it, saying, “I wish I didn’t see it.”

Meanwhile, on the 6th, the day before the 2024 Asian Cup semifinals, it was known that there was discord within the national team, and the Football Association acknowledged it. Lee Kang-in attacked national team captain Son Heung-min, and in the process, Son Heung-min's finger was dislocated.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr