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South Korea Replaces Klinsmann with Asian Games-winning Coach Hwang

U-23 Korean national team head coach Hwang Sun-hong speaks at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea on Oct. 8, 2023. (Kim Geun-soo/Newsis via AP)
U-23 Korean national team head coach Hwang Sun-hong speaks at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea on Oct. 8, 2023. (Kim Geun-soo/Newsis via AP)
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South Korea Replaces Klinsmann with Asian Games-winning Coach Hwang

U-23 Korean national team head coach Hwang Sun-hong speaks at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea on Oct. 8, 2023. (Kim Geun-soo/Newsis via AP)
U-23 Korean national team head coach Hwang Sun-hong speaks at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea on Oct. 8, 2023. (Kim Geun-soo/Newsis via AP)

Jurgen Klinsmann's successor as South Korea coach is former international Hwang Sun-hong.
Hwang will take temporary charge of the team for at least two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Thailand in March, the Korea Football Association said on Tuesday.
He led the under-23 team to gold at the Asian Games last October and has also coached in the domestic league with Seoul, Busan IPark and Pohang Steelers. The former international scored 50 goals for South Korea.
“Hwang has recently demonstrated his achievements with his team’s victory at the Hangzhou Asian Games,” said Jung Hae-sung, the new chief of the KFA national team committee. “He also has experience in international competitions and an understanding of Asian soccer.”
The KFA is expected to name a full-time coach before World Cup qualification continues in June with games against Singapore and China.
Klinsmann was dismissed on Feb. 16, 10 days after Korea lost to Jordan in the semifinals of the Asian Cup. He was widely criticized for his strategy on the field and working methods off it.

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Bagnaia Wins Japanese Grand Prix Sprint after Leader Acosta Crashes

Ducati Lenovo Team rider Francesco Bagnaia of Italy (R) leads his teammate Enea Bastianini of Italy (L) during Tissot Sprint of the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix at the Mobility Resort Motegi in Motegi, Tochigi prefecture on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
Ducati Lenovo Team rider Francesco Bagnaia of Italy (R) leads his teammate Enea Bastianini of Italy (L) during Tissot Sprint of the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix at the Mobility Resort Motegi in Motegi, Tochigi prefecture on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Bagnaia Wins Japanese Grand Prix Sprint after Leader Acosta Crashes

Ducati Lenovo Team rider Francesco Bagnaia of Italy (R) leads his teammate Enea Bastianini of Italy (L) during Tissot Sprint of the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix at the Mobility Resort Motegi in Motegi, Tochigi prefecture on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
Ducati Lenovo Team rider Francesco Bagnaia of Italy (R) leads his teammate Enea Bastianini of Italy (L) during Tissot Sprint of the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix at the Mobility Resort Motegi in Motegi, Tochigi prefecture on October 5, 2024. (AFP)

Reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia won MotoGP's Japanese Grand Prix sprint on Saturday after leader Pedro Acosta crashed out with four laps to go, reducing his gap with championship leader Jorge Martin, who finished fourth, to 15 points.

Rookie Acosta, who took pole earlier in the day, had overtaken Bagnaia on the third lap to take the lead, but lost control near turn seven, losing the opportunity to win his first MotoGP sprint.

Ducati's Bagnaia, who moved to 357 points ahead of Sunday's race, fought off second-placed Enea Bastianini by 0.181 seconds amid occasional rains in Motegi to win his 16th sprint of the season.

"We had to sacrifice a bit of performance during the race to understand the conditions better... I'm very happy because with this condition it's not very easy to win," Bagnaia said in his post-sprint interview.

Pramac Racing's Martin, who started from the 11th position on the grid after crashing during the qualifying session, started well to take the fifth position in the first lap, facing pressure from Marc Marquez, who eventually overtook him.

Marquez momentarily took second place from Bastianini but the Ducati rider recovered to leave him third.

LCR Honda's Takaaki Nakagami crashed out of his home grand prix sprint after a collision with teammate Johann Zarco, while Red Bull KTM's Brad Binder, sixth in the championship, quit due to an issue with his bike.

"We´re investigating what happened to cause Brad Binder's sprint to come to a premature end," the team wrote on X. "For now, all we can do is apologize to Brad."