Looking at the team's performance throughout the final qualification matches, it was only a matter of time before Stielike would step down. The team is currently ranked second in Group A with four wins, one tie and three losses, at 13 points. Though being second in the standing means it makes the cut for an automatic berth into the World Cup, Korea has been struggling to perform against one of the weaker teams in the group, and their remaining matches will be against the first and third ranked teams. Korea has recorded one win, one tie and two losses this year. Not being able to earn a single win in away games has been pointed out as Korea's biggest problem. And their match against Qatar was a disaster. Once the team returned from Qatar, Stielike stated that he will take responsibility for Korea's loss but made it clear that he had no intention of voluntarily resigning. Unlike Stielike, Lee showed an intention to voluntarily resign as he felt that he didn't meet up to expectations as head technical director and because he was the one to hire Stielike. As for the next possible head technical director, Kim Hak-bum, former Seongnam FC head coach, Ahn Ik-soo, former head coach of the Korean U-20 national football team, Hong Myung-bo, former Hangzhou Greentown head coach and many others were mentioned. Stielike will still be receiving the rest of his salary - 1.7 billion won ($1.5 million).